Chishui

Part of the China Danxia World Heritage Site, with Chishui Grand Waterfall, Foguang Rock and the Spinulose Tree Fern National Nature Reserve — the "City of a Thousand Waterfalls" is also where the Red Army made its Four Crossings of the Chishui River during the Long March.

Chishui sits in the far northwest corner of Guizhou on the lower reaches of the Chishui River, bordering Luzhou in Sichuan to the north. A county-level city administered by Zunyi, it is known as the "City of a Thousand Waterfalls" and the "Home of Bamboo". In 2010 China Danxia, with Chishui as one of its components, was inscribed as a World Natural Heritage Site. Danxia landforms cover more than 1,200 km² here, where vermilion cliffs and waterfalls mingle with tree ferns and seas of bamboo — the "youngest" and most lushly vegetated of all China's Danxia areas. The main scenic areas lie along tributaries of the Chishui River: around Datong–Lianghekou, about 20 km south of the city, are Sidonggou, Hongshi Wild Valley and Yanzi Rock; to the south is Chishui Grand Waterfall (Shizhangdong), about 76 m high and 80 m wide; to the east is Foguang Rock, a huge semicircular red cliff. There are also the Spinulose Tree Fern National Nature Reserve, Chishui Bamboo Sea National Forest Park and the ancient town of Bing'an on the banks of the Chishui River. The ancient town of Tucheng in neighbouring Xishui County was the site of the first of the "Four Crossings of the Chishui River", and Red Army history study trips often combine it with Chishui. The climate is warm and humid; the waterfalls are at their fullest from June to September, though this is also the hot, muggy rainy season, while April–May and September–November are the most comfortable. Getting there: Chishui has no high-speed rail yet. The nearest airport is Luzhou Yunlong Airport (about 1–1.5 hours by car), or you can take a coach from Chongqing or Zunyi (about 3–4 hours). Rural buses and direct shuttles run from the city to the scenic areas, but driving yourself is most convenient. Allow 2–3 days: one day for Sidonggou, Hongshi Wild Valley and Yanzi Rock, one day for Chishui Grand Waterfall and Foguang Rock, and half a day for Bing'an or Tucheng. Local specialities include sun-brewed Chishui vinegar, bamboo shoot banquets and huangba (steamed sticky rice cakes). Note: Danxia trails are damp and mossy, so non-slip shoes are a must; in the rainy season watch for flash flood and rockfall warnings, and some waterfall areas close temporarily after heavy rain.

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