Nanxi River

Overview

Nanxi River is a national key scenic spot, located in Yongjia County, 23 kilometers (15 miles) southeast of Wenzhou City, Zhejiang Province. It borders Yandang scenic area in the east and has a total area of 625 square kilometers. Nanxi River scenic area was set up with Nanxi River being the mainstay, featuring lucidity, grotesqueness, elegance and beauty. Besides, in the scenic area there are a number of ancient buildings and pagodas built during the Song (960 - 1279), the Ming (1368 - 1644) or the Qing (1636 - 1911) Dynasties.

The main view points of Nanxi River include limpid water, grotesque stones, and a large number of waterfalls, beach forests and ancient villages. Nanxi River, with mountainous scenery blended with idyllic rural areas, is an ideal place for sightseeing and holiday resort. Contact China Highlights and book a tour to Nanxi River.

Features

Ancient Villages

The ancient villages reserved along the middle and lower courses of Nanxi River still retain relatively intact historic characteristics and traditional cultural traces. The oldest village can date back to the Neolithic Age, and there also preserve ancient pagodas, bridges, pavilions, decorated archways and ancient battlefields of Tang, Song, Yuan, Ming and Qing dynasties (spanning from 618 - 1911).

These ancient villages were built based on the idea of Yin and Yang (The concept of Yin and Yang originates in ancient Chinese philosophy and metaphysics. Both of them describe two primal opposing but complementary forces found in all things in the universe.), and a large number of complete genealogy is retained in the villages. Among all the villages, the most famous are undoubtedly Yantou Village, Cangpo Village and Furong Village.

Waterfalls

There are up to 50 waterfalls of a certain scale worth visiting, such as "Baizhang waterfall" up to 100 meters, waterfalls of several levels, "lotus waterfall", "drumming waterfall" (water splashes sound like drumming) and "rainbow waterfall" (Water splashes like jade beads, forming a rainbow under the sun).

Limpid water

Nanxi River is abundant in flow and it never dries all year round. The river twists and turns, and has so-called "36 bays and 72 beaches", yet still runs smoothly without stagnation. Transparence and limpidity are the inner beauty of Nanxi River. In some sections of the river, the bottom of streams can be seen clearly. Large and small, bright and multi-colored sleek pebbles cover a stretch of more than 10 kilometers. The best way to appreciate the beauty of Nanxi River is by taking a bamboo raft.

Beach forests

Because Nanxi River bed is wide and flat, flood is a common visitor whenever it rains heavily. People have made their efforts from age to age in the anti-hurricane and anti-flood struggles by planting beach forests. Dense forests have been grown at both sides of the River. The most pleasing moment is to take a bamboo raft to see the beautiful beach forests on both sides.

The beach forests of several kilometers stretch like green barriers, which protect and hide villages and farms from flood. The whole scene, the transparent stream, grassy lawns, verdant mountains, the blue sky and white clouds, form a harmonious picture with farmers' life in the surrounding villages.

Grotesque stones

Peaks stand still; cliffs seem as steep as being cut; caves hang at the middle of the cliffs. No wonder local people eulogize two wonders of Nanxi River, the sharp mountains and the soft streams.

Among all the rocks, Shigui Rock is the most famous one. It stands upright with water surrounding its three sides; when viewed from afar, the rock is like the huge mast of a ship. The Dongxuan Cliff (numerous caves embedded on the cliff.) is also very spectacular. A large number of caves with different sizes and shapes set on the cliff, including Xiaoru Rock Cave, which hang on the nearly 200-meter-high (656-ft-high) cliff, with only one narrow access to the cave.

Proposed itinerary: travelers can take a plane from Hangzhou to Wenzhou, and transfer to Yongjia by train or by bus, and then get to Nanxi River. Contact China Highlights and book a tour to Nanxi River.