In Anshun, 90km from Guiyang, is the Huangguoshu Waterfall, which has been deservedly called Guizhou's most impressive scenic sight. Moreover, it has been awarded the title of "Scenic Splendor of China" by the magazine Chinese National Geography in 2005.
The Huangguoshu Waterfall is on the Baishui River in Zhenning County, where mountains rise one after another. From the top of towering cliff, the running river flies through the air, plunging with the earth-shaking power into the Rhinoceros Pool and forms a nine-stage waterfall.
Magnetic Huangguoshu Waterfall
The scenic area consists of 18 waterfalls, caves, karst mountains and deep pools. The Huangguoshu Waterfall is the best known and most spectacular. It is the largest cataract in China, about 74 meters high and 81 meters wide. Hidden behind the waterfall is a 134-meter long Water-Curtain Cave with fantastic stalactites. The cave consists of five halls, six windows and three springs.
In the cave tunnel and in the dry season, you can see the plunging water like numberless strings of pearls flying down over your head. Inside the cave, six windows let you view the falls from different angles; stretching your hand out of the window, you can touch the flying water. It is amazing to watch through the cave windows the water pouring down.
It looks like the Milky Way pouring down from the heaven, making the precipitous cliff tremble, while misty water droplets rise from the plunge pool, forming rainbows of dazzling brilliance in the sunlight. You can not help feeling fascinated by its beauty, overwhelmed by its mystery, and thrilled by its momentum.
Rhinoceros Pool
At the foot of the fall is the jade-green Rhinoceros Pool surrounded by mountains on three sides. Legend has it that a rhinoceros once crawled out of this pool. As the waterfall roars into the pool, foam rises 50 to 60 meters, water mingling with mist and shimmering in the sunlight. Rainbows occur frequently at sunset in summer, appearing as colorful bridges above clouds.
Guanpu Pavilion
On the top of the precipice opposite the waterfall, stands the pavilion named Guanpu Pavilion. You have a chance to enjoy the powerful pouring down of the fall. From here you have a panorama view of the powerful cataract and also from here you will go down into the water-curtain cave. The fall looks just like a huge curtain hanging in front of its cave. The power of the cataract is best viewed on a sunny day when a rainbow arches over the fall with misty clouds floating slowly over the Huangguoshu Village.
Beauty in different seasons
In the flood season of June and July, the waterfall pours into the Rhinoceros Pool with the force of a thousand horses galloping. While in the dry season, water would separate into several streams falling down from the overhanging cliffs like a fairy maiden's elegant hair, charming and graceful.
In this area there are dozens of falls. They come together to form a cluster of cataracts, among which are the 410-m-high Dishuitan Fall, the 105-m-wide Doupotang Fall and the Luositan Fall whose beach extends as long as 350 meters. These falls present changing views at different times of the year as the water volume rises and falls with one roaring ahead, another running peacefully and still another surging high. There are different views in different seasons. The Dishuitan Waterfall is distinguished for its big drop, the longest amongst the neighboring falls; while the Doupotang Waterfall is the widest of all the falls.
Tianxing Bridge (Bridge of Stars) scenic spot
At the lower reaches of the Huangguoshu Waterfall, about 6 kilometers away, is the newly-opened Tianxing Bridge (Bridge of Stars) scenic spot, which is composed of three interconnected scenic attractions, namely, the potted landscape, the cave and the stone forest in water. This scenic spot is distinguished with its sights of various types, its natural stone formations of fabulous shapes, high cacti extending far and wide forming a dense forest.
The Tianxing Cave (Cave of Stars), The Tiansheng Bridge, a work of nature, a stone arch flying over a deep gorge and the Silver-Chain Waterfall are all worth visiting.