Chishui Danxia Landform [Zunyi]

"One of Top Seven Most Beautiful Danxia in China"
Ranked by China National Geography Magazine

Chishui Danxia Landform in Chishui City, Zunyi City of Guizhou Province: Torrents tearing down red cliffs

The formation of the Danxia landform can be dated back to the Jurassic and Cretaceous periods about 100 million years ago. It covers an area of over 1,000 square kilometers. The collapsing and weathering of a thick layer of red quartzose formed the area's unique landscape, including amazing valleys, sheer precipices and rushing waterfalls. Formed of sandstone, the Chishui Danxia landform is situated where the Sichuan Basin meets the Northern Guizhou Plateau, an area of humid weather and dense vegetation. As a result, the Danxia landscape combines red cliffs, solitary peaks, huge caves and rushing waterfalls, which contrast beautifully with one another.

This scenic area is a fantastic world of waterfalls and famous for Shizhangdong Waterfall, Sidonggou Waterfalls, and Zhongdong Waterfall. Shizhangdong Waterfall is dubbed the ''First Waterfall in China'' and is particularly spectacular. The scenic area has typical red rock landforms with rosy red rock cliffs, red rock pinnacles, huge red rock grottoes and beautiful red rock gorges. There is a national Polystachyous Aphanamixis nature reserve and a bamboo forest national park. The major sight of historical interest is the Monument of Red Army and there are many cultural relics in the area.

Situated in Chishui City of Zunyi, the reserve is the country's first national reserve targeting the protection of rare Polystachyous Aphanamixis trees and their unique living environment. The trees thrive in the reserve and there are more than 40,000 of the Ploystachyous Aphanamixis species in the reserve. Densely distributed, they have given many areas of the reserve a lush appeal, which is rare in many other parts of the country. As a result, the reserve is acclaimed as ''the kingdom of the Polystachyous Aphanamixis''. Because of the well-preserved plants and distinctive ecological system, this features many characteristics of tropical forest in South Asia, experts with the Chinese Academy of Sciences dubbed it ''the enclave of South Asia''. It is a perfect educational and research base for paleontology, geography, climatology and environmental science. It is also a perfect tour destination.

Best time to go
Anytime especially from March to August. The highest temperature is 105.8F; the lowest is -2.2F and yearly average temperature is 64.4F.

Ticket
Yanziyan National Forest Park RMB 25/person (From Chishui City is 20 km)
Bamboo-sea National Forest Park RMB 25/person (From Chishui City is 45 km)
Sidong Valley Scenic spots RMB 30/person (From Chishui City is 15 km)
Shizhangdong Waterfalls Clusters RMB 40/person (From Chishui City is 38 km)

Around Landscape
Bin’an Old Town, Chishui River, Foding Mountain Nature Reserve Area, Laoshechong Nature Reserve Area, etc.

Local Snacks and Specialties
Chishui Bask-vinegar, Yulan, bamboo shoot, Preserved-ham, Maotai Wine, Black or white Bean curd and Chong Tea etc. Bamboo Floor-board, Bamboo Fan, Bamboo-plait Craftwork.

Travel Tips
Please had better not go there in June and July because of torridity.
In Spring and Summer, you had better take long sleeves shirts and some medicine because of many mosquitos in bamboo forest.
Please take raincoat or umbrella, sunbonnet, sunglass, and suntan oil in summer.
Suggest taking by boat on Chishui River from city to Bin'an Town.

Distance
Beijing (2536 km) Guiyang City (460 km) Chishui City (38 km) Danxia Landform
Beijing (2536 km) Guiyang City (155 km)Zunyi City (299 km) Chishui City (38 km) Chishui Danxia Landform
Beijing (2499 km) Zunyi City (299 km) Chishui City (38 km) Danxia Landform