Huangguoshu Waterfall

Huangguoshu is the centrepiece of a group of falls on the Baishui river in western Guizhou, and the main drop is both tall and wide, throwing enough spray that the viewing terraces stay wet through the summer. What makes it unusual is the Water Curtain Cave, a natural passage running along the cliff behind the falling water with openings that look straight out through it. The area ticket also covers Doupotang, a broad low fall upstream, and Tianxingqiao, a garden of stepping stones, small cascades and karst rock downstream. Together they take most of a day, connected by shuttle buses. Expect to get wet at the main fall between June and September.

History

The traveller Xu Xiake (1587-1641) described the falls in his travel journals, writing of foam rising from the rocks like a mist. The whole waterfall is 77.8 metres high and 101 metres wide, and its main drop, 67 metres high and 83.3 metres wide, is counted the largest in China (Wikipedia, Huangguoshu Waterfall).

What's there

• The main fall - the wide central drop, seen from terraces below and from the rim above.
• Water Curtain Cave - the passage behind the falling water, with window openings through the curtain.
• Doupotang - a wide, low fall upstream, easy to reach and much less crowded.
• Tianxingqiao - the downstream karst garden of stepping stones and small cascades.

When to go

Volume is everything here. From June to October the river is full and the fall is loud and drenching, while by spring it can be reduced to a fraction of its width. The trade-off is that the wet months are also the busiest. Start at the main fall as the gate opens and work downstream through the day.

Practical notes

The site is heavily engineered, with escalators, ticket gates and long paved walkways between sections, and it feels managed rather than wild. Spray soaks the cave passage, where the steps are slippery and the handrails crowded. In low water the drive is hard to justify. Escalator queues can be long on national holidays.

Nearby

Anshun, the Getu river valley and the Longgong caves.

Key facts