Yuntai Mountain

Yuntaishan is a UNESCO geopark on the southern edge of the Taihang range where streams have cut narrow gorges into red quartzite sandstone, and its main draw is Yuntai Waterfall, which drops 314 metres in a single fall, the tallest in China, though its flow is regulated and it can be reduced to little in dry periods. The Red Stone Gorge, a slot of red rock walked on a circuit of boardwalks beside pools and cascades, is the most photographed section. Other areas include Tanpu Gorge with its chain of pools and falls, and a monkey valley with macaques. The park is heavily engineered, with walkways, tunnels and a compulsory internal bus network.

What you actually see

• Yuntai Waterfall - a 314-metre single drop, China's tallest.
• Red Stone Gorge - a red rock slot walked on boardwalks past pools.
• Tanpu Gorge - the chain of falls and pools on a longer circuit.
• The macaques - habituated monkeys in one of the valleys.

When to go

April to June and September to October; the waterfall is strongest after summer rain and weakest in spring and winter, when flow may be released only at certain times. Autumn colour in October is the busiest season.

Honest expectations

Waterfall flow is managed and sometimes released on schedule rather than natural, which surprises visitors. Compulsory shuttle buses add cost and time, and queues at peak periods are long. Holiday crowds fill the boardwalks.

Nearby

Guoliang and the Taihang cliff villages lie north; Zhengzhou is south.