Wangtian'e Scenic Area
Wangtian'e Scenic Area falls under the jurisdiction of Shisidaogou Town, Changbai County. The entrance to the scenic spot is 45 kilometres away from the county seat.
It is a national 3A-level tourist zone, national forest park, national water conservancy scenic area, provincial geopark, Jilin Upper Yalu River National Nature Reserve and one of Jilin Province’s top tourist attractions. This eco-tourism zone integrates sightseeing, leisure, vacation, river rafting and scientific investigation.
On the way, visitors can enjoy the border scenery of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, as well as scenic spots including the precipitous Feijiling Ridge, the ancient tomb cluster of Ganggouzi, Menkan Post, Mantianxing, Lüdaoyuan, Shimen Lake and Rooster Crest Peaks.
The main attractions of Wangtian'e Scenic Area are distributed within the canyon 8 to 15 kilometres north of the mouth of Shiwudaogou Valley, with more than 40 major scenic sites confirmed.
The most representative landscapes include eight waterfalls, ten stone formations and a stone waterfall belt stretching over 500 metres.
The eight waterfalls are: Feiliu Waterfall, Tongtian River, Mother-and-Son Waterfall, Diaoshuihu Waterfall, Nine-Tier Waterfall, Pearl Curtain Waterfall, Chengqiang Lazi Waterfall and Tiger Leaping Gorge Waterfall.
The ten stone sights cover exotic rock clusters, Thousand-Pillar Peak, Stone Pillar Cliff, Honeycomb Rock, Stone Stair Cliff, Peacock Spreading Its Tail, Eternal Rock, Culture Wall, Ink-Splashed Rock and Wansui Rock.
Minor attractions along the stone waterfall belt include Water Curtain Cave, Overhanging Cliff, Golden Boy Spring, Jade Maiden Spring, Listening Stone, Rainbow Waterfall, Lion Rock, Monkey Head Stone, Two-Finger Plank Road, Sky-Peeping Cave, Zither String Waterfall and Hanging Stone Cave.
Featured Landscapes
1. Stone Pillar Cliff
This landform was formed by weathering, fluvial erosion and collapse of basalt with columnar joints.
The cliff spans 60 metres in width and stands 28 metres high, with the stone pillar section reaching 15 metres. It consists of upright stone pillars at the bottom and horizontal stone beams on top, clearly showing columnar joints developed when lava overflowing from volcanic eruptions (magma temperature: 1,100℃–1,200℃) gradually cooled down.
As a primary structural feature in basalt, columnar joints carry great scientific significance for tracing the flow direction of ancient lava.
2. Thousand-Pillar Peak
The columnar joints here were formed under the same geological conditions as those at Stone Pillar Cliff.
Around 2 to 3 million years ago, basalt lava from volcanic eruptions cooled on the surface. The cooling mass contracted towards the centre, generating tensile stress along the connecting lines of adjacent contraction centres and forming pentagonal and hexagonal columnar joints.
A total of 108 stone pillars are exposed on the surface, spanning 118 metres, with the tallest pillar rising to 26 metres. Closely arranged shoulder to shoulder, these pillars jointly support the huge mountain peak, presenting a breathtaking natural masterpiece.
3. Eternal Rock
The rock is 21 metres high and 73 metres long.
Its base is Jurassic tuff formed 130 million years ago. The lower and middle sections are weathered crusts developed as the crust rose and the tuff underwent long-term weathering and erosion.
The middle and upper parts feature baked surfaces formed when overlying lava heated the weathered crust below.
The top stratum is basalt formed by volcanic eruptions 2 to 3 million years ago.
This site is of vital scientific value for reconstructing the crustal evolution history of the Changbai Mountain region.
4. Diaoshuihu Waterfall
The waterfall is located 13 kilometres up the canyon.
Countless water droplets pour down from a mosaic-shaped rocky slope 20 metres high and converge with the Shiwudaogou River, creating an exquisite natural scene.
A stone wall built of basalt blocks stretches along the riverbank like a section of the Great Wall running from north to south.
5. Mother-and-Son Waterfall
It comprises three cascades arranged side by side with different heights. The northern one is the largest, and the two southern ones are smaller, resembling a mother walking with her two children, hence the name.
Beneath the waterfall lies a huge turtle-shaped rock in the stream, as if slowly crawling upward to find a path.
6. Pearl Curtain Waterfall
The waterfall is 21 metres high and 40 metres wide.
Water flows out from green vegetation on the cliff top and falls like strings of silver pearls in front of a large grotto-shaped precipice. Refracted by sunlight, the falling water forms a shimmering pearl curtain.
The wrinkled rock surface inside the waterfall was formed by intermittent overflow of basic lava (1,100℃–1,200℃). While still semi-molten, the basalt was squeezed and kneaded by subsequent lava flows, creating this unique relief landform.
7. Tiger Leaping Gorge Waterfall
This four-tiered cascade sits 40 kilometres along the west branch of Shuangchatou in the upper reaches of the canyon.
The riverbed here is narrow and scattered with jagged reefs, making it shallow enough for tigers to leap across the stream — thus the name Tiger Leaping Gorge.
The waterfall plunges down like a white dragon, twisting through gaps between rocks, splashing sprays and roaring into the deep pool below.
8. Chengqiang Lazi Waterfall
It lies 500 metres south of Tiger Leaping Gorge beneath a city-wall-like vertical cliff.
Water surges 20 metres downward with thunderous roars. The curtain of falling water scatters into piles of crystal sprays, offering magnificent grandeur just as described in the poetic line: Is it the Milky Way falling from the ninth heaven?
According to research and economic assessment led by researcher Zhao Xiyong from Northeast Forestry University in Harbin, the ecological protection and development value of Wangtian'e Canyon reaches 500 million RMB.
Breakdown of benefits:
- Potential value of forest vegetation conservation: 270 million yuan
- Economic value of wildlife protection and breeding: 130 million yuan
- Tourism resource value: 20 million yuan
- Economic value of cold-water fish and wood frogs: 30 million yuan
- Development value of herbal medicines and green agricultural products: 50 million yuan
The canyon hosts more than 3,600 wild species including over 500 types of wild animals, making it a natural museum of flora and fauna.
Wangtian'e Volcano gets its name from its shape: it looks just like a swan craning its neck upward.
It is a massive basaltic stratovolcano formed by central eruption and lava overflow, featuring a large caldera.
Lava plateaus formed by magma eruptions were carved by long-term weathering and erosion into this dozens-of-kilometre-long basalt canyon. Volcanic relics left by caldera collapse are extremely rare here.
The total length of the canyon system is 38 kilometres, with elevation ranging from 610 metres to 1,100 metres.
The main peak of Wangtian'e Volcano stands at 2,051.4 metres, the second highest mountain in Northeast China, 35 kilometres away from Heavenly Lake of Changbai Mountain. Together the two volcanoes form the mountain ridge of the Changbai Range.
The steep and deep gorges, with a maximum depth of 450 metres, were shaped by both tectonic movement and external geological forces. The whole scenic zone is famous for grotesque rocks and cascading waterfalls.
The waterfalls splash like scattered pearls, pour from heavenly pots or stretch like the Milky Way. In winter, frozen ice cascades form spectacular landscapes.
Well-developed columnar joints are clearly visible on basalt cliffs formed by cooling lava (1,100℃–1,200℃).
These prismatic pillars are uniform in thickness from top to bottom. The rock faces and peaks consist of grey vesicular basalt, dense black trachybasalt and grey platy Anshan basalt, mostly with four-sided or six-sided prismatic joints.
Vertical pillars rise up like celestial columns; horizontal layers form natural stone ladders; radial joints spread out like a peacock’s tail. Recumbent folds and platy folds in basalt are of high ornamental and research value.
The area retains primitive ecosystems with rich biodiversity: towering ancient trees, jumping fish, croaking frogs, rare birds and beasts, abundant medicinal herbs, bizarre rock formations and numerous waterfalls.
- In spring: blooming flowers frame clear streams and green peaks.
- In summer: shady cliffs echo with flowing springs.
- In autumn: frosty leaves dye the secluded valleys and blue water enchants visitors.
- In winter: transparent icefalls and snow-covered ravines create a quiet winter wonderland.
Nature’s craftsmanship has carved out fantastic scenery in Wangtian'e Canyon and built a natural fairyland in Changbai County.
Transportation
Self-driving
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Western Route
Start from Linjiang City and drive east along the riverside highway for about 185 kilometres to reach the scenic entrance.
The toll station is 8 kilometres inside the entrance, and the core scenic area is another 8 kilometres north of the toll station.
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Eastern Route
The road from Songjianghe to Changbai County stretches 135 kilometres. Drive 58 kilometres west from the county seat to the scenic entrance, then travel another 8 kilometres to the core zone.
Taxi
Taxis are available from the county seat to the scenic area.
Fares are negotiable; a round trip usually costs around 300 yuan.
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