Yangxi Gorge

Yangxi Gorge lies 5 kilometers north of Shiqian County seat and is part of the Kaixia River Scenic Belt. The Kaixia River emerges from the gorge here and winds past farmlands on both banks. After about one kilometer, it reaches the Floating Bridge Ferry, where it merges with the Longchuan River and flows northward. This section features a wide river surface with sandy shoals and gentle currents, hence the name Yangxi.

Deep inside the gorge stand steep cliffs, where clear waters and strange rocks create a serene scene, a sharp contrast to the open landscape outside. At the gorge entrance, on the left rise Fengmaoding and Swallow Rock, with towering peaks and sloping crags stretching down to the ground. On the right stand Huangjianao and Dapian Rock, sheer precipices hung with stalactites. Together they form a grand stone gateway, presenting stunning scenery.

Yangxi Gorge is renowned for its karst caves. Clustered along the entrance cliffs, these secluded caves were once retreats for Taoist practitioners in ancient times and have long been rarely visited. According to ancient local records, in the late Ming and early Qing dynasties, a Taoist priest named Donghua from Suiyang, Henan, resided in the caves of Yangxi to cultivate the so-called Plum Golden Elixir.

Legend goes that the Wind God’s Cave where he once lived would roar like thunder and emit dark smoke whenever the weather changed abruptly. The farther the smoke drifted, the heavier the ensuing hail. Locals held the cave deity in awe and dared not venture deep inside. The cave boasts layered rock chambers, a natural skylight overhead and an underground river below. Its main cavern consists of a stone hall, a sand hall and a scenic hall. Inside stand rock formations resembling warriors clad in golden and silver armor, alongside glittering stalactites and stalagmites. Hollow stone beads shimmer in the water. Well-preserved in its original state, this exquisite cave is a marvelous sight to behold.

In the 1980s, Yangxi Hydropower Station was built within the gorge, dividing the river into two sections. Upstream of the dam lies a placid man-made lake, while downstream the valley remains deep and quiet with gurgling streams. During the flood seasons in spring and summer, surging water cascades over the dam, forming a spectacular waterfall whose thunderous echoes resound through the valley. Mist and rainbows often appear amid the spray, adding to the grand view. Blending perfectly with the natural landscape, the hydropower facilities make Yangxi Gorge a unique tourist attraction near the county seat.