Attractions Around Hundred-Mile Azalea Scenic Area

Shexiang Military Camp Mountain Park is located at Fangjiaping within Hundred-Mile Azalea. Integrating magnificent natural scenery and unique ecological environment, the park takes Shexiang culture as the main theme. It combines exhibitions and experience of ancient Yi military culture with modern mountain sports. The total planned construction area covers 20,000 mu. Construction zones include an ancient Yi cultural experience area, an international camping zone, a mountain leisure sports area, a folk custom experience area, and an alpine plant popular science area.

With an average altitude of 1,700 metres, the park contains more than 100,000 mu of flat alpine meadows. Over 30 peaks and ridges scatter across the land, alongside 72 sinkholes distributed like stars in the sky. They form fantastic karst landscapes carved by nature’s craftsmanship in Guizhou.

The annual average temperature here stands at 11.48℃. The climate is mild and humid with fresh air, making it ideal for summer retreats and health recuperation. The scenic spot boasts spectacular celestial views including sunrise, sunset, bright moon, sea of clouds, snow and ice. The concentration of negative oxygen ions exceeds 69,000 per cubic centimetre. It serves as a natural oxygen bar, a well-deserved paradise for health preservation and summer cooling.

Yishan Flower Valley lies in Qihua Village, northeast of Pengcheng Management Zone in Hundred-Mile Azalea. Visitors can admire the graceful Ten-Thousand Yi Mountains as well as elaborately built ten-thousand-mu flower seas. The total planned area reaches 17.25 million square metres, with a construction area of 103,800 square metres. Supporting facilities cover a hot spring resort, an azalea germplasm gene bank, featured commercial streets, a children’s playground and a petting zoo. The scenic area organically integrates ecological protection, daily life, agricultural production, tourism services and landscape design. The primitive natural scenery paired with delicate artificial layout fully reflects the Yi people’s philosophy: art into life and life into art.

Also known as Yishanhu Lake or Yishan Reservoir, Hundred-Mile Azalea Lake sits in the southwest of the scenic zone, covering a water surface of roughly 12 hectares. Surrounded by green mountains, the lake embraces rolling hills within its waters. The winding shoreline and various islets set off the blue sky and clear water, creating an exquisite picturesque view.

A poignant love story has been passed down through generations. Long ago, a kind Miao maiden named Duocai fell in love with a hardworking young Yi man called Ana. Duocai came from a wealthy clan while Ana was extremely poor. Blocked firmly by her parents due to class prejudice, the lovers were torn apart. In despair, Duocai jumped off the cliff and sacrificed her life for love. Upon hearing the tragedy, Ana sat on the boulder weeping day after day. His tears kept flowing down the rock. Gradually, Ana turned into stone, and his tears formed a waterfall that ran down the valley and eventually shaped this lake. Later generations named the waterfall Diaoshuiyan Waterfall, or Silver Dragon Playing in Water.

The two islets on the lake are called Love Islands, also referred to as Husband-and-Wife Islands. Legend holds that the two hills stood on opposite sides of the lake at first. After Duocai and Ana’s souls attached themselves to the hills, the two mountains kept drawing closer to each other as if the lovers were walking toward one another. From afar, they look like an affectionate couple chatting happily side by side.

Mid River Scenic Area is situated in the eastern part of Hundred-Mile Azalea. Stretching about 12.7 kilometres, it starts from Dashu Ethnic Middle School in the west and ends at the Natural Bridge and Skyscraper scenic spots in the east. The terrain is rugged with typical foggy karst mountains.

Boasting high altitude and low latitude, it has a warm temperate humid climate. The yearly average temperature is 11.8℃, characterised by coolness, high humidity, frequent fog, alternating wet winters and dry summers. Around the valley stand an imperial-bestowed ginkgo tree that grows into a whole forest from a single trunk, together with wild sweet osmanthus and Chinese bayberry trees. The whole area unfolds like a landscape scroll: towering ancient trees, singing birds in quiet valleys and blooming flowers all year round.

Han, Yi, Miao, Buyi and Gelao ethnic groups live along the river, with ethnic minorities accounting for 73.36 percent of the total population. Corn is the staple crop, alongside rapeseed, wheat, potatoes and kidney beans. Cash crops include flue-cured tobacco, chilli, garlic, lacquer trees and walnuts. The land is also ideal for growing Chinese medicinal herbs such as eucommia, gastrodia elata and codonopsis. Abundant mineral resources include coal, iron, lead and zinc ore. The forest coverage rate reaches 48.5 percent. There are several Inner Mongolia-style grasslands including Guochangping, Huoshaoping and Shuangfenping, covered with clusters of azalea bushes perfect for sightseeing.

The Mid River Waterfall consists of three cascades within a 66-metre river section, with a total vertical drop of 40 metres.

The scenic zone falls in the mid-subtropical evergreen broad-leaved forest belt. Vegetation is dominated by shrubs and azalea clusters, supplemented by oak trees, chestnuts, firethorns, rosa roxburghii, wild prickly ash and various herbaceous plants. There are 103 species of medicinal plants, among which 56 are officially purchased herbal medicines. Fungi include 131 varieties, with 58 edible species and 43 medicinal varieties. Wildlife includes 104 bird species and 31 beast species. Class I national protected animals contain clouded leopards; Class II protected species include pangolins, musk deer, golden pheasants and white-crowned long-tailed pheasants.

The river basin retains primeval ecological scenery with towering ancient trees and hidden rare creatures, quiet valleys filled with birdsong. The Yi villages on both banks preserve simple folk customs. With cool summers, it is a wonderful retreat for leisure and summer holidays.

The King Azalea tree grows on the southern slope of White Horse Hill in Changshou Village (Azalea Village) of Renhe Scenic Area. It has a trunk diameter of 80.18 centimetres, a girth of about 258 centimetres and a height of around 7 metres. Tests show its age exceeds 1,260 years.

According to local legend, azaleas once bloomed all over the mountains, glowing brightly day and night. Envious of the brilliant blossoms, a demon grew angry, for bright daylight prevented his evil deeds. The devil led goblins to set fire to the azalea forest. The ancient azalea tree rallied all blossoms to fight back. It scattered petals, leaves and dewdrops toward the devils and formed a fireproof layer on its trunk and branches. After days of fierce battle, the demons fled, and the mountain soon regained its beauty. Traces of the ancient battle can still be seen on the bark today.

This azalea is the oldest tree with the largest trunk diameter and girth ever discovered worldwide, hence the title King Azalea.

Blossoming azaleas form the highlight of Gamu Scenic Area, spreading across the whole zone, especially densely clustered near the end of Gamu Street and the Four-Sided Stele. The trees grow closely intertwined with tangled roots and overlapping branches, covered with blossoms. Standing 3 to 4 metres tall with gnarled trunks, they cover more than 10,000 mu.

Due to relatively low elevation, the flowering season comes roughly ten days earlier than Pudi and Jinpo Scenic Areas. The dominant variety is Rhododendron delavayi. The flower species are relatively single, and the blooming period is concentrated. Every flowering season, thousands of trees burst into bloom at the same time, painting the mountains in gorgeous purple and red hues.

Another unique group of fifty or so azaleas bloom as early as around the 15th day of the first lunar month amid cold spring weather, with an extremely long flowering period. They only fade after all other azaleas wither. Locals believe they are nourished by the blood of revolutionary martyrs.

Azalea simsii (small azaleas) grow everywhere as well. Right after big azaleas fade, the small shrubs come into bloom. Each tiny flower has a single corolla, delicate and translucent, with elegant gradient colours: pinkish red, whitish pink and yellowish white. Countless blossoms cluster thickly on twigs. Seen from afar, they form vast flower seas; viewed up close, they grow into thick clumps, presenting a stunning view.