Gallery Valley — A Marvelous Gorge of Guandong

Nestled in Datun Town in southeast Jianchang County, Gallery Valley lies within the Panling Branch of the Yanshan Mountain Range. It consists of one main canyon and five branch gorges, with Xumi Mountain and Five-Finger Mountain standing at the valley’s far end. The Holy River runs through the entire ravine, and Dragon-Turtle Lake shimmers like a jasper gem set just outside the valley. This original ecological scenic and religious zone seamlessly unites green mountains and clear waters, jagged peaks and exotic rock formations, babbling brooks and cascading waterfalls, dense forests and sheer cliffs, historic relics and age-old religious legends.

Gallery Valley remains a mysterious pure land, hidden away and unknown to the outside world for thousands of years, just like a beautiful maiden secluded in her boudoir. The water here is crystal clear — so transparent that every grain of sand and pebble on the riverbed can be counted. The mountains here are fantastically shaped; each peak resembles an exquisite classical Chinese landscape painting, and every rock looks as if carved by master craftsmen. The mountains here are wrapped in lush greenery; walking through the gorge, visitors revel in the cool shade where tree canopies block out the sun. The mountains here tower high; reaching the summit, one savors the unmatched sense of standing above all creation.

Strolling through Gallery Valley, you gaze upon endless scroll-like mountain landscapes; you behold grand natural stone sculpture groups; you realize the neon glimmers of cities pale beside nature’s peerless beauty, and all man-made craftsmanship cannot rival nature’s divine handiwork.

Gallery Valley boasts the grace of Huangshan Mountain, the grandeur of Mount Tai and the precipitous steepness of Huashan Mountain. Truly, its mountains embody the finest essence of China’s Five Great Mountains, and its waters carry the ethereal charm of Jiuzhaigou. As a poetic couplet describes it: Seven winding enchanted gorges, each stunning sight holds travelers fast; A thousand-foot secluded ravine, every turn reveals breathtaking peril.

Gallery Valley’s defining charm lies in its countless bizarre rocks of wildly varied forms — shaped like humans, animals, birds and beasts with vivid, lifelike expressions. They scatter across peaks, valleys and slopes: some stand solitary atop summits, some lean playfully along hillsides, and others pair with ancient pines to form natural stone scrolls.

What makes the valley wondrous: its spheroidal stone landforms of pictographic rocks take the shapes of mortals, beasts, mythical beings, immortals, Buddhas and even Jesus Christ. Cliffs look sliced by blades or chiseled by axes. Ancient trees pierce the sky everywhere: century-old pear trees grow throughout the gorge, while thousand-year oak trees stand in distinctive, divine postures, making this gorge an unparalleled wonder of Guandong.

What makes the valley perilous: jagged precipices rise in rows, sheer rocky cliffs loom, sharp stone spires pierce the southern sky like gleaming halberds.

What makes the valley elegant: its scenery shifts into picture-perfect vistas with every season, with a new view at each step that captivates visitors, leaving them reluctant to depart, utterly enchanted.

What makes the valley secluded: rolling green forest waves meet murmuring streams; the long, mysterious canyon unfolds with magnificent momentum.

What makes the valley dreamlike: whether you behold the Northern Heavenly Buddhist Realm or the sacred scenery of Xumi Mountain, every view evokes a poetic, dreamlike fantasy.

Gallery Valley unfolds like a lyrical painting, with green peaks and clear waters echoing one another in perfect harmony. In spring, new buds unfurl; apricot blossoms blush like rosy clouds, and pear flowers drift white as snow, filling the valley with intoxicating fragrance. In summer, mountains are cloaked in deep emerald green, ribbons of foliage wrap around hillsides, waterfalls cascade down stone ledges, pine forests roar in the wind, and hundreds of birds chirp merrily. In autumn, mountain slopes blaze with fall hues: apricot and maple leaves burn bright red, pear leaves glow golden yellow, spreading woven color carpets across every ridge. In winter, snow glints under sunlight, hardy cold pines stand firm, and a faint cool scent drifts through the air. Climb high to gaze far, and you witness the spectacular grandeur of a snow plateau.

Gallery Valley’s beauty is an indescribable poetic charm, layered with cultural allure that stirs boundless imagination. It shines with rugged masculine grace under blazing sunlight, unfurls soft, hazy allure veiled by mist, radiates romantic splendor amid wild spring blossoms carpeting the hills, and exudes pure sacred serenity when snow blankets every corner in the bitter cold of deep winter.

Step into Gallery Valley to free your heart. Converse with mountains, chat with streams, confide in stones, sing duets with birds, dance alongside mountain breezes, and soar high together with floating white clouds. Savor this magical pure land, escaping the bustle of mortal life to embrace rare peace and quiet seclusion.

A classical poem perfectly captures its charms: Five-Finger Mountain cuts through Gallery Valley, Dragon-Turtle Lake nestles beside Cloud Cave. Jade Emperor Temple guards Scholar Li Wu’s old ground, Tang King Valley holds the Dragon and Phoenix Pond. Sea clouds surge beneath Xumi Mountain’s feet, The Holy River mirrors the crimson sunset glow. Natural Buddha statues guide all living souls, Christ Mountain reveals the living Jesus figure. Beneath Five Elements Mountain lingers Monkey King’s grief, Laozi Valley births the origin of Taoist faith.