Longtan Grand Canyon Scenic Area

Longtan Grand Canyon Tourist Area is a National AAA-level scenic spot and a Liaoning Provincial Geopark. It sits in Laodazhangzi Township, Jianchang County, Huludao City, Liaoning Province, right on the border between Liaoning and Hebei Provinces. The scenic area is adjacent to three cities: Qinhuangdao, Huludao and Chaoyang. It is 330 kilometers away from Beijing, 324 kilometers from Tianjin and 440 kilometers from Shenyang, boasting convenient transportation links.

Boasting a unique geological wonder rarely seen across Northeast China and even North China, Longtan Grand Canyon Nature Scenic Area is nicknamed "Little Plateau of Northeast China" and "Mini Tibet of the North".

Nestled deep in the heart of the western Liaoning hills on the southern margin of the ancient Yinshan Continental Block, the canyon’s strata are dominated by chemically deposited rock — siliceous banded dolomitic limestone of the Wumishan Formation from the Sinian Subgroup, dating back 650 million years. Small patches of volcanic rock from the Mesozoic Yixian Formation can also be found locally. Its distinctive landforms create an exceptional natural environment ideal for summer retreats, leisure breaks, vacations and outdoor recreation.

As an all-round scenic spot integrating mountains, water, caves, waterfalls and stone formations, it delights visitors with striking shapes, vivid charm and rich hues, all set within a magnificent, imposing landscape that shifts dramatically with each season. This serene natural haven is a perfect escape for wanderlust travelers. To behold the canyon’s full splendor, visitors must descend stone steps from the flat ground, for all its breathtaking vistas lie hidden within the gorge. The main canyon stretches 72 kilometers in total, with a maximum depth of 348 meters and a width of 210 meters, plus countless branching side canyons.

The core highlights of Longtan Grand Canyon can be summed up as: One Pond, Three Gorges, Four Waterfalls, Six Ponds, Twenty-One Peaks, plus vivid pictographic stone formations and grottoes.

From the mountain ridge, walk eastward down the stone steps, or climb east along rock ledges out of Dragon King Cave, and you will reach the genuine Longtan Pond. The pond’s depth remains an unsolved mystery. Locals have lowered stones tied to ropes, hooked live fish on lines, and even sent professional divers in full diving gear to explore its bottom, yet none have reached the end. Logically, centuries of river erosion and sediment accumulation should have filled the pond completely if it had a base, but it still holds clear blue water shimmering with ripples. Yet if it were bottomless, all water flowing into it drains out entirely below to form a waterfall. This enigma makes Longtan Pond world-famous.

The three gorges form a Y-shaped layout: Longtan Gorge, Stone Forest Gorge and Eagle Nest Gorge.

Occupying the upper left branch of the Y-shaped canyon system, this gorge took hundreds of millions of years of internal and external geological forces to form. It reaches a maximum depth of 684 meters, a width of 210 meters, and runs 22.5 kilometers long. Its attractions include Golden Gourd Waterfall, Longtan Waterfall, the Natural Giant Buddha, Toad Peak and Divine Turtle Rock.

Located on the upper right arm of the Y-shape, it gets its name from dense jagged stone peaks resembling a stone forest lining the gorge. Stretching 8 kilometers long and 150 meters wide, it ranks among the most elegant parts of the entire scenic area. Ringed by towering mountains with a clear stream winding through, rows of lofty stone peaks rise one after another. The jade-green stream mirrors the surrounding mountains to form a magnificent scroll painting. Stone forest formations fill the eastern side, while lush green vegetation carpets the western cliffs, and colorful wildflowers cast reflections on the valley-bottom water. Drifting by boat through the gorge lets visitors fully experience the poetic scene: The boat glides across the water, and travelers wander amid a living painting. Representative sights here include God of Longevity Waterfall, Silver River Spattering, Green Fairy Pond, Jade Python Piercing the Sky, Elephant Mountain and Lovers’ Peaks.

This extension gorge forms where Longtan Gorge and Stone Forest Gorge converge, stretching 12.5 kilometers all the way into Qinglong County, Hebei Province, with a width of 200 meters. It features crystal-clear water and exquisite rock outcrops. Giant eagle nests cling to sheer cliffs over 300 meters high, leaving every visitor utterly amazed.

Longtan Grand Canyon Nature Scenic Area is renowned for its age-old geological miracles. Local elders recount that Emperor Kangxi once visited this canyon during his return trip to Shenyang to offer sacrifices to his ancestors. After crossing Turtle Stone Ridge and climbing Green Bull Mountain, he gazed out over the grand canyon and the layered scenery of Green Bull Mountain, composing a poem as follows:

Thousands of autumn years grace these green peaks, Clouds lock high summits while streams flow free. The Great Wall winds like a jade ribbon afar, A full moon rolls as a golden sphere. Nearby, three thousand realms spread beside the lake; Far off, sixteen prefectures of Jiangnan unfold. One glance cannot capture all this beauty — By heaven’s grace, I shall return to wander once more.