Marvelous Gorges — A Valley Filled with Melodies

Over thousands of years, nature’s extraordinary craftsmanship has shaped the unique geological landforms of Lüdong Mountain. The area abounds in karst caves, valleys and mountain streams, dotted with clusters of stone peaks and tiered sheer cliffs. Interwoven rolling hills form deep, remote gullies with towering, impassable precipices rising steeply skyward. Gorges stand as a signature landscape of Lüdong Mountain. The vast Hangsha Grand Canyon links several smaller valleys including Dafengchong and Dajiuchong. What makes it even more exceptional is its rich ethnic cultural heritage. "Hangsha" is a Miao word, meaning a canyon echoing with floating songs.

Every Miao resident of Lüdong Mountain is gifted at singing and dancing, an artistry passed down from childhood. As night falls, singing and the beat of Miao drums kick off wholesome nighttime pastimes. An air of harmony and contentment permeates farmlands and the mysterious, picturesque expanse of Lüdong Mountain, lingering warmly everywhere.

Waterfalls rank among Lüdong Mountain’s most stunning wonders. Crisscrossing deep ravines hold dozens of waterfalls large and small, with the Ring Finger Waterfall and Phoenix Bird Waterfall standing out for their one-of-a-kind, spectacular beauty.

This waterfall curves into a smooth arc resembling a jade bracelet. A natural hollow pierces the core rock, forming a perfect jade ring shape. Water surges down through the ring’s center, rippling the clear pool below. Legend says this formation is the silver ring that the Miao youth Jitong once gave to his beloved Nangu.

Its Miao name, Dunniaopiao, translates to "waterfall drifting down from the valley of Phoenix Bird Peak". The cascade stretches more than ten meters wide, plunging fifty meters from a stone cave at the back of Phoenix Bird Peak. Folklore tells that the phoenix bird was a dear friend of the Miao King Lidong and his wife. Heartbroken after witnessing the royal couple transform into the sacred mountain, the bird refused to return to the celestial palace and turned into a mountain range of its own.