Yong'an River Bamboo Raft Drifting

The picturesque Xianju County is home to the lovely Yong'an River, on which lies an enchanting tourist activity — bamboo raft drifting.

As a primitive waterborne craft, bamboo rafts let modern visitors wander amid mountains and rivers, fully showcasing their unparalleled affinity with nature. Bamboo grows entirely in nature: slender, simple and unadorned, standing gracefully in the wilderness like a virtuous gentleman. Its elegant form and tranquil temperament have long won people’s affection. Assembled from long, slim bamboo poles, bamboo rafts outshine wooden barges and boats with delicate, graceful beauty, while retaining primitive rustic charm and untamed wildness.

Staring into the crystal-clear Yong'an River, watching fish and shrimp dart freely through the current, visitors grow utterly captivated by the underwater world. An irrepressible urge wells up to strip off clothes and swim alongside the river’s lively fish and frisky shrimp.

Glance down at the stream, then lift your eyes to the mountains. Grotesque, fantastic rock formations line both banks: some resemble reclining lions, others elephants, soaring phoenixes or galloping horses… Hearts pound like startled deer, overwhelmed by nature’s breathtaking, soul-stirring beauty.

Lost in this serene scenery, your thoughts roam free, drifting back to the river’s long history and the profound culture it has nurtured over millennia.

The Yong'an River forms the headwaters of the Jiaojiang River, Zhejiang’s third-largest waterway. Originating at Tiantangjian Peak on the border of Xianju and Jinyun Counties, it gathers waters from thirty-eight mountain streams flowing down the southern Kuocang Mountain Range and northern Dalei Mountain Range, stretching 111 kilometers from west to east. Its surging currents flow east into Linhai’s Lingjiang River, merge with the Jiaojiang, and finally empty into the mist-shrouded East China Sea — fulfilling its unyielding journey back to the ocean.

This river likely existed as early as primeval times. Its earliest recorded name is Le’an Stream. In the third year of the Yonghe reign of the Eastern Jin Dynasty (347 AD), a county was established here, named Le’an after the river. In the fifth year of the Baozheng reign of the Wuyue Kingdom during the Five Dynasties (930 AD), locals labored to tame devastating floods, praying for perpetual peace and favorable weather. The stream was renamed Yong’an Stream (Eternal Peace Stream), and the county followed suit as Yong’an County.

Centuries passed. In the fourth year of the Jingde reign of the Northern Song Dynasty (1007 AD), Emperor Zhenzong issued an imperial edict renaming Yong’an County Xianju County (Home of Immortals), praising its "sacred mountains shielding the land, dotted with abodes of immortals." Yet the river kept the name Yong’an, for locals still clung to their wish for everlasting peace along its waters.

Trapped amid towering mountains for thousands of years, the people of Xianju revered this river. It linked their isolated mountain home to the vibrant outside world, forming a vital transportation artery connecting coastal Taizhou with inland regions.

This line vividly depicts the river’s bustling water transport. Historical records note that during the War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression, over 30,000 tons of salt alone were shipped along the Yong’an River each year. Cargo was unloaded at Potan Town, a millennia-old commercial wharf, then transported overland to southwestern Zhejiang and Jiangxi Province.

Documents reveal that at the peak of river transport, more than 700 wooden boats and 300 bamboo rafts plied the waters. The spectacular scene resembled thousands of horses galloping and countless arrows loosed, a sight of awe-inspiring grandeur. Had the great poet Li Bai witnessed this bustle, he would surely have penned countless powerful, lingering verses.

In 1957, the highway linking Xianju and Baishuiyang in Linhai opened to traffic, drawing the curtain on the Yong’an River’s age-old shipping legacy. The once-thriving waterway fell quiet. Only ripples stirred by fishing cormorants shatter the sunset’s reflection on the water; only fishermen’s ballads break the stream’s profound stillness.

Bamboo rafts drift lazily over the Yong’an River, as do visitors’ minds through the river’s long historical current. Over thousands of years, countless talented natives of Xianju set sail from these banks to travel across the nation and the globe, leaving their names etched in history. Meanwhile, numerous renowned figures from across China journeyed upstream along the Yong’an River, bequeathing immortal cultural treasures.

Xiang Si, a Tang Dynasty poet born beneath Chaoyang Peak in Xianju, became the first jinshi (successful imperial examination candidate) in Taizhou’s history. The celebrated poet Yang Jingzhi held Xiang Si and his verse in high esteem, singing his praises to all he met and recommending him widely — spawning the enduring idiom "speak highly of someone". Ke Jiusi, a famed Yuan Dynasty artist lauded for mastery of poetry, calligraphy and painting, was born in Kesi Village, Xianju; his ink bamboo paintings remain revered by painters through the ages. Chen Renyu, Vice Minister of War in the Southern Song Dynasty and a native of downtown Xianju, authored Treatise on Mushrooms, the world’s earliest surviving monograph on edible fungi. Wu Shilai, Left Censor-in-Chief of the Ming Dynasty from Houren in Baita, fought fearlessly against the treacherous grand secretary Yan Song, earning an eternal place in historical records.

Great figures also traveled upstream to the Yong’an River. Legend holds that Yu the Great, hero of flood control, carved tadpole script onto the thousand-foot sheer cliffs of Danzhu to leave wisdom for future generations. Though this tale lacks conclusive proof, the mysterious tadpole script — ranked among China’s eight great ancient writing enigmas — is clearly etched into Danzhu’s rock faces, bearing witness to the brilliant, star-like ancient culture rooted here.

Buddhism, imported from foreign lands, reached Taizhou by the late Eastern Han Dynasty. Monks founded Stone Chan Temple outside Shiniu Village beside the Yong’an River, hailed as "the first Buddhist shrine in Taizhou", establishing Xianju as the cradle of Taizhou’s Buddhist culture.

Famous mountains and scenic valleys always nurture Buddhism and Taoism. Taoist culture also arrived by small boat along the Yong’an River, where the Tenth Great Taoist Grotto-Heaven — Chengde Yinxuan Grotto-Heaven — was established beneath Fairy Maiden Rock.

The river also drew Neo-Confucian master Zhu Xi, who sent his son to study at Tongjiang Academy in Xianju. Countless other luminaries journeyed here, including the distinguished poet Wang Shimeng and geographer Pan Lai. Wave after wave of celebrities drifted along the Yong’an River, enriching its profound cultural heritage, filling its sails with hopeful aspiration, and propelling Xianju’s vessel of civilization toward the utopian "paradise of culture" people have long dreamed of.

After half a century of quietude, the Yong’an River buzzes with life once more. Its captivating bamboo raft drifting experience writes a glorious new chapter in the river’s millennia-long cultural story.

Bamboo raft drifting on the Jiuqu Stream in Wuyi Mountain, Fujian, is widely famous nationwide, yet the Yong’an River offers distinct, equally remarkable charms. Wuyi Mountain’s Jiuqu Stream stands out for winding, secluded waterways and rapid rapids, delivering thrilling, adventurous drifting. The Yong’an River’s signature appeal lies in spaciousness and ethereal ease.

The Yong’an River features wide channels and gentle currents. While scattered rough rapids and winding bends exist, the broad water surface preserves an unhurried, airy grace even amid minor thrills. The contrast resembles cycling on a narrow mountain footpath versus a four- or six-lane highway — two utterly incomparable sensations. Though mountains line both banks of the Yong’an, they are mostly soft, graceful rolling hills. The towering, endless ranges of Dalei and Kuocang Mountains recede as distant backdrop scenery, faintly veiled in mist and cloud.

Sit comfortably atop a bamboo raft, drifting weightlessly. Watch blue skies, white clouds and emerald mountain slopes mirror perfectly in the transparent water, as if you are drifting through the heavens, gliding on clouds like an immortal. The serene joy defies description.

In such a tranquil setting, all lingering worries and tangled emotions melt away. Your heart and body relax, lighthearted and carefree as a child, fully embracing the peace and quiet bestowed by nature, savoring the peerless harmony of natural sounds. Attuned to the unity of humanity and nature, some visitors hum beloved songs from deep in their hearts; others recite verses unconsciously: Spring floods carry peach blossoms everywhere,

I cannot tell where the immortal paradise lies.

Small bamboo rafts glide through the stream, as stunning scenery unfolds along both banks. Every person gains unique feelings drifting the Yong’an River, and every trip brings fresh, unforgettable delight.