Attention all water lovers! Cross out number 1 on your must-see destinations list and replace it with Yellow Fruit Waterfall, also known as Huangguoshu Falls, one of Asia’s largest water wonders. Located in Guizhou Province in Southwestern China, the magnificent Huangguoshu Waterfall easily weighs in as one of China’s most spectacular sites. Its brilliantly white frothy cascades are enchanting and make for a matchless outdoor water experience. Some may scoff at the idea of going to see a waterfall for the day, but there is something truly awesome about the power of the thunderous streams of water that come down from the cliff. Make sure to bring an umbrella because the power of the water creates mist that will drench you if you aren’t prepared. This makes it a nice refreshing place to check out on a really sweltering Guizhou summer or spring day.

Photo: LHOON

On the banks of the Baihe River near the small city of Anshun, the Huangguoshu Waterfall is one of the world’s famous karst waterfalls. The karst waterfall is made of eroded ground and underground caves, making it an incredible place to visit. The Yellow Fruit Tree Waterfall is around 74 meters high, that’s 243 feet! Because there are 18 different waterfalls in the area, the park has been designated as a national park. There are several main attractions: the Waterfalls Cluster, Water Curtain Cave and the Rhinoceros pool.

The area is rumored to have been found by a Chinese Ming Dynasty travelogue writer named Xu Xiake. These days, the area’s parks are also lively with the presence of some of China’s minority groups. They dress in beautifully colored clothes and sing as they wander the paths. Legend has it that they used to sing to each other from one side of the mountain to the other. The folk songs add to the atmosphere and are truly unique. Every year during the month of August there is a Huangguoshu Waterfall Festival. Last year, thousands of minority singers gathered to sing in honor of this impressive spot in China’s Mother Nature prefecture. The most dominant minority group in Guizhou is the Miao, who live all over the province. They have their own communities as well as their own written and spoken language.

Photo: LHOON

Water Curtain Cave

The Huangguoshu Waterfall’s stream crashes imposingly into a light green pool surrounded by moss and mist. The greenery on the rock with the misty rainbows it creates makes it truly an awesome spectacle for anyone watching the water curtain off the rocky cliffs. The rocks below have been carved out through the years and are weathered and shaped in exquisite forms. This area of the waterfall is open at night.
The Water Curtain Cave provides an amazing view from the underside of the waterfall and seems truly immeasurable. The cave is 134 meters long at the back of the waterfall where you can marvel in the damp air at the power of the fall’s force. It provides both a view from inside and down below into the Rhinoceros Pool which catches the water from above. Because of the slippery nature of the cave, this part is closed at night for safety precautions.

Photo: LHOON

Rhinoceros Pool

The Rhinoceros Pool is an astounding 11 meters deep and a deep bluish green color. Curiously, it is in shaped like a rhinoceros, hence the somewhat self-explanatory name. The story goes that a Ming Dynasty officer named Wusangui threw all his treasure into the Rhinoceros Pool after being defeated by the Qing Dynasty army. Years later an elderly couple planted 100 yellow fruit trees at the side of the falls, but despite the immense quantity, only one tree bore fruit. A passing Taoist priest offered the couple silver for the fruit if they would wait 100 days before picking it. The couple waited and waited, but in the end they picked the fruit.

When the priest returned he was so disheartened at the couple that he threw the fruit into the Rhinoceros Pool where it burst into treasures of all kinds before being completely engulfed by the flooding waterfall, never to be seen again. The priest then revealed the secret of the fruit to the couple to their despair: only if left to ripen for 100 days, the yellow fruit would have transformed into treasure, but any efforts to retrieve it now would all be in vain. The legend states that on certain sunny days you can still see the glistening treasures in the water.

Photo: WaitinZ

If you can get to Guizhou to see this legendary Chinese aquatic treasure, you won’t be disappointed. The area around Anshun also has other waterfalls and caves so you’ll need at least a weekend to really get the most out of your trip. There are many natural beauties in the area as well as abundant opportunities to mingle with some of China’s minority groups that you would not encounter otherwise.

Huangguoshu Waterfall
Add: 453 Xiandao, Ling Buyizu Miozu Autonomous County, Anshun, Guizhou
地址：贵州省安顺市关岭布依族苗族自治县453县道
Tel: 040 0683 3333
Price: Park ticket, 180 RMB
Website: http://www.hgscn.com/
Getting there: Fly directly to Huangguoshu airport or take a bus to the falls from Guiyang or Anshun.
 

Related links
Top 10 Places for River Rafting in China
The 5 Most Beautiful Lakes in China
China Travel Necessities: 7 Forget-Me-Nots for China

Warning：The use of any news and articles published on eChinacities.com without written permission from eChinacities.com constitutes copyright infringement, and legal action can be taken.

Keywords: Guizhou waterfall destinations Yellow fruit waterfall park Huangguoshu park Yellow fruit waterfall Huangguoshu Waterfall