Red Stone&Wild Valley

Chinese name: 红石野谷（Hong Shi Ye Gu）
Location: Datong town, Chichui City, Guizhou Province.
Ticket: Entrance ticket CNY50.00
Estimated time of tour: 1-2hours
Recommended time of visit: Mar to Nov.
Nearby attractions: Grand Waterfall of Chishui, Sidonggou Scenic Spot,Foguangyan scenic area, etc.

Hongshiyegu, or Red Stone&Wild Valley, is a natural scenic spot by the side of Huaping River, Datong township, Chishui County, Zunyi City, Guizhou Province. It is about 16km away from downtown Chishui. It is primarily consist of wall painting on red sandstone, brooks, waterfalls and dense forests of bamboo and tree fern.

Danxia landscape, or known as red sandstone layer, is a unique geological landscape first recorded and studied in Danxia Mountain, Renhua County, Guangdong Province back in early days of 1920s. This type of rock layer is made of ferric oxide and manganic oxide, which are insoluble in the water and present its characteristic red color. With help of wind and rain erosion and tectonic movement, Danxie landscape come in different shapes and sizes.In technical term, Danxie landscape can be roughly translated as fragastic rock landform mostly consist of red sand conglomerate accompanied with escarpment.

Chishui Danxie is the representative of early Danxie landscape, covering 1200 square kilometers. It is the largest and mostly developed Danxie landscape in China. Danxie in Chishui is unique to other ones in China as they are mostly found in caves with streams and creeks running over its top.

Hongshiyegu, or red stone & wild valley area is famous for its iconic Danxia landform and painting on its red walls, together with fern trees and other vegetation, presenting a seemingly Jurassic environment with 95% of the scenic area covered by thick forest.

Wall painting is something unique about this site. On a 200 meter long, 40 meter high rock surface, numerous figures are carved out with meticulous details. Most common figures are Dragons, which is considered in traditional Chinese society a symbol of majesty and grandeur.

Waterfalls are another kind of main attractions. There are several waterfalls in this area presenting themselves in different sizes and shapes. Auspicious names are given to these waterfalls by locals, such as Waterfall of Avalokitesvara which apparently seen as a place of spiritual bliss by local people.