One-Day Tour of Libo's Big and Small Seven Arches

Libo's Big and Small Seven Arches Scenic Area is a national nature reserve located in the southwestern part of Libo County, Qiannan Buyi and Miao Autonomous Prefecture, situated on the southern edge of the Guizhou Plateau. The geological landscapes are divided into four major categories: karst landscapes, landform landscapes, water landscapes, and biological landscapes. Among these, the karst landscapes are further divided into surface karst and underground karst. Tianzhong Cave is an underground karst cave, while Feiyun Cave is a typical karst cavern. The area enjoys a monsoon-influenced humid climate with distinct seasons and simultaneous rainfall and warmth. The scenic area integrates diverse landscapes such as water, caves, forests, waterfalls, lakes, and rocks, featuring highlights like Laya Waterfall, Xiangshui River, and Mandarin Duck Lake. With forest coverage exceeding 92%, the air here contains 180,000 negative oxygen ions per cubic centimeter, earning it the reputation of a "lung-cleansing wellness" destination. The flora primarily consists of natural ecological forests, complemented by a few artificial plant landscapes. The Small Seven Arches Scenic Area was approved as a national scenic spot by the State Council in 1994, becoming China's sixth and Guizhou's first World Natural Heritage site. It was further rated as a National AAAAA Tourist Attraction in July 2015. Strolling through Libo's Big and Small Seven Arches Scenic Area feels like walking through a painting, with its fresh air and breathtaking scenery. The most fortunate moment was witnessing sunlight pouring through the natural bridge arch in the Big Seven Arches area, creating a golden, shimmering image resembling a Guanyin statue (Figure 14). According to the staff, this magical Guanyin image appears only for about ten minutes when sunlight hits the bridge arch at just the right angle—neither earlier nor later. Unaware of this phenomenon beforehand, we felt incredibly lucky to have encountered it by sheer coincidence.