[Complete Travel Guide to Wujiang Gallery] A thousand miles of Wujiang, a hundred miles of gallery!
📍Location: Qianxi City, Bijie, Guizhou Province & Youyang County/Pengshui County, Chongqing
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✨ Scenic Highlights
🏞️ Magnificent landscape of high gorges and calm lakes: Wujiang is the mother river of Guizhou and the largest tributary on the south bank of the upper Yangtze River. Since the 1990s, multiple hydropower stations (such as Dongfeng Hydropower Station) have been built along the main stream of Wujiang, turning the originally rapid and dangerous river into a vast and tranquil lake, presenting the magnificent scenery of "high gorges giving rise to calm lakes." Among the thousand-mile Wujiang basin, the Wujiang Source Hundred-Mile Gallery and the Wujiang Hundred-Mile Gallery in Youyang, Chongqing, are considered the most spectacular and breathtaking parts.
🛳️ "Mountains resemble the Three Gorges but waters surpass the Three Gorges; waters resemble the Lijiang River but mountains surpass the Lijiang River": Taking a boat tour of Wujiang Gallery, you will see karst cliffs on both sides that look like they were carved by knives and axes, with clear emerald waters flowing beneath. The landscape here is often compared to the Yangtze Three Gorges and the Lijiang River but has its own unique charm, earning the saying "mountains resemble the Three Gorges but waters surpass the Three Gorges; waters resemble the Lijiang River but mountains surpass the Lijiang River."
🌈 Majestic and magnificent natural rock paintings: Sailing on the river, the cliffs on both sides form vivid natural rock paintings. You can let your imagination run wild to find unique natural scenes such as "Great Roc Spreading Wings," "Water West Girl," and "Heavenly Toad Resting."
🌉 Modern engineering marvel — Yachi River Bridge: At the Wujiang Source Hundred-Mile Gallery, you will see the Yachi River Bridge spanning the gorge. This bridge is a key node on the Guiyang-Qianxi Expressway, with a total length of 1,450 meters. It is a world-class large cable-stayed bridge, and its red structure stands out vividly against the dark green mountains and waters, resembling a giant harp. It has won the Gustav Lindenthal Award, known as the "Nobel Prize" in the bridge community.
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🗺️ Two Core Touring Areas
Although both are called "Wujiang Gallery," the main touring areas are located in Guizhou and Chongqing, each with its own characteristics. Here is a table to help you quickly understand:
Feature Comparison | Guizhou Section: Wujiang Source Hundred-Mile Gallery 🍃 | Chongqing Section: Wujiang Hundred-Mile Gallery 🏞️
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Core Location | Huawu Village, Qianxi City, Bijie, Guizhou Province | Youyang County and Pengshui County, Chongqing, especially the river section around Gongtan Ancient Town
Landscape Features | Wide lake surface, combining the grandeur of the Three Gorges and the elegance of the Lijiang River | Deep and secluded gorges, emerald waters, more traditional steep and mysterious gorge scenery
Cultural Experience | Huawu Miao Village customs, Miao embroidery and batik | History of Gongtan Ancient Town, Tujia/Miao customs, cableways, hanging burials, and other ancient relics
Highlights | Boat tour to view Yachi River Bridge, experience the "Twenty-Eight Bends" road | Immersive boat tour through the painting-like scenery, combined with visiting Gongtan Ancient Town
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🚢 Guizhou Section · In-depth Tour of Wujiang Source Hundred-Mile Gallery
🎯 Core Touring Area: Huawu Village, Qianxi City (formerly called "Huawuji," meaning "village under the cliff")
🛶 Must-Do Activities:
· Boat Tour: Depart from Huawuji Pier, cruise to Yachi River Bridge and return, about 20 kilometers round trip, approximately 1 hour. This is the most classic section of the karst high gorge and calm lake scenery on the thousand-mile Wujiang.
· Ticket Reference: Old boats about 50 RMB, new boats about 60 RMB.
· Visit Huawu Miao Village: This Miao village, established in the early Qing Dynasty, has retained strong ethnic characteristics due to its relatively isolated geography. Here you can enjoy multi-part Miao folk songs, lusheng (reed-pipe instrument) boxing dance, drum boxing dance, and other performances.
· Check in at the "Twenty-Eight Bends": The mountain road leading to Huawu Village is about 8 kilometers long with a 60-degree incline, known as the "Twenty-Eight Bends." Driving here is fun, and from the Sunzi Rock viewing platform, you can overlook stunning river views.
· Unique Homestays and Camping: You can choose to stay at characteristic homestays in Huawu Village, such as Huaduli Huawu Resort or Huaduli Boutique Homestay. In your own tent at the campsite, you can leisurely enjoy the changing scenery of mountains, gorges, rivers, starry skies, sunrises, sunsets, and sea of clouds as time passes.
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🏞️ Chongqing Section · In-depth Tour of Wujiang Hundred-Mile Gallery
🎯 Core Touring Area: The river section between Gongtan Ancient Town and Wanmu Township, Youyang County, Chongqing, known as the "essence of the thousand-mile Wujiang"
🛶 Must-Do Activities:
· Gongtan Ancient Town + Wujiang Boat Tour: It is recommended to combine a visit to Gongtan Ancient Town with a boat tour of Wujiang Gallery. The ancient town has a history of over 1,700 years and is a scenic attraction itself. Depart from the town’s pier and enjoy the gorge scenery like a landscape painting.
· Ticket Reference: Boat ticket from Gongtan to Wanmu about 150 RMB; premium boat tickets at Pengshui Wujiang Gallery Visitor Center about 120 RMB.
· Experience Tujia and Miao Customs: Youyang is the hometown of the Tujia "Hand-Waving Dance." Here you can experience unique Tujia and Miao cultures, such as ancient bride-carrying and crying customs, and corn lantern opera.
· Explore Historical Relics: On both sides of Wujiang, there are ancient cultural relics such as the ancient Ba Kingdom Barbarian King Cave, Bo people hanging burials, and Ba people's cableways, adding a sense of historical depth to your trip.
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🚗 Transportation Guide
To Guizhou Wujiang Source Hundred-Mile Gallery:
· Self-driving: Navigate to "Huawu Village, Qianxi City." From Guiyang, take the Zhuzun Expressway, exit after crossing Yachi River Bridge, then drive about 5 kilometers to reach the destination.
· Others: Take a high-speed train to Qianxi City, then transfer to local transportation.
To Chongqing Wujiang Gallery:
· Self-driving: Navigate to "Gongtan Ancient Town, Youyang County, Chongqing" or "Pengshui Wujiang Gallery Visitor Center."
· Public Transport:
· To Gongtan: Take a train or bus from Chongqing main city to Youyang, then transfer to Gongtan Ancient Town.
· To Pengshui Section: Take a bus from Chongqing Sigungli Bus Station to Pengshui, then transfer to Wanzu Pier.
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💰 Tickets and Costs
· Tickets: Core scenic areas of Wujiang Gallery currently have free admission.
· Main expenses: Mainly boat tickets and possible transfer transportation.
· Other experiences: Camping, homestays, specialty dining, etc., are extra costs and optional.
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💡 Travel Tips
1. 📅 Best Season: Spring, summer, and autumn (around May to October) are the best times to visit Wujiang Gallery. Summer has abundant water and lush mountains; however, the rainy season may affect water clarity.
2. 👕 Dress Suggestions: Wear comfortable sports shoes for easy boarding and walking in towns. Bring sun protection (hat, sunscreen) in summer; mountain weather is changeable, so bring a light jacket.
3. 📸 Photography Tips:
· Guizhou section: Recommended spots include Huaduli Huawu Resort and Sunzi Rock viewing platform for panoramic views.
· Chongqing section: Recommended to shoot morning mist and river views from the balcony of inns in Gongtan Ancient Town or along the riverside walkway.
· Drones can capture the grand scale of Wujiang "Hundred-Mile Gallery" (please follow local flight regulations).
4. 🍜 Food Recommendations:
· Guizhou section: Try local specialties in Huawu Village such as Huangba (yellow rice cake), fried small fish and shrimp, and stir-fried zhe'er gen (fish mint) with cured meat.
· Chongqing section: Enjoy authentic Tujia cuisine in Gongtan Ancient Town, such as sticky rice cakes and cured meat.
5. 🏞️ Nearby Attractions:
· Guizhou section: Visit Zhijin Cave and take a boat from Zhijin Grand Canyon to enter Wujiang Hundred-Mile Gallery. Boats from Hongyan Pier to Huawuji Pier cost about 148 RMB one way.
· Chongqing section: Combine visits to Gongtan Ancient Town, Apeng River, and other scenic spots.
Wujiang Gallery, this thousand-mile flowing landscape painting, whether the open and elegant Guizhou section or the steep and secluded Chongqing section, is worth slowing down for. Take a light boat and immerse yourself in the poetic feeling of "boating through a painting." 🌟 Quickly save this guide and go encounter your own beauty of Wujiang! ✨