Maoyan River

    If we suppose Golden Whip Stream is a gentle and tender lady, then, by sharp contrast, Maoyan River is a wild young girl with bare feet and unkempt hair. The water scenery in this place is of the most primitive and uncontrolled kind. Sometimes "it flows placidly within a wild area"; at other time, "it advances wave upon wave, surging with great force". She is so vivacious, so natural, that we can't resist her attraction and the lure to possess her. "Once you dance with the wave of the Maoyan River, you will be unable to forget this experience for the rest of you life." "Not in the Three Gorges, however, the Maoyan River surpasses the beauty of the Three Gorges." To enjoy rafting along the Maoyan River is an experience you don't want to miss when you come to Zhangjiajie. This body of water is 50 kilometers in length and is actually the upper reach of the Lishui River (one of the four biggest river in Hunan Province, originating in the National Nature Preserve of Badagong Mountain in Sangzhi Country). It was given the name "One Hundred Li Gallery" by its explorer, Tain Guijun. And the river also was popularized as the first "Rudy Boat Water Rafting Tour Route". Early in the 1980s, it was promoted as the "First Water rafting Route in the World".

    In the vicinity of Wentang Town, the Maoyan River is divided into the upper route. Altogether, 69 shoals are encountered along its flow, and there is a sheer drop of 64 meters from the highest to the lowest places, producing a thunderous velocity of 160 cubic meters per second on annual average. The riverbed is 40 meters wide on average, with the narrowest strait about 20 meters. Some pools are surprisingly deep-about 20 meters, while some of the shallows are only 50 cm.. We can summarize the river scenery and deep pools.

    Primarily, the rocks are of karst formation and produce wonderful gorges for the entire length of the river. Verdant mountains and rock promontories rise from 100 to 400 meters on both sides. Grotesque boulders and amazing peaks appear in human and animal shapes; all of them fire our imagination. Besides these, the landscape is adorned with ancient vines, wild creeping plants, brilliant emerald moss and evergreen bushes. The cold cliffs become so vivid and vigorous. What's more, a variety of flowers and grasses exude their sweet fragrance. From time to time, as you ride in the boat, you might enjoy "an array of egrets swimming leisurely in the crystal river", or "frightened mandarin ducks scurrying in all directions". Occasionally, the high pitched screech of the monkey and the melodious songs of the boatmen drift into you ears you quite naturally recite Li Bai's poem: "With the everlasting melodious songs of monkeys on both sides, the small boat has pleasantly passed through the gorges."

     It is still water that surprises you most and tempts you to stay. Proximately, 30 fascinating waterfalls descend from both sides of the river. Some trickle down the long slopes softly and gently, while others plummet from the crests of the high mountains with a resounding crash. Among them, the biggest waterfall known as Shuidongzi, is the most fascinating one.