West Sea Grand Canyon 西海大峡谷

The West Sea Grand Canyon lies among the West Sea peaks in the west of the Mount Huangshan Scenic Area, stretching from Paiyun Pavilion in the north to Buxian Bridge in the south. It covers about 16.5 square kilometres, its floor lies some 500 metres below on average, and work on opening it began in October 1998. It is also called Baiyun Valley and the "dream scenic area", and it is the celebrated new highlight of the Diaojiao area.

Granite walls, deep shade and drifting mist define the gorge, but its rocks are the draw: the canyon has been dubbed a museum of ingenious stones, with named formations such as Immortals Drying Boots and a Fairy Playing the Lute. Its distinctive climate gives marked bands of vegetation, earning it the name plant treasury of Huangshan. Roughly 3,600 metres of path, much of it pinned to cliffs, links the Yunhai, Baiyun and Diaoyu areas and brings Shuangshun, Shizhu and Shiren peaks within reach, so that you look up at the peaks rather than down on them.

A ground-rail cable car, running since 2013, lifts visitors from the valley floor to Tianhai in about ten minutes, against roughly three hours on foot. The canyon rests under winter maintenance and reopens each spring, the cable car with it.

Don't miss

• Cliff-hugging paths through the first and second rings
• Rocks named Immortals Drying Boots and Fairy Playing the Lute
• Ride the ground-rail cable car up to Tianhai
• Look up at Shuangshun, Shizhu and Shiren peaks
• Mist filling a valley called Huangshan's plant treasury

Visiting tips

The paths cling to cliffs and the floor lies about 500 metres down, so allow time and a head for heights. Many visitors walk down through the rings and ride the cable car up. The canyon closes for winter maintenance and reopens in spring.