Nanxi River

The Nanxi River (nán xi jiang ???) is located in Yongjia County (yong jia xiàn ???) of Zhejiang Province (zhè jiang sheng ???). It is 23 kilometers from Wenzhou City (wen zhou shì ???), with Yandang Mountains (yàn dàng shan ???) on the east, the Xiandu (xian dou ??) on the west and the Xianju (xian ju ??) on the north. The river is a famous state-level scenic spot with a total area of 625 square kilometers. It was praised as the Cradle of Chinese Landscape Painting (zhong guó shan shui huà de yáo lán ????????).

Nanxi River is famous for its clean water, rare rocks, waterfall, ancient villages and shoals. The main scenic spots of the Nanxi River area include the Baizhang Waterfall (bai zhàng pù ???), the Furong Triangle Rock (fú róng san yá ????), the Waterfall of Tengxi Pool (téng xi tán pù ????), the Twelve Peaks (shí èr feng ???), the Taogong Cave (táo gong dòng ???), the Warehouse Under The Cliff (yá xià kù ???), the Furong Ancient Village (fú róng gu cun ????), the Peace Rock (tài píng yán ???) and the Lion Rock (shi zi yán ???), etc.. Generally speaking, the scenic area can be divided into seven parts, including Nanxi River, Daruo Rock (dà ruò yán ???), Shiwei Rock (shí wéi yán ???), Water Rock (shui yán ??), Sihai Hill (sì hai shan ???), Dou Gate (dou mén ??) and North Vally (bei keng ??). Of them, Nanxi River and the ancient villages are the most attractive.

Nanxi River
Nanxi River winds 150 kilometers (93.2 miles) through Yongjia County from north to south and empties into the Oujiang River before flowing into the East Sea. The river has abundant water and never dries up and is said to have 39 bends and 72 shoals. The Nanxi River is praised by visitors for its original beauty, and the waters here are pure and soft. Containing 0.0001 gram of sand per cubic meter, the water has been praised by experts as the Best Water under Heaven. Looking into the river, visitors can see the reflections of the trees on both sides, waving their leaves gently, and the little fishes swimming freely among the glossy cobbles in the river. The perfect view will make visitors relaxed and happy. On the upper reaches of the river and its branches, there are many hills made up of tuff and rhyolite. They stand lofty and firm, forming a stark contrast with the graceful river. The various grottos on the cliff are also fascinating.

Ancient Villages
Apart from the water and rocks, there are many ancient villages which are hidden among the green forest. The villages preserve historical features and many traditional cultural relics. Here, you can learn about the evolution of farming and patriarchal clan in ancient China. Furthermore, the layout of most of the villages follows the unique traditional culture of China. Of all the villages in the scenic area, Furong Village is the oldest one. It has a history of more than 1,200 years. The village is square and faces east. There is a Furong Pond (fú róng chí ???) in the middle of it. The pond is 43 meters long and 13 meters wide, commonly named Dadou (dà dòu ??). Cangpo Village (cang po cun ???) and Yantou Village (yán tóu cun ???) are also very famous.

Nanxi River is not only famous for its beautiful sceneries, but also for the relic site of Neolithic Age (xin shí qì shí dài ?????) and ancient architecture of pagodas, bridges, kiosks, stone archways and battlefield relics, which are from Tang (táng cháo ??), Song (sòng cháo ??), Yuan (yuán cháo ??), Ming (míng cháo ??) and Qing Dynasties (qing cháo ??). China cultural heritage like traditional geomancy, ancient stationery and old family genealogies are invaluable materials for history lovers and scholars.

Information
Address: in Yongjia County of Zhejiang Province, 23 kilometers from Wenzhou City
Admission fee:
The Shiwei Rock: RMB 50
The Warehouse Under The Cliff: RMB 15
The Peace Rock: RMB 10
The Furong Ancient Village: RMB 20
The Twelve Peak: RMB 30
The Taogong Cave: RMB 10

Opening hours: 7:30 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.

Transportation:
Take No. 33 bus from the Wenzhou Railway Station (wen zhou huo che zhàn ?????) to the Anlanting Ferry (an lán tíng ma tóu ?????). Then take a boat across the river to Oubei Town (ou bei zhèn ???), where there are minibuses to every scenic spot in the Nanxi River Scenic Zone.

Tips:
Drifting in Nanxi River is a hottest activity. You sit in a bamboo made catamaran which will drift very fast with the river waves, so exciting. It is really a good experience.