It was a 12 mile ferry ride up the river. Four years ago, the deepest part of the river was only 10 feet. Now it reaches a depth of 230 feet in spots.
The top deck
Shennong Stream has several natural gorges, each with its unique scenery. We travelled through Long Chang, Ying Wu, and Mianzhu Gorges.
Click on the map for a larger image
Long Chang (Dragon Boat) Gorge
This is the first of the gorges.
The gorge is also noted for its unique human landscape. Hanging coffins (Xuanguan) are an ancient funeral custom of some minority groups, especially the Ba people in southern China. Coffins of various shapes were mostly made with one whole piece of wood. The coffins either lie on beams projecting outward from mountains, are placed in caves in the face of cliffs, or sit on natural rock projections on mountain faces.
Some coffins are 1,000 years old.
The distinct waterline records the difference in the seasons. It is highest in winter.
Sheer cliffs dominate the gorge.
A cave filled with stalactites
A small local village
Baota (Tower) Peak is the tallest mountain on the stream at almost 3,300 feet.
Ying Wu (Parrot) Gorge
This gorge is noted for its elegance. The evergreen vegetation along the banks remains beautiful during the whole year.
A house with an incredible view (upper left)
Swallow Cave
Swallow Cave is home to thousands of short-beaked golden swallows. It is the largest karst cave on the stream, with a height of 260 feet, a width of almost 100 feet and a length of nearly 5 miles.
Carrying water up from the river is a tiring task.
Local boatmen filter the water.
This small temple had to be relocated due to the rising water levels as a result of the Gezhou Dam.
Paths lead up from the water.
