The Huashan murals stretch across a massive red sandstone cliff above the Zuojiang River — over 1,900 individual figures painted in red ochre across a 180-metre-wide section of rock face, some of them more than six metres tall. Dating back roughly 2,000 years, they are attributed to the ancient Luo Yue people, the cultural ancestors of today's Zhuang minority. UNESCO added the Zuojiang Huashan Rock Art Cultural Landscape to the World Heritage List in 2016, recognising it as one of the most significant examples of rock art in Southeast Asia.
The visit involves a boat trip along the Zuojiang from the dock near Daxin or Ningming — typically an hour each way, through a stretch of karst landscape that is magnificent regardless of the murals. Close up, the images show human figures in various postures, some appearing to dance, accompanied by drums, dogs, and bronze vessels. The largest single figure, known as the "chief," stands over three metres tall. Interpretations of the scene vary — ritual, battle, fertility ceremony — and the ambiguity is part of the interest. A new visitor centre at the base includes exhibits that contextualise the paintings without overselling them.