Danxia Mountain

Danxia Mountain, in Liupanshui's southern Shuicheng district, is a red sandstone landscape of carved valleys, sculpted pillars, and cliff faces in shades of red, orange, and purple — a different geological character from the grey limestone karst that defines most of Guizhou. The formation of danxia landscapes requires specific conditions: a large deposit of red sandstone under sufficient pressure to form when the plateau rose, then erosion by rivers cutting down through the soft rock. The result is a landscape that looks geologically young despite being millions of years old.

Hiking routes through the scenic area range from gentle valley walks to more demanding ridge paths with views over the surrounding plateau. The red cliff faces are most dramatically lit in the low-angle morning and evening light, when the colour intensifies against the pale sky. The area includes several natural stone bridges and arches formed by differential erosion.

The scenic area is in Shuicheng County, about 30 kilometres from central Liupanshui. Buses connect Liupanshui to Shuicheng County town; the scenic area is accessible by local transport or taxi from there.

things to do sight
A story
The Ming dynasty geographer Xu Xiake visited the Liupanshui area in 1638 as part of his extraordinary thirty-year journey across China, and his journal records his surprise at the red sandstone formations in a province he expected to find uniformly limestone karst. His observations, written in literary Chinese that blends precise geographic description with lyric response to landscape, remain among the best early accounts of what makes Guizhou's terrain unusual. Xu Xiake covered more ground on foot than any single traveller in Chinese history, and Guizhou was one of the regions he wrote about most warmly.