A Great Self-Drive Destination in Golden Autumn – Tanpu Gorge
With the rise of self-driving tours, suburban excursions and leisure travel have gradually become the dominant forms of tourism. Young people nowadays no longer blindly chase famous scenic spots, but instead want to use their holidays to truly unwind with their families.
Today, I’d like to introduce a fantastic self-drive destination – Tanpu Gorge. Tanpu Gorge Scenic Area is located south of Dashiyu Village in Daomaguan Township, Chuanli Town, Tang County. It was originally called Dashiyu Scenic Area. It is 85 km from the county seat of Tang County, 110 km from Baoding City, and 230 km from Beijing. The total area is 18 square kilometers, consisting of three valleys – Tanpu Valley, Zhaishi Valley, and Shuangpu Valley – as well as the Xiongwozi Nature Reserve. The area is rich in hot springs, pools, waterfalls, unique rock formations, and forests.
Access to the site is convenient; from Chuanli Town, head west along Baolai Road and you’ll reach the scenic area in a 15-minute drive. Baolai Road itself is a scenic route, lined with flowers and lush vegetation all the way, perfect for self-drive travelers. You can pause and enjoy the journey, savoring the relaxed and leisurely atmosphere.
When you enter the gate of Tanpu Gorge Scenic Area, you’ll notice that the gate was built in the style of the Daomaguan Pass city wall, imbued with historical significance. It features a single vaulted archway topped with white marble balustrades, giving the entire entrance a solemn yet graceful and magnificent appearance. If you’re curious, you can look into the history of Daomaguan Pass – I won’t go into detail about that here!
Once you arrive at the outskirts of the scenic area, the first thing you’ll see is the Tang County Constitution Theme Park. There are 18 constitution-themed walls, running from north to south, outlining the history of constitutional development, the four constitutions and five amendments since the founding of the People’s Republic of China, as well as the status of the constitution, Constitution Day, and the constitutional oath system. On the third terrace, the most prominent feature is the Constitutional Oath Wall, along with a Constitution Book and a Constitution Corridor on the left, displaying the achievements of the nation’s 70th anniversary.
Tanpu Gorge Scenic Area was originally called Dashiyu Scenic Area, but it was renamed because of its many pools and waterfalls. As you can imagine, the first thing that greets you upon entering is water. Wherever you go – pools or cascading streams – it’s not an exaggeration to say there’s a pool every five steps and a waterfall every ten. The path is accompanied by constant scenery, streams, pools, and waterfalls. Crocodile Pool, Whale Bay, Gourd Pool, Golden Rooster Pool, Jade Dragon Pool, Seven Star Pool – each pool is a sight to behold.
As for waterfalls, Tianhe Waterfall, Longtang Waterfall, Motianya Waterfall, and Dashihu Waterfall are everywhere, making this the perfect place to admire cascades. Feilong Waterfall resembles countless white horses galloping, a truly magnificent scene; Tianhe Waterfall hangs like a milky white ribbon draped over the cliff... Everywhere you look, there are crystal-clear blue waters and massive, rolling boulders. It’s a landscape where water and stone are intertwined – as you walk along, you’ll see that every pool and waterfall is intricately linked with the rocks.
Wild plants such as peach trees, apricots, azaleas, spiraea, and chrysanthemums paint the hills in brilliant colors all year round. In the middle of Tanpu Valley, at the entrance of Duanjiazhuang Village, stands a maple tree over 1,500 years old. Its trunk is so thick that it takes three adults with outstretched arms to encircle it – Tang County has designated it the Maple King. The huge tree is still luxuriant and full of life. Many devotees come to make wishes beneath its branches, praying for longevity and everlasting love, entrusting the Maple King to bear witness.
Tanpu Gorge Scenic Area features granite landforms, with smooth, rounded, and imposing mountain shapes, often weathered into spherical and mushroom-like forms. Between them lie craggy peaks, ancient rock strongholds, venerable trees, waterfalls, hot springs, and babbling brooks, creating a unique cultural and natural landscape.
Tanpu Gorge is now a national AAA-level scenic area and a national forest park. With a tourism poverty-alleviation approach, the site has been upgraded to meet national 4A-level scenic area standards. To date, 50 million yuan has been invested, including the construction of 5,500 meters of walking trails, 3,800 square meters of paved parking lots, five water-crossing bridges, one reservoir dam renovation, and five local farmhouse-style accommodations.
With the Third Baoding Tourism Development Conference just around the corner, Tanpu Gorge Scenic Area is fully prepared to become a top holiday destination for Beijing, Tianjin, and Hebei. This weekend, why not take your family on a self-drive trip to Tanpu Gorge?
