Mysterious and Magnificent Ganquan Grand Canyon

Guangdong, Shanghai and Sichuan

Beijing, Henan meet in Yan'an

Danxia beauty shows its majesty

Grand spectacle is extraordinary

These lines, without context, are certainly incomprehensible. To understand the natural beauty of northern Shaanxi, listen to my detailed explanation.

In Ganquan County, Yan'an, there is a small mountain village called Yucha. In 2017, a geological photography enthusiast came here. During shooting, he was suddenly stunned by everything before him. Thus, this geological wonder hidden in the valley for billions of years was discovered. It is hailed as "World's Living Danxia, Dream Valley of China."

Regarding the formation process and causes of the miraculous landscape of Yucha Grand Canyon, geologists are tirelessly researching. Let me reveal the secret: when Pangu created the world, his sweat poured like rain, and he scratched his body with his hand, then flung it away. Where it landed, this wonder was formed. The lines were created by the muddy sweat, and the colors came from Pangu's body. Let's leave the story of this beauty here for now and refine it later.

Seven canyons have been discovered in Yucha Grand Canyon, namely Birch Tree Gully, Peony Gully, A Thread of Sky, Snake River Gully, Phoenix Gully, Leopard Gully, and Dragon Bar Gully. The most beautiful is Birch Tree Gully. Although only the first three were open, when we arrived, A Thread of Sky was already closed for renovation.

Last year, I noticed information about the Shaanxi Ganquan Yucha Grand Canyon and Jingbian Wave Valley. Online reviews unanimously said these natural landscapes are extraordinary. This year, I kept choosing clear weather to see for myself. Coincidentally, two sisters from Guangdong, two from Sichuan, a young lady from Shanghai, and a companion from Beijing met me in Shanxi, all with the same idea. Without prior arrangement, we came to Yan'an and booked a two-day tour of these two places on Ctrip, so we came together.

The driver was Xiao Zhang from Jingbian, a very enthusiastic young man. He arranged the itinerary well, almost flawlessly.

At 7:30 a.m., we got into Xiao Zhang's business car, picked up seven other group members one by one, and set off for Ganquan Yucha Grand Canyon. At 9:40 a.m., we arrived at the scenic area visitor center.

The scenic area is free, but you need to transfer to an internal shuttle bus. The shuttle bus costs 70 yuan per person, already included in our tour fee. After Xiao Zhang distributed the shuttle tickets, we boarded one by one. At 10:25 a.m., we reached Peony Gully.

Peony Gully is a place name. It is said that long ago, there were blooming peonies in the gully, hence the name. Peony Gully is not large—just a small cave. You can see most of the scenery in about ten minutes. If you've never seen Danxia landforms before, you'll be captivated by the incredible stone textures and colors, reluctant to move. But you don't know that even more stunning sights await you ahead. I downplay Peony Gully because I don't want to waste time on the more beautiful scenery later.

I think it's called Peony Gully because the rocks resemble peony petals.

At 11:30 a.m., we arrived at Birch Tree Gully. Currently, Birch Tree Gully is the main scenic area of Yucha Grand Canyon, also inside a mountain gully. Here, you can only go forward. Wide sections allow four to five people to pass, while narrow sections only permit one person. We completed the entire walk in 35 minutes, then returned to the start and walked it again.

The red sandstone textures of Birch Tree Gully resemble the beautiful body of a slender maiden. Here are flowing hair, here are faces, some plump, some slender, some elegant and dignified, here are delicate fingers, here are full breasts. The lines curve and turn just right—neither too much nor too little. The colorful hues—red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, violet, plus brown and gray—form a series of moving paintings. Even those who have visited Antelope Canyon in the United States would be stunned by this dreamlike wonderland.

Walking in this ravine of countless gullies and steep cliffs, you can let your imagination run wild with ten thousand ideas to describe the scenery. You can freely imagine everything that happened here, use every beautiful word in the dictionary to depict what you see. Yet, I find it all insufficient. Under the sunlight, the ever-changing colors can only be replaced by the word "beauty."

People behind kept urging those ahead to move faster. Those ahead walked, looked, and took photos, reluctant to lift their feet. They had long forgotten the uneven paths, the rocks that might hit their heads, the winding narrow sections of the canyon, always immersed in an incomparably mysterious world.

Ganquan Yucha Grand Canyon is worth a visit. It is still on the edge of being pristine. As development intensifies, some things may become invisible, so you should hurry to see it.

At 12:42 p.m., we came out of Birch Tree Gully again, took the scenic shuttle to the exit, had a simple lunch at the service center, and Xiao Zhang drove us to Jingbian Wave Valley to enjoy even more captivating scenery.

Author: Da Song Wanjun

September 14, 2020