The magnificent Longqing Gorge is a must see when in Beijing. It is a lake among majestic mountains and simply astounding in beauty and quiet serenity of its waters.
It is located at the mouth of the Yanqing Old City River, in the northeast of Yanqing County approximately 85 kilometers away from Beijing.
The scenic spot is famous for its gorge. Visitors compare the scenery of the gorge to the Three Gorges of the river Yangtze, but its mountains are much steeper than those along the Yangtze. The scenery also resembles the river Li in Guilin, but the water here is much clearer.
When we arrived at the spot, the first thing we saw was the Longqing Dam. The seventy-meter-high dam is inset between hills. Looking to the north side from the dam, the picturesque scenery of hills and white clouds reflected in deep green water can be appreciated.
To get to the cruise at the top of the gorge, we had to step inside the highest escalator in the world, an escalator with several levels inside the body of an artificial dragon.
The escalator is about 258 meters long and can take people to a height of 90 meters.
We got to the top of the escalator and boarded a boat to enjoy the beauty of the gorge by cruise. Every turn around the hills in the gorge astounds in beauty and serenity.
The scenery here combines the charm of rivers in southern China and the magnificence of mountains in northern China. Along the river we saw heavily forested steep cliffs and the bare limestone in different shapes, eroded by the constant splashing of the water.
The most important spot to look out for is the Comb Hill, also known as Solitary Beauty Peak, which is a hill of 70 meters high and surrounded by water. It is the landmark in this scenic spot.
Flowers Cave is another must-see spot, which covers 3,000 square meters. There are more than 1,650 kinds of artificial trees and flowers decorated with birds and other animals in the cave (although we did not get to see this cave).
In addition, the Longqing Gorge is famous for its ice lantern show in winter from January to February. Although every year, the lantern show has its own theme, but the spectacular ice-fall against the dam wall is something to be admired.
Ice-carvings abound during winter and the place is gloriously lighted at night (we saw some beautiful photos of the ice-carvings and the festivities around the gorge during winter)!
Truly another of China's natural wonders!
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