Huize Great Rift Valley

The Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau is home to countless mountain gorges, caves, and rivers. While many of these are famous tourist attractions, some are less well-known, such as the Huize Great Rift Valley in Qujing, Yunnan. The rift valley is different from a canyon. It is a rift that sinks deep underground in a relatively gentle area, as if a huge force has torn a hole in the ground. If there is an equally huge force squeezing from both ends, the hole can be closed. The Huize Great Rift Valley has such characteristics. The Huize Great Rift Valley is a reasonably priced attraction located about 210 km northeast of Kunming. It takes about 2.5 hours to reach the valley via the Yinkun Expressway and a short section of the G213 National Highway. From the entrance of the scenic area to the rift valley is a journey of more than 1 km, and taking a water slide is a time-saving and labor-saving option. Behind the small bridge and flowing water, a huge cave is located at the junction of two mountains. Due to the shape of the mountain, it is called the "Gate of Life" because it resembles a woman lying on her back waiting to give birth. Entering the cave begins the journey through the rift valley. The Huize Great Rift Valley is more than 10 km long, with about 5 km of it developed, and features wooden-plastic walkways or gravel paths. The widest part of the rift valley is only a few dozen meters wide, while the narrowest part is less than a meter wide. The narrowest part is often described as a "crack in the sky." A river runs along the bottom of the rift valley, and as the riverbed undulates, the water sometimes rushes and sometimes flows slowly. Plants grow wherever there is soil or gaps in the walls of the rift valley, and many sections have dripping water, with occasional waterfalls. As we walked, someone was hit by a clump of mud with grass on it, and the swaying grass seemed to be greeting us. It takes two or three hours to walk through the rift valley and take photos, with a total of 1,000 steps, so it is not suitable for people with limited mobility. After leaving the rift valley, a shuttle bus takes visitors to the entrance of the scenic area.