Arxan Santan Gorge Fall Foliage Guide

Santan Gorge is located 78 km northeast of Arxan City, in the Tianchi Scenic Area. It is the upper reaches of the Halaha River, echoing Tianchi Mountain. The riverbed is made of rocks, and the rushing Halaha River passes through the valley, with three pools of water, Woniu Pool, Hushi Pool, and Yuexin Pool, which are as smooth as mirrors. There is a bridge across the stream. There are three pools in the canyon, hence the name Santan Gorge. The water is transparent and clear. The riverbed is made of rocks of different sizes, and the banks are mixed forests of coniferous and broad-leaved trees, with rhododendrons growing in the forest, making the scenery pleasant. The volcanic rocks are all over the valley, and people can walk on the rocks in the water. The south wall of the canyon is steep and dangerous, while the north wall is made of huge volcanic rocks. The rhododendrons are all over the mountains on both sides of the canyon. Walking into this canyon gives you a sense of being in a fairyland. There is a path along the river, and there are many winding roads between the three pools. There is a section of glacier in the canyon in June and July, which is called "Summer Glacier." The best time to enjoy the fall foliage of Santan Gorge is late September. If you go too early, the fall foliage is not strong. There are many people during the National Day holiday, and if you go after the holiday, it will be cold and snowy, and the leaves will fall. It is best to enter the Santan Gorge Scenic Area in the morning, when the sun shines on the trees and the light and shadow are beautiful. To get to Arxan, you can take a train or a long-distance bus from Ulanhot. It is recommended to take a train. There are two trains from Ulanhot to Arxan every day. If you take the morning train, you can enjoy the forest scenery outside the window. If you take the night train, you can take pictures of the smoke from cooking breakfast in the Arxan forest area the next morning. The morning train is a fast train with no sleeper; the night train is a slow train with two sleeper cars. The advantage of taking a train to Arxan is that you can check in at the Japanese-style Arxan Railway Station, which is also a popular check-in point.