Atlas of China
Enshi Grand Canyon 恩施大峡谷Ēnshī Dàxiágǔ
A limestone canyon with a 150 m rock pillar, a cliff plank road and a waterfall floor
- Best time
- Late Apr–Sep, Oct–Nov
- Time needed
- 1 day
- Days to budget
- 1 day
- Stay in
- Enshi
- Region
- Hubei
- Type
- Nature
- Listed as
- 5A scenic area
Why go to Enshi Grand Canyon
Enshi Grand Canyon, also called the Mufu Grand Canyon, is a karst canyon in the Qing River basin where cliffs, rock pillars, sinkholes, caves, natural bridges and underground rivers all occur. Visitors see it in two parts: the cliff-top walkways of Qixingzhai, and the Yunlong River Fissure, a narrow slot that is up to about 75 m deep. It suits a full day of walking among dramatic limestone scenery.
The story
Local legend says the slender pillar known as "A Stick of Incense" was handed down by a god as incense for the people to light when they needed help from heaven. The canyon sits near the Xiaozhai Tiankeng, one of the world's deepest sinkholes.
What to see at Enshi Grand Canyon
- Qixingzhai 七星寨: The cliff-top section, reached by cable car, with strangely shaped pines and rock formations and walkways along the edge.
- A Stick of Incense 一炷香: A rock pillar about 150 m tall and only about 4 m wide at its narrowest, the canyon's best-known landmark and best seen in clear weather.
- Precipice Plank Road 绝壁栈道: A walkway fixed to the cliff face, giving wide views across the canyon.
- Yunlong River Fissure 云龙河地缝: A narrow gorge floor with cascading cliff waterfalls and an iron suspension bridge, flatter and easier walking than the clifftop; it takes about one to two hours.
How to visit Enshi Grand Canyon
The usual route is the visitor centre, a short ground cable car to the cableway station, then the main cable car up to Qixingzhai, followed by the plank road and a long escalator down. A shuttle then takes you to the Yunlong River Fissure, which you walk along before taking a sightseeing lift back up to ground level. Qixingzhai takes about three to four hours and the fissure one to two, so a full day suits fit walkers; families and older visitors may prefer two days.
How to get to Enshi Grand Canyon
The canyon is about 60 km by road from Enshi city, with the main visitor centre and car parks in the Mufu area; local buses and tour minibuses run from Enshi. Enshi has an airport and a railway station, with fast trains from Yichang (under 2 hours) and from Wuhan (a few hours).
Where to stay
Enshi city has the most hotel choice and the transport links, which suits a one-day visit. For a slower two-day trip, stay near the canyon to skip the long transfers.
What to eat
- Hezha 合渣: Ropy soybean milk cooked with shredded vegetables, a Tujia dish.
- Tujia cured pork 土家腊肉: Smoked pork, a staple of Tujia cooking.
- Sauce-flavoured pancake 酱香饼: A griddled pancake brushed with sauce, sold as a street snack.
Tips for visiting Enshi Grand Canyon
- Combine the cable car and the escalator with the walking: the escalator down from the clifftop saves more than 2,000 steps, and the lift at the end of the fissure saves over 700.
- Wear sturdy non-slip shoes; rain and fog make the paths slippery and can hide the rock pillars.
- Go early, since the cable-car queues build up through the morning.
Nearby
- Yangtze Three Gorges 长江三峡 80 km
Cliffs closing in on the Yangtze along China's most storied river passage
Also within 30 km: Yulong Cave, Lichuan 玉龙洞 (under 10 km), Luyuanping 鹿院坪 (10 km), Tenglong Cave 腾龙洞 (20 km), Longqiao River 龙桥河 (20 km), Dashuijing Old Buildings 大水井古建筑群 (20 km), Enshi Tusi City 恩施土司城 (30 km).
On the map
Open Enshi Grand Canyon on the illustrated map to see the terrain around it, what else is close, and to add it to a trip and plan the days.
Open Enshi Grand Canyon on the map