The scenic area of Xiaoqikong wasn’t in my guide book or on travel blogs, I ended up finding it from scanning the map of China and being drawn in by the intense blue water. It turned out to be fairly easy to reach, involving two high speed trains and then a taxi for the final leg.

Because I couldn’t find any information about the park online we made sure to head to the help desk at the entrance so we were all ready to go the next morning. It was a challenge translating our questions but eventually we figured it all out. The entrance price was a whopping £18.85 per person. This included 7 days park entry but just 2 days shuttle service. To be fair we wouldn’t need more than 2 days so it was fine.

The village had a holiday vibe, mostly set up with hotels and eateries around the eastern gate of the park. We didn’t see a single other western tourist while in this area so it felt like a bit of a hidden gem however the locals definitely knew about it as it was packed with Chinese tour groups.

We started early the first day, buying our tickets and queuing for the shuttle bus. The park is sort of separated into two areas. The main one is Xiaoqikong which covered the majority of the scenic area and nearby the east entrance was Daqikong which we planned to visit on our 2nd day in the park.

We opted to go all the way across the park to Wolongtan which is one of the main attractions here. The water was the most incredible blue colour and crystal clear thanks to it being fed by a spring. The benefit of coming here first was there weren’t too many people yet. The downside however was the sun wasn’t quite high enough to make all of the blue lake pop with colour. It was still pretty jaw dropping though and ended at a man-made dam where the water spilt down in a waterfall with a lovely mountain backdrop.

Our next stop was Yuan Yang lake but it was very anti-climatic. They’d closed off the trail alongside it so the only activity you could do here was pay for a boat trip which was a shame. We tried to sneak down a path but a worker came along and turned us around. Onwards to the next site, a cave, we had to pay £1 extra to enter the cave which was a bit strange for it not to be included in the ticket. Sadly they filled the cave with psychedelic lighting so it wasn’t natural at all and they ruined what could have been a rather impressive cave.

We hopped on a bus again to Laguan Lake where a boardwalk followed the edge until we arrived at a gushing waterfall. It was a little walk to get here but enough to put the tour groups off so finally we had a bit of tranquility. Jiding Lake however was the total opposite with hoards of tourists walking along the boardwalk that seemingly floated above the lake.

We ended the day with a walk along the Xiangshui River which was an incredible turquoise colour. Sadly this area was just way too busy to enjoy, it was peak afternoon traffic for a scenic spot and while the Chinese are very polite and courteous as individuals they change when they’re in groups and it turns into a horrible pack mentality of pushing and shouting. The turquoise river dropped down in series of waterfalls from tiny layers of falls to 10 meter drops. After this area we decided to head back to town and relax.

The following morning we woke early to re-nter the park and explore the Daqikong area. We didn’t need a shuttle bus for this section as it was walkable from the east gate which was very convenient for us. The trail was so lovely and quiet, something we’d been craving after yesterdays madness. A path was chiseled into the rock wall which enabled us to walk through the impressive gorge. We followed a clear, blue river where we could see fish swimming between the rocks and boulders. Eventually we came to a huge rock face with a big hole sliced out the middle, creating a sort of arch where the river ran through. The path was supposed to continue under the arch but today it was closed for some reason or another which was a shame. It was a nice hiking route because it was designed to be one direction so on the way back we were on the other side of the river.

Overall we had a really nice time in this scenic area. The natural sights were beautiful but the crowds did take away a lot of our enjoyment. It probably didn’t help that we visited on a sunny weekend.