The Best Known Waterfalls in China

A country rich in mountains and rivers, it’s no wonder to discover that there’s also a wealth of waterfalls in China. These falls are scattered throughout the country, from the north to the south and from the east to the west.

In this article, we’ll take a look at some of the best known Chinese waterfalls, starting with the largest and the tallest.

Among the best-known and most popular waterfalls in China, Huangguoshu or “Yellow-Fruit Tree Waterfalls” is actually made up of not one but eighteen separate falls. Located in Guizhou Province, it’s not the tallest waterfall in China but is renowned as the largest. It is in fact wider than it is tall, measuring around 220 feet high and over 270 feet wide, with a volume of up to 53,000 cubic feet of water descending per second. What’s more, it holds yet another surprise; a 440-foot long cave known as “Shuiliandong” lies beyond its vast curtain of water.

From the largest to what is believed to be the tallest waterfall in China, located in the eastern province of Zhejiang. Here, there’s a trio known as the Baizhangji Waterfalls, called respectively the First, Second and Third “Ji,” which means to draw water. The tallest of these, the First Ji, has a drop of around 680 feet, thought to be the country’s longest.

Between the northern provinces of Shanxi and Shaanxi, one of China’s most important waterways, the Yellow River, forms its largest waterfall. Dropping around 50-60 feet across a width of some 90 – 150 feet, Hukou Waterfall is the second largest of the waterfalls of China and said to be the world’s biggest yellow waterfall. Translating as “kettle spout falls” in reference to the shape of its flow, in summer, it roils and thunders, often flooding. By contrast, in winter it often freezes, looking as if someone had paused the falls mid-movement.

On the border of China and Vietnam, the River Guichun forms a series of picturesque cascades that tumble down mossy karst cliffs. Together, they are known as Ban Gioc – Detian Falls, and famed as Asia’s largest transnational waterfall. Detian Waterfall is within Daxin County in the Guangxi province.

With its bucolic multi-tiered cascades and turquoise waters, it’s unsurprising that this most majestic series of Chinese waterfalls is the subject of myth and folklore. Indeed, it’s also called “Nine Dragons Falls”, a reference to the legend that it was created by gods as a punishment for a misbehaving dragon.

As we reach the end of our exploration of China’s best waterfalls, it’s clear that these are amongst its most majestic natural wonders in this fascinating country.