Dreamlike destination

Waterfalls, rivers, mountains and history — Detian has it all. Ye Jun recommends this picturesque village as the perfect place to rejuvenate.

Before my trip to Detian, I knew nothing about this village on the border of China and Vietnam, except for one fact — it's famous for its waterfalls.

In recent years, local people have turned this border village in Daxin county, Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region, into a tourist destination.

We arrive at Mingshi Shanzhuang resort at night. It comes as a bit of a surprise to find two hills illuminated with lights next to the resort. After dinner, we head for a bar near a river, which is also lit with neon lights.

The resort is built on stilts, the style of the Zhuang ethnic group's houses called diaojiaolou. Rising above ground, the design is meant to avoid insects and animals and features beautiful overhanging eaves.

But, the resort's interior is more fanciful than we expected. The rooms are decorated with cozy wooden floors and equipped with a low bed, and a small tea table. The other facilities are of a five-star hotel standard.

I wake up to a spectacular surprise as I draw the curtains after a good night sleep — a view of clear green water among picturesque hills with egrets flying by.

Not until then did I realize the hotel is nestled at the foot of hills and lying by a river.

The road to Detian Falls is dubbed a "hundred-mile photo gallery", and not without reason. Many TV dramas have been shot there, we were told.

Besides beautiful scenery, Detian's lush tropical forests are an abundant source of Chinese medicinal herbs.

Our guide says Detian is the third most popular tourist destination in Guangxi, after world-acclaimed Guilin and the coastal city of Beihai.

"But Detian is less commercialized," she says.

Detian is also known for its karst caves and landscapes.

Remnants of the war between China and Vietnam in 1979 are evident in some parts of the historical suburb, with small underground tunnels dug by Chinese soldiers to hide from artillery shelling.

The road to Detian Falls runs parallel along Guichun River, which borders China and Vietnam. Because of the proximity, one gets to see Vietnamese vendors who cross the river to sell their products at local weekend markets in Detian.

Winter is not the best season to visit the waterfalls, which have the lowest volume of water. But it is the best time to avoid the crowds.

It is said that one third of Detian Falls belongs to Vietnam and two thirds to China. Just 50 meters to its left is a smaller waterfall called Ban Gioc Falls, which belongs to Vietnam.

Detian Falls is a three-level waterfall 200 meters wide and dropping 60 meters.

Visitors can ride a bamboo raft, which costs 30 yuan ($5), to see the waterfall up close. It doesn't look imposing from a distance, but when you are on the raft, you realize how small your raft is compared to the waterfall.

After the raft ride, you can climb the man-made stairs to the top of the waterfall.

A transnational market about 600 meters from the waterfall is a good place for souvenir shopping. A wide range of Vietnamese products are available, like coffee, rosewood bracelets and toys made of bullets and bombshells.

It is also a good spot to take a photo of the China-Vietnam border mark, which was erected in the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911).

Our trip to Detian Falls is quite relaxing but the visit to Tongling Grand Canyon is more challenging.

Tourists first walk down 817 steps to the bottom of the canyon. The path is lined with lush tropical plants, such as huge gomuti palm trees and tree ferns, a rare species that have survived since the age of dinosaurs.

The walk is about 3 km, but because it is a winding path, it feels much longer.

At the end of the path, you will see Tongling Waterfall, which spreads 30 meters wide and drops 188 meters. Right below it is a stalactites cave with smaller waterfalls. You may experience water dripping from above in some parts of the cave, which feels a bit ghastly.

The next morning, we explore the surroundings of the resort using a river raft. The scenery along the river is amazing: round hills, floating clouds and tall bamboo trees on the bank casting reflections into the water.

Our Zhuang ethnic group guides even sing folk songs for us. After half an hour of rafting, we stop at a village to have a feel for local life and a taste of local snacks made of sugarcane and wild longans.

Then we continue exploring the countryside by bicycle, which to me is the best part of the trip.

We pass by sugarcane fields, and see ducks swimming in ponds, egrets feeding in wheat fields and a water buffalo working in the field.

Even the most stressed-out visitors will feel relaxed by breathing in the fresh air and taking in the beautiful scenery.

Contact the writer at yejun@chinadaily.com.cn.