My recent trip to the Hubei (Hu-bay) province of Central China proved to be a real eye opener. It was culture shock for me, but life as they know it for them. I traveled from Beijing to Wuhan, China, and on to Enshi, the home to China’s Grand Canyon.

Enshi city was vibrant and alive, but nothing could have prepared me for the China I was about to see in the mountainous areas of Enshi Canyon. Several times during the trip, I reminded myself that, sometimes, ‘Less is More.’

Location

Enshi is located inland, in the southwest region of Hubei province. It’s an area of immense natural beauty with soaring mountains, deep canyons, meandering rivers, and great waterfalls. The mountain village is a two and a half hour car ride from the bustling city.

The mountaintops are high above the skyline and the thousand-zhang waterfalls that tumble to the canyon floor below, feeding the underground rivers that flow through the Qungjiang River Valley of virgin forests and ancient villages. Enshi proudly displays the peaks and valleys of what is known today as China’s Grand Canyon.

A walkway in Enshi Canyon. (photos by Jean Miller Spoljaric)

　　
Enshi Grand Canyon

The Enshi Grand Canyon is located in Tunbao village in the town of Banqiao, high above the clouds. I climbed my way to the summit and experienced the views of a lifetime. Altogether, I hiked three of the five precipices in Enshi Canyon.

I was in awe as I gazed out toward the mystical land. The puffy clouds seemed close enough for me to touch and the precipices were like giant stalagmite stone fingers reaching toward the heavens.

The view from the top of Enshi Canyon is breathtaking.

Free from the hustle and bustle of the rest of China, there were no beeping horns, no crazy mopeds; just the serene stillness and beauty of nature.

The Enshi Canyon has a total length of 108 km (67 miles) and the total area is more than 300 sq. km (about 74,000 acres, or 115.8 sq. miles). As it’s only 1.7 miles wide, it makes the canyon long and narrow.

By comparison, the American Grand Canyon (1,218,560 acres/ 1,904 sq. miles) could hold sixteen Enshi Grand Canyons.

The significant difference of the two is that Enshi Grand Canyon is lush as opposed to the barren desert-like topography of America’s Grand Canyon.

Still, all the splendor and physical features that one would find in America’s Grand Canyon are contained within this smaller area, so it makes it a great place to visit for a day trip or longer.