The scenic area spreads across the river west of the resort, and is best appreciated either from the top of one of the peaks or from a bamboo raft(zhufaorzhupai)onJiu Qu Xi (Nine Bend Stream).
There's a constant stream of buses (¥1/15¢) and minivans (¥2/25¢) from Chongyang Dao or Wangfeng Lu to the village ofXing Cun;they drop you off either in the village center or at the dock itself. If you are dropped off in the center, fork right, follow the road to the left, and take the first major right turn down toward the river. The ticket office is down on the right, about 5 minutes' walk altogether. The overpricedzhufadepart in groups intermittently between 7:30am and 4pm. Tickets are on sale about 20 minutes before each departure; they cost ¥100 ($13) plus an optional ¥1 (15¢) for insurance.
The river ride of about 9.5km (6 miles) takes an hour and 40 minutes, a lot of it right next to the main highway. The river is only a meter deep in some parts, and is clear enough to let you see the bottom. It's at its highest in July, and if it rises to a 2m (5 1/2-ft.) height, trips are suspended.
The scenery is a slightly scaled-down version of that around Guilin, but more interesting due to the tilted strata which give the cliffs the look of a sandwich with everything on it. Various rocks are said to resemble an elephant trunk, a turtle, a frog, and two lions playing with a ball, but you'd never be able to say which was which without assistance. In common with the Yangzi trip, there are cliff-side burial places. Two large caves high up, which are supposed to contain 3,800-year-old tombs along with some wooden remains, can be seen protruding from the cliffs, more easily visible than those elsewhere. The river winds sinuously around its nine bends, bird song echoes between the cliffs, the metal tips of the bamboo poles rattle against the river bottom, flights of widgeon whir past, and there's the occasional brilliant flash of a kingfisher. Some stiller water is supposed to run deep indeed -- down to 28m (92 ft.).
The disembarkation point is just before the river's confluence with the Chongyang Xi, in manicured gardens a short walk from the base ofDa Wang Feng.You have the option of returning to the road to flag down a passing bus back to the resort, or you can walk towards the peak past various tawdry shopping opportunities and purchase one of twotao piao.One of the tickets is for the immediate area, which includes the two most commonly climbed peaks; it's valid for 2 days and costs ¥62 ($7.75). The other ticket offers wider access around the scenic area from 6am to 8pm.
ClimbingDa Wang Fengofficially takes 1 1/2 hours, but it can be scaled by the moderately fit in an hour. At the top, the views are principally over the confluence of the rivers and the not particularly attractive sprawl of the resort. As you climb, you have several choices of route, which all lead eventually to the top; the routes include two horizontal galleries cut into the rock, the higher of which involves slightly less bending. It can be slippery when wet. The lower stairways wind wonderfully, but in some cases they are only wide enough for one -- awkward when you encounter tour groups. At some points, the only thing that will catch you if you fall is a stand of bamboo.
You'll probably want to climbTianyou Shan,farther east and included in your ticket, on another day. The turnoff is about halfway to Xing Cun, and the entrance to the mountain about 5km (3 miles) from the resort. Amiandiwill bring you here for ¥10 ($1.25), dropping you a 10- to 15-minute walk from the gate. If you're fit, the climb will not take more than about 30 minutes.
The slogan "If you haven't climbed Tianyou Shan, you haven't seen Wuyi Shan" is much bandied about, and this is the one peak all the tour groups climb, mostly in the morning -- so leave it until the afternoon. The paths are more solid, are broader, and have more handholds than the paths of Wuyi Shan. Views are pretty, and you look down to the loop of the river's fifth and sixth bends, around which might drift some rafts. Halfway up, a pretty waterfall, multithreaded and glued to the cliff face, moves in slow motion. Near the top are a house built for Chiang Kai-shek's wife, Soong Mei-ling, and a flat open space with teahouses. As you jostle your way to the top, the views show you why you should consider extending your stay -- the peak opposite also has a staircase snaking up it, but no sign of modern concrete additions, and no people.