Hiking through Antelope Canyon, exploring Wenshu Village

I flipped through my circle of friends, and the last time I went out to play was back in May. It's rare to have a holiday, so I must throw away all things and go out to have fun, releasing the long-suppressed feelings in my heart. The morning sun was shining brightly when I left the house, and it rained a bit on the road, but then it stopped. Yesterday I asked my friends if they wanted to go out together, but they said they didn't want to go out because of the rain. Fortunately, I stuck to my own wishes and didn't let others influence my thoughts, haha. We set off at 8 o'clock in the morning, and after more than 2 hours of journey, we arrived at Houli Wharf. We took a boat after getting off the car, which took about 15 minutes. The place we arrived at is called Wenshu Village. The village is named after a Wenshu Temple on the mountain that worships Manjusri. Wenshu Village is not accessible by land, and you must rely on a boat to enter and exit the village. After arriving at Wenshu Village, we first went to the restaurant to put down our bags, and then took water and umbrellas to go hiking lightly. This village is not big, but it has two waterfalls, and the destination of our hike is the location of the waterfall. It is said that the distance is not far, about 1.5km one way. The small paths in the village are very comfortable to walk on. The vegetation on both sides is lush and the air is fresh. As we were walking, a fork in the road appeared. We chose the uphill route, but after a while, another team leader stopped us and asked us to go back. He said that at the fork in the road just now, we should go downhill, which is closer to the waterfall. So we went back to the fork in the road and walked downhill. As the team leader said, we arrived after a while. There are a few tourists playing in the small pool under the waterfall. The waterfall is not high or spectacular, but it is quite amazing to have such a place in this small mountain village. After admiring the waterfall, it was time for lunch. We went back to the restaurant for lunch. How can we not eat river fresh when we come to Xijiang? It must be arranged properly. But today's dishes, although fresh, feel a bit too salty. It would be better if it was lighter. After lunch, we took a break and started hiking in the afternoon. We took a boat back to Houli Wharf, and then walked to the starting point of Antelope Canyon, which is where we are going to hike today. Antelope Canyon, located in Zhaoqing, Guangdong, downstream of the Xijiang River, is formed by Lingyang Mountain and Lanke Mountain on the Xijiang River. The two mountains stand opposite each other from north to south, reaching into the sky. It is one of the five major canyons in China. The ancient path of Antelope Canyon was originally formed by trackers. In 1448, Lu Ju, the county magistrate of Gao Yao in the Ming Dynasty, began to build bridges and roads in the pit, and was rebuilt eleven times during the Ming, Qing and early Republic of China. It was the main land route into and out of Duanzhou in ancient times, and was completely abandoned after the 1950s. The ancient road has a deep historical and cultural accumulation, and along the line there are preserved cultural relics and historical sites such as Qingfeng Pavilion cliff carvings, Xixia stone pillars, tow marks, fence holes, cable stones, Ling Mountain forts, trenches, and the remains of Pei Gong Nineteen Bridges, Xiasan Pavilion, Xiasan Temple, Linghua Temple, and Tianhou Palace. The ecological environment of the ancient road is beautiful, the natural landscape is unique, and it combines canyons, rivers, mountains, forests, streams, and waterfalls. The section we are going to hike through is located near the Dinghu Scenic Area in Zhaoqing, and is the most beautiful section of the entire Xijiang River Basin. It is said that the five goats in Guangzhou were originally six goats, and the mountain in Antelope Canyon is a fairy goat fossil. Because when the fairy whipped the goat down to Guangzhou through this canyon, he saw the beautiful mountains and rivers here, and left a fairy goat, hence the name "Antelope Canyon". Whether the legend is true or false, it is enough to show that the scenery here is very good. This ancient plank road is nearly 10 kilometers long, with a few steps, most of them are flat roads, and there are many small pavilions and benches in the middle, where you can rest and relax. The vegetation here is very rich and diverse. Each section has different scenery. This section is a dense forest, and the next section may be a river view. Looking at the Xijiang River, there are many sand ships working, forming a different landscape. The hike is over and we are ready to go back. Not long after the car started, it started to rain heavily. We are really lucky, we were not caught in the heavy rain. After sweating, I went home satisfied.