Published : 04/12/2025
Can a small boat really float and move forward in the air? This mesmerising spectacle can be witnessed at Pingshan Canyon in Enshi, Hubei, a place often dubbed "China's Semporna".
So, what is the secret behind this enchanting illusion?
Pingshan Canyon, located at the "Mysterious Intersection"
Nestled at what is often described as a "mysterious intersection" — the coordinates of 30° North latitude and 110° East longitude — Pingshan Canyon (屏山峽谷) lies in Hefeng County, Hubei, a location reputed to be the very centre of China's territorial expanse.
The canyon was formed more than 200 million years ago during the Triassic period. The compression of the earth and wind erosion created the beautiful scenery of towering cliffs and surrounding streams here.
In the 18-kilometre-long canyon, the narrowest point is only 150 centimetres, which is about the distance of an adult's outstretched arms.
Visitors can take a small boat and travel with the current. Looking up, the cliffs are precipitous, and the sky is a sliver of light.
The emerald, green stream is free from industrial pollution and so clear you can see the bottom. When the sunlight shines directly down, the small boats look as though they are floating in the air, which is a breathtaking sight.
A thousand years of Tusi heritage at Pingshan Canyon
Pingshan Canyon, renowned for its breathtaking "sliver of sky" spectacle, once served as an impenetrable natural fortress, shielding the secluded "hidden paradise" within its depths.
The hinterland of Pingshan, characterised by its relatively flat terrain, has long been inhabited by the Tujia ethnic group, preserving China's unique Tusi civilisation.
The Tusi system endured for nearly a millennium in ancient China, whereby successive rulers of feudal dynasties granted local autonomy to chieftains of certain ethnic minority tribes in designated regions.
It was not until the reign of Emperor Yongzheng during the Qing Dynasty that the large-scale policy of "replacing native chieftains with state-appointed officials" was implemented, centralising jurisdiction and abolishing the Tusi system.
Located in places such as Pingshan Village in Hefeng County, the Rongmei Tusi Site (容美土司遺址), was once the largest Tusi in western Hubei.
Located in areas such as Pingshan Village in Hefeng County, the Rongmei Tusi Site represents the largest Tusi domain in western Hubei.
The surviving remnants, including the Pingshan Juefu (Noble Residence) and cave-dwelling architectural complex, reflect the political and cultural landscape of Tujia society.
In 2006, it garnered designation as a Major Historical and Cultural Site Protected at the National Level.