I'm obsessed! 22°C Taoxi Valley cured my mental burnout
I'm obsessed! After a week of being roasted by 38°C heat to the point of questioning life, I ducked into this severely underrated primitive valley in eastern Sichuan—Taoxi Valley. Stepping inside, the temperature felt like it dropped ten degrees instantly; it was like being stuffed into a natural air-conditioned room. At that moment, I had only one thought: this trip was the right choice.
Taoxi Valley is hidden deep within the Bashan Grand Canyon in Xuanhan County, Dazhou, Sichuan, and is a national AAAA-rated tourist attraction. The unique rock folds carved by billions of years of Daba Mountain karst topography blend perfectly with the canyon. This isn't one of those places overly beautified by social media filters, but a truly pristine secret spot where you can slow down and find peace.
First, the highlights: how to have the best time?
Here's the ticket info—the Taoxi Valley + Elephant Cave + sightseeing bus combo ticket costs about CNY 105–120 online, with half-price tickets for students and seniors over 60. The best part? If you have a flight ticket to Dazhou Jinya Airport from within the last 3 days, you can get free admission to Taoxi Valley and Elephant Cave! A blessing for students and office workers. Summer opening hours are 8:00 AM to 6:00 PM, with last entry at 3:30 PM. Don't cut it too close!
Transportation tips—Driving is most convenient. Navigate to "Bashan Grand Canyon Visitor Center." It's about 1.5 hours from downtown Dazhou, and parking is CNY 15 for the day. Private cars cannot enter the core canyon area; you must transfer to the scenic sightseeing bus.
Once you're in, how do you get around? Choose from two routes—
If you're with kids/parents or just want to take it easy, take the family-friendly, relaxed short route, which is flat and takes about 3 hours. Sightseeing bus into the valley > splash around and take photos at Yuanyang Covered Bridge > soak your feet and cool off at Fairy Pool > explore the 18°C constant-temperature underground cave at Elephant Cave. I saw a kid squatting by the shallows at Yuanyang Covered Bridge watching tadpoles, ten times happier than being in tutoring class.
For a deep dive, take the full-scenery route, which takes about 5 hours. Elephant Cave > Yuanyang Covered Bridge > Yuquan Cave Waterfall (a 50m cliff waterfall cascading down, mist hitting your face) > Yuntian Du Glass Viewing Platform for a panoramic view of the canyon > Zhulian Waterfall (the pool water is crystal clear and emerald green; soak a watermelon in it for natural chilling) > take the Huajiagou vertical sightseeing elevator to go up (CNY 20, for a view over the entire green valley) > walk the Dahongyan Cliff Plank Road suspended against the mountain. You'll walk along the stream the whole way, with a pool every three steps and a waterfall every five, accompanied by the sound of water—it's not tiring at all.
The main event—rafting! Open from June to September each year, the river course is about 3 km long with a vertical drop of over 100m. The water source comes from an underground river, filtered through layers of karst topography, making it so clear that it glows Tiffany blue in the sunlight. The moment that 18°C spring water pours over your head, you feel completely refreshed, like you've been washed clean. Bring a water gun, flip-flops, and a change of clothes—don't ask me how I know.
A few sincere tips, learned the hard way—
Attire: The plank roads are damp and mossy year-round, so non-slip sneakers are essential for survival; definitely don't wear high heels or flip-flops in the water. The canyon temperature is on the lower side, so carry a light jacket. For those who love taking photos, wear a light-colored long dress or a white T-shirt. The forest light and shadows + mist between 9:00 AM and 11:00 AM make every shot look like a fairy-tale blockbuster with built-in soft lighting.
Supplies: There aren't many places to buy things in the scenic area, so bring your own drinking water and snacks. If you want to play in the water, bring water shoes or quick-drying shoes. Definitely bring mosquito repellent.
Accommodation: Staying in Dukou Tujia Ethnic Township is most convenient, with plenty of homestays and restaurants. If you want authentic Bashan Tujia flavors, you must order the stewed chicken with pine mushrooms, stewed bamboo shoots with cured pork trotters, and "Gege" lamb—you can eat very well for CNY 40–50 per person.
Honestly, before entering the valley, I didn't expect that a single weekend could be completely healed by a flowing canyon. There are no crowds of social media influencers here, just dense forests, clear streams, waterfalls, and birdsong. Walking on the suspended wooden plank road, with crystal-clear water tinkling beneath your feet and thick, soft moss growing on the rock walls on both sides, with faint mist drifting by from time to time—all the restlessness of the city is gently smoothed away by the wilderness.
Taoxi Valley isn't some earth-shattering major attraction; it's just a severely underrated, cool fold deep in the Daba Mountains. But sometimes, what you need isn't a faraway destination, just a stream-filled valley to wash away the dust in your mind.