Encompassing sheer limestone cliffs and a series of waterfalls cascading down the side of a narrow river gorge, Enshi has some marvellous scenery. It's divided in two sections: the lower gorge (云龙地缝, Yúnlóng Dìfèng; translated on signs as 'Yunlong Crack'; elevation 1034m) and the upper clifftop area, Seven Star Village (七星寨, Qīxīng Zhài; elevation 1704m). The river gorge is relatively short with several lovely waterfalls, while the clifftop is more of a hike, eventually opening up to far-reaching views over the valley floor.
Ticket prices are quite confusing for the uninitiated – you can choose to visit both areas or just one, with optional extras like the cable car adding to the final price.There are additional add-ons inside the park too, such as a long series of escalators descending from the upper section to the final bus stop – this costs an extra ¥30, though you can choose to walk instead. We recommend visiting both areas if you have a full day, and while the cable car is nice, you can save about ¥100 by taking the bus instead and walking from the last bus stop – note that you will need to change buses to do this.
Now for the caveat: this is a popular destination that was not designed with big crowds in mind. The lower gorge in particular is very narrow and subject to excruciatingly long bottlenecks for the better part of an hour – get there as early (or late) as possible to avoid this.
The upper gorge will take about 2½ hours to walk and can also get quite crowded. The first hour or so is just OK, and it's not until you reach Ancient Elephant Mountain that the views really start to impress. The iconic formation here is A Stick of Incense (一炷香, Yī Zhù Xiāng), a slender and supremely photogenic limestone spire.
All told, you should expect to spend about five to seven hours here. There are plenty of vendors serving simple meals (fried potatoes are a speciality) and drinks.
Enshi Grand Canyon is 50km northwest of town; buses (¥25, 1½ hours) leave regularly from the bus station (across from the train station) from 6.30am to 5.30pm – it's a very scenic ride. The last bus back is at 6pm.
