Exploring Xiangshui Lake Great Wall

📍Henan · Jiyuan Qilong Gorge 【🚗 How to Get There】 1️⃣ Drive and navigate to "Qilong Gorge Scenic Area Parking Lot" · If the scenic area parking lot is full, you can park at the opposite backup parking lot, charged 10 RMB/day, no extra charge for overnight parking. 2️⃣ Group tour buses are also common, suitable for those without a car. 【🗺 Route Segments｜Go at Your Own Pace】 🌿 Leisure Segment: Parking Lot → First "Monkey Bridge" · About 3 hours, with photo stops and playing in the water along the way. There are 2-3 small shops on the route (selling water, cold noodles, instant noodles). · No signal! It is recommended to bring small change. We started at 10 AM and arrived at 1 PM to rest and resupply here. 🌉 After the Monkey Bridge, three branches: ① Crossing the bridge requires a fee; the opposite bank takes a longer riverside route (refer to the offline track on "Two Steps" app). ② Go up along the railway track, occasionally encountering a mountain train, leading to Sima Yi’s Hidden Soldiers Cave (a longer route). ③ Our chosen shortcut: go down along the river crossing through meadows (camping spot for the next day), crossing water multiple times — the water is cold and clear, stones are slippery, so caution is needed. ⛰ Deep Segment: Second "Monkey Bridge" → Hidden Soldiers Cave · There is a small shop beside the old bridge; the path afterward is rugged, taking about 40-60 minutes. · On the first day, we took the longer railway track uphill; on the next day, we returned via the water-crossing shortcut, experiencing two very different routes. 【🎒 Gear List】 · Non-slip hiking shoes (essential for water-crossing sections), quick-dry clothes, sun hat, sunscreen · Trekking poles, more than 1.5L of water, high-energy snacks (chocolate, nuts) · Surprise recommendation: bring a box of cherry tomatoes! Refreshing and thirst-quenching, especially delicious in the mountains. · Must-bring camera: the canyon’s clear water and unique stacked rocks make for excellent photos. 【⚠️ Safety and Tips】 1️⃣ No guardrails on the canyon edges; avoid distractions while walking, especially after rain when stones are slippery. 2️⃣ No signal throughout; be sure to download offline maps and inform friends or family of your itinerary. 3️⃣ No entrance fee, but please take your trash with you to protect the water source and meadow ecology. 4️⃣ For a day trip to the Hidden Soldiers Cave, it is recommended to start before 7 AM. We started at 10 AM and returned to the parking lot at 11 AM the next day, camping overnight in the meadow. 【💚 Hiking Reflections】 The beauty of Qilong Gorge is hidden beyond the stones you must wade through and climb, and in the tent’s starry sky over the meadow at dawn. 37 kilometers and 24 hours "out of contact," with sore muscles but hearts full of the sound of wind and water. If asked if we would come again? The answer is firmer than our steps: "Yes, and very soon." Recommended Accommodation - Luoyang Yijian Inn