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About Ailao Mountains Nan'en Waterfall and Shimen Gorge
Nan'en Waterfall stands beside National Highway 323 and is the first scenic point of the Ailao Mountain scenic area, on a route the county government's account begins at Jiasa township at the foot of the mountain; 'Nan'en' is Dai for 'silver-white flowing water', and the waterfall lies deep in the Ailao Mountains, ringed by rolling peaks, cliffs on every side and scattered strange rock formations. Shimen Gorge lies 6.2 kilometres further up the mountain, in Jiasa township, and is locally called a 'natural oxygen bar'; a walkway leads into the gorge, a round trip of about two hours, passing moss, wildflowers, shrubs and clear streams over coloured stones that catch the light in sunny weather, between the kind of sheer cliffs and forest that a CCTV News report likened to the Yangtze Three Gorges and Jiuzhaigou.
Both sights sit outside Xinping's own county-level nature reserve, which has a clear boundary from the national reserve; the county's tourism bureau head has said Xinping's share of the Ailao Mountain national nature reserve is 21 per cent of its total area, with the developed scenic area, including Shimen Gorge, lying beyond it. China Tourism News describes Xinping's scenic areas as mostly rated 2A or 3A grade and weighted towards sightseeing, with safety assured but the experience and services they can offer visitors also limited.
What to look for
- Nan'en Waterfall, beside National Highway 323, the first scenic point of the Ailao Mountain scenic area
- Shimen Gorge's walkway, a round trip of about two hours through primeval forest
- The clear streams and coloured stones along the Shimen Gorge walkway
- The cliffs and rock formations ringing Nan'en Waterfall
Location & getting there
Getting to Ailao Mountains Nan'en Waterfall and Shimen Gorge
Confirm the visitor entrance and which boat or walking routes operate on your date. Rainfall, water levels and weather can change access.
- Search for 哀牢山南恩瀑布与石门峡开放区 with 玉溪市 and 新平彝族傣族自治县.
Find Ailao Mountains Nan'en Waterfall and Shimen Gorge
哀牢山南恩瀑布与石门峡开放区 · 新平彝族傣族自治县
No reliable map pin yet: search by the Chinese name.
Sources & visit information
The linked sources support the identity and background described in this introduction. Opening hours, admission, activity availability and exact arrival arrangements have not been comprehensively checked. Confirm current visitor information with the venue; the original catalogue locality and editorial review flag are retained.