[2025 Yi County ] Travel Guide for Gushen Cave (Updated Jul)

🌿 A Landscape Wonder That Defies Imagination • Clearer than the Li River: The lake water meets national Class II drinking water standards, with pebbles visible 5 meters below as boats glide by. 🚗 Ultimate Travel Guide • Navigation: Yishui Lake Scenic Area, Yi County, Baoding, Hebei (about 140km from Beijing's 6th Ring Road, 2-hour direct drive via Jingxiong Expressway, toll fee ¥65). • Tickets: Combo ticket (entrance + boat) ¥140 (Boat ride to Laozifeng is a must—choose Jingui Pier for fewer crowds and frequent departures!). • Effort-Saving Tips: ✅ For families with elderly or kids: Take the "Jingui Pier → Laozifeng" loop—gentle boardwalks, no steep slopes. ✅ For the lazy: Ride the cable car (¥40 one-way) straight to Zhixu Terrace, skip 800 steps, and enjoy a bird's-eye view of the "Northern Thousand-Island Lake." 📸 3 Instagram-Worthy Spots (With Framing Tips) 1. **Zhixu Terrace Viewing Platform** ◦ Best time: 10 AM (emerald-green water under natural light). ◦ Pose tip: Sit on the railing edge for a backshot, use "panorama mode" horizontally from left to right. 2. **Vine-Covered Entrance of Gushen Cave** ◦ Outfit: White dress + straw bag (silhouette shots against backlight are magical). ◦ Angle: Photographer crouches low, using vines as a foreground frame. 3. **Flagstone Path at Bagua Array** ◦ Props: Rent Hanfu (¥50/hour) or buy an oil-paper umbrella. ◦ Filming: Enable "cinematic mode" on your phone, capture reflections while walking. 🍜 Taihang Water Town Food Guide (Next-door attraction) • Must-Try Local Flavors: ✅ Yixian Mianjian (Buckwheat noodles shaped like fish, topped with tomato-egg sauce, ¥15/bowl). ✅ Da Guo Cai (Braised pork with beans and potatoes, served with cornbread, ¥10/serving). ✅ Vitex Honey Ice Cream (Creamy with floral notes, made from Taihang honey). • Souvenir Picks: 🧀 Yixian Persimmon Dried (Sun-dried, no additives, gooey center). 🍯 Taihang Cliff Honey (Gift box with honeycomb design, perfect for elders). ⚠️ Pro Tips (Tested & Approved) 1. Choose standard boats (¥50/pax) over speedboats (¥80/pax)—steadier for photos. 2. Some boardwalks lack shade (June-August): Pack a wide-brim hat and SPF50+ sunscreen. 3. Fishing nets sold at the entrance (¥10/each) are useless—fishing is prohibited in the lake. ✨ When Beijing’s sweltering heat feels suffocating, escape to Yishui Lake for a weekend. Dive into this living landscape painting—where "Guilin’s waters" meet "Three Gorges’ mountains" in the North! 🏞️

From Beijing, Experience "Guilin's Beauty" in Just 2 Hours! Complete Travel Guide People often say "Guilin's scenery is the best under heaven," with its poetic landscapes captivating countless dreamers. However, you might not realize that just a short 2-hour drive from Beijing, you can experience scenery comparable to Guilin's breathtaking beauty. Here, ethereal mountains and shimmering waters create what seems like a paradise on earth. This place is Yishui Lake, located in Baoding, Hebei Province. ## Yishui Lake—Northern China's "Little Guilin" Yishui Lake is a national 4A-level scenic area. When you set foot on this land, you'll immediately feel its unique charm. The majestic, steep mountains lie like giant dragons across the landscape, showcasing nature's magnificent power. The rippling lake waters act as an enormous mirror, reflecting the surrounding mountains and blue skies with white clouds—a sight so beautiful it intoxicates both heart and soul. Here, mountains and waters blend perfectly, offering different scenery with every step, as if you're walking through an exquisite landscape painting. Yishui Lake is also an ideal destination for visitors of all ages. If you prefer a relaxing experience, you can choose a boat tour, drifting leisurely on the clear waters while enjoying the gentle breeze. For hiking enthusiasts, the mountain trails are an excellent choice. The paths are relatively gentle, making them manageable even for elderly visitors and children. Geographically, Yishui Lake is only 150 kilometers from Beijing, about a 2-hour drive. Compared to long-distance travel fatigue, this itinerary allows you to enjoy your trip without excessive exhaustion. Additionally, there are several distinctive attractions around Yishui Lake that you can combine according to your preferences for a rich and colorful journey. ## Detailed Itinerary ### Driving There At 9 AM, depart from Beijing with anticipation for Yishui Lake, embarking on this wonderful journey. Two hours later, around 11 AM, you'll arrive at the main entrance of Yishui Lake Scenic Area. Along the way, the changing scenery outside your window seems to prepare you for the beauty that awaits. ### Lake Cruise After entering the scenic area, taking a boat ride is an essential experience. Board a small boat and glide across the lake toward the mountain base. This 20-minute boat journey feels like a dreamlike water adventure, as if "a light boat has passed through ten thousand mountains." The water ripples under the oars, with sunlight dancing on the surface, creating a dazzling spectacle. The surrounding mountains rise and fall, complementing the lake waters to form a poetic landscape. ### Mountain Exploration After disembarking, begin your mountain hiking adventure. Following the scenic area's route map, you can first take the upper path and then circle down back to the dock. This loop is about 5 kilometers—though not short, the scenery along the way makes it all worthwhile. Throughout the journey, you can admire different natural landscapes, breathe fresh air, and feel nature's charm. The entire hiking process takes approximately 2-3 hours. Around 3:30 PM, take a boat back to the scenic area entrance. After a short rest, head to Taihang Water Town at 4:00 PM, located 10 kilometers from Yishui Lake. Taihang Water Town has the charm of a southern Chinese water town, with traditional architecture and flowing streams that transport you to an ancient southern water village. Here, you can stroll and sample local specialties while experiencing the rich folk culture. In the evening, you can enjoy a spectacular light show, adding a romantic touch to your trip. Around 7:30 PM, conclude your fulfilling day trip to Yishui Lake and start your journey back to Beijing. ## Recommended Attractions ### Gushen Cave Gushen Cave is a natural limestone cave with karst topography. Inside the cave, you'll be amazed by the unique high-mountain karst landscape. The stalactites within take various shapes—some like hanging swords, others like blooming flowers—making you marvel at nature's craftsmanship. When you use the cave entrance as a frame with the green mountains and waters as background for photos, your pictures will have a unique sense of extension, as if capturing all of nature within a frame. ### Zhixu Platform Zhixu Platform is the best viewpoint at Yishui Lake. Standing on the platform, a gentle breeze will caress your face, bringing a touch of coolness. Looking up, the warm sun shines down, giving you an incredibly comfortable feeling. Here, you can overlook the entire beauty of Yishui Lake, with mountains and waters in full view, creating a sense of expansiveness. ### Tianmen Cloud Ladder Tianmen Cloud Ladder is a steeper section of the boardwalk on Laozi Peak, with 156 steps in total. As you climb these stairs, feeling the joy of ascending step by step, each move feels like a challenge to yourself. After reaching the top, you'll experience the feeling of "standing at the highest peak, looking down at all mountains," enjoying an even more magnificent view. ## Practical Information ### Driving Directions When driving to Yishui Lake, you can set your navigation directly to "Yishui Lake Scenic Area" to arrive accurately at your destination. ### Tickets and Boat Fares The combined price for entrance and boat tickets is 140 yuan, as you need to take a boat to reach Laozi Peak Scenic Area before hiking. There are three docks to choose from: Jinpo, Jingui, and Daba. However, it's recommended to choose Jinpo Dock, which offers the most beautiful scenery, allowing you to enjoy more enchanting lake and mountain views during your boat ride. ## Nearby Attractions Guide There are many worthwhile attractions around Yishui Lake, such as Yesanpo, Yunmeng Mountain, Baishi Mountain, Langya Mountain, and Zijingguan Great Wall. - **Same-day Return**: If you're short on time, a day trip to Yishui Lake is a good choice, allowing you to enjoy beautiful mountain and water scenery without excessive fatigue. - **Two-day Return**: - **Day One**: First visit Yishui Lake to experience its mountain and water beauty; in the afternoon, head to Taihang Water Town to experience the charm of a southern water town; stay near Baishi Mountain at night, preparing for the next day's itinerary. - **Day Two**: Explore Baishi Mountain, where you can choose to hike, deeply exploring the mysteries of this peak and experiencing nature's wonders and magnificence. In conclusion, Yishui Lake is a place full of charm. Whether you prefer natural landscapes or cultural attractions, it can meet your needs. When you set foot on this land, you'll surely be captivated by its beauty and create unforgettable travel memories. Start your Yishui Lake journey now!

💫The wind is howling, and the Yishui River is cold. Every time I read this poem, I feel a sense of tragic grandeur. I always thought that the Yishui River was bleak in autumn, with high mountains and cold water, but I never expected that Yishui Lake in summer would be as beautiful as a fairyland! 😍 Known as the Little Guilin of the North, the lake is rippling with green waves, and the breeze is gentle on the mountain top, making you feel like you are in a landscape painting of Guilin in the south. 🎨 📍Location: Yishui Lake, Yi County, Baoding, Hebei. 🎫Tickets: Admission + boat ticket CNY 140. 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦Suitable for all ages, you can take a boat to enjoy the lake and mountain scenery, or climb the mountain and walk along the cliffside plank road. The plank road is circular, with few steps and mostly gentle slopes, making it easy for the elderly and children to enjoy. 🚶‍♂🚶‍♀ 🌅The scenery is beautiful, with a view at every step, mountains and rivers connected, and strange peaks and rocks, comparable to the landscape of the Li River in Guilin. Here, you can take beautiful photos and create unforgettable memories. 📷 🛣About 2 hours' drive from Beijing, the journey is suitable. You can combine it with a one-day tour of Taihang Water Town to make your weekend fulfilling and enjoyable. 🚗 📸Recommended photo spots: 💎Gushen Cave: A natural large cave, you can enter the cave and use it as a frame to capture the natural scenery of mountains and rivers, which is very spectacular. 🖼 🌟Zhixu Platform: An excellent viewing platform of Yishui Lake, where you can overlook the panoramic view of Yishui Lake and easily take great photos. Here, you can take in the beauty of Yishui Lake. 📸 🔮Bagua Array: A viewing platform built according to the Bagua Array, located on the right side of the plank road. Here, you can experience the charm of traditional Chinese culture. 🎏 🚢Boat ride: There are three piers in the scenic area: Jinpo Pier, Jingui Pier, and Dam Pier. It takes about 20 minutes by boat to reach Laozi Peak, which can only be accessed by boat. It is recommended to depart from Jingui Pier, which is convenient and fast. 🛶 🚶One-day tour route: Taihang Water Town ➡ Jingui Pier of Yishui Lake ➡ Laozi Peak. Taihang Water Town is very close to Jingui Pier of Yishui Lake, and it is a small town with the characteristics of Hebei dwellings. Here, you can taste various delicacies and experience the rich folk culture. 🥘🍜 You can have lunch here and then head to Yishui Lake to start a wonderful day. 💖 Come to Yishui Lake and let's explore the charm of the Little Guilin of the North together! 💗💗💗

The wind howls and the Yi River is cold. Whenever I read this line of poetry, I always feel a sense of tragic grandeur. The Yi River must be bleak with autumn winds and cold with high mountains and deep waters, which is why it dares to attract visitors to Yi River Lake during the summer. This place is known as the 'Little Guilin of the North', with rippling blue waves in the lake and gentle breezes on the mountain tops. Climbing to the top of Laozi Peak to overlook Yi River Lake, the water is clear, the mountains are layered, and the light shimmers on the water. It truly feels like being in the landscape paintings of Guilin in the south. 📍Location: Yi County, Baoding, Hebei, Yi River Lake 🎫Ticket: Ticket + boat fare 140 👉About this place 🔴Suitable for all ages, you can take a boat or hike, follow the cliffside plank road for a circular tour, with few steps to climb, mostly gentle paths 🔴Beautiful scenery, a view at every step, mountains and waters connected, huge rocks and peculiar peaks, comparable to the landscape of Guilin's Li River 🔴About 2 hours' drive from Beijing, the journey is suitable, can be combined with a day trip to Taihang Shuizhen 📸Recommended photo spots: ✅Gu Shen Cave: A natural large karst cave, you can enter the cave and use it as a frame to take pictures of the connected natural scenery ✅Zhi Xu Platform: An excellent viewing platform of Yi River Lake, where you can overlook the entire lake and easily take great shots ✅Bagua Formation: A viewing platform built according to the Bagua formation, enter the plank road and it's on the right hand side 🚢Boating There are three piers in the scenic area, Jinpo Pier, Jingu Pier, and Dam Pier. It takes about 20 minutes by boat to reach Laozi Peak, and you must take a boat to enter Laozi Peak. Jingu Pier is recommended 🚶One-day tour route: Beijing ➡️ Taihang Shuizhen ➡️ Yi River Lake Jingu Pier ➡️ Laozi Peak Taihang Shuizhen is very close to Yi River Lake Jingu Pier, a small town with Hebei residential characteristics, where you can have lunch · 🙆‍♀️I am Fei Shishi who loves to share and never stops walking 📸Passionate about capturing the beauty of travel with my lens ❤️Follow me🤩 🙌To provide you with more travel photo and fun strategies ·