Plan at a glance
Kenggen Stone Village is the centre of the visit
Baiyin Valley is inside Yunhe Rice Terraces in Chongtou Town, Yunhe County, and its centre is Kenggen Stone Village, a settlement with about 800 years of history. This is not a gorge visited only for a distant view: the stone houses, bridges, steps, stream and old mining-village character are the main reason to come.
The entrance is at the lower side of the village, with parking at the village edge followed by a walk in. Visitors with older relatives, children or a preference for a quiet stroll can stay in the village; add the uphill Wujian Waterfall path towards Qixingdun only if a longer mountain walk is wanted.
Tickets, hours and how much time to allow
Baiyin Valley is included in the CNY 80 Yunhe Rice Terraces three-area pass, normally valid for 48 hours, with no separate ticket and usually no booking. The area can be walked all day, but village shops and food places commonly operate around 08:00–17:00, so make separate food and supply plans for early or late visits.
Allow 1–1.5 hours for a streamside circuit, Yinguan Bridge and the village core. Give 2–3 hours for the old tea workshop, higher village lanes or the Wujian Waterfall path; the climb from Baiyin Valley to Qixingdun is about 2.7 kilometres of sustained uphill walking.
Tickets and visit details
View visit options for this attraction and confirm the visit date and current arrangements before you go.
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Stone bridges, houses and a slow streamside walk
Yinguan Bridge, stone houses, stone steps and the stream make up the most enjoyable slow-walking section. From the entrance, follow the stone path by the water through the silver-mine culture display hall and village core; after rain or in the morning, the bridge, yellow-earth walls and stream photograph especially well.
Village paths are relatively gentle and work for looking at buildings and taking breaks. Go to a higher village lane for a fuller view if wanted, but do not walk far in search of a dramatic gorge: the stone village and its stream are Baiyin Valley’s strongest part.
Wujian Waterfall and the option of climbing to Qixingdun
The Wujian Waterfall path follows the stream through bamboo and small falls, giving the visit a more natural hiking section. It suits visitors who want to move from the village onto a mountain trail; rain can bring more water and mist, but also makes steps and earth paths more slippery.
The climb to Qixingdun takes about 40 minutes to an hour and is continuously uphill, so legs and knees need to be ready for it. Hikers can use it as part of the fuller route; visitors who do not want a long ascent will still have a complete visit by staying with the bridges, display hall and stream in the village.
Build your day
A 1–1.5 hour village route
Enter through the ticket gate, follow the streamside stone path to Yinguan Bridge, then visit the silver-mine culture display hall and village core. Pause around the stone houses, steps and stream for photographs before returning the same way; the route has few complicated turns and works well with older relatives or children.
If the car is at the village entrance, leave time for the shuttle wait on return. A free shuttle runs between village parking and the ticket gate but has no fixed frequency; in poor weather or close to evening, start back early enough to leave time for the next vehicle or the walk.
A 2–3 hour old-village and mountain-trail route
For a deeper visit, walk the old village, tea workshop and stone arch bridge first, then take the Wujian Waterfall path to higher ground. Fit hikers can continue to Qixingdun and use the cable car, scenic bus or an arranged vehicle to come down, combining the old village, stream valley and high terraces in one route.
The uphill section is about 2.7 kilometres and uses real energy, so do not add it on impulse. Finish in Baiyin Valley if knees hurt, stone steps are wet or a long journey still follows that day; the climb is optional rather than a required part of the visit.
Get there
From Lishui Station to village parking
From Lishui Station, take the scenic-area direct bus to Yunhe Rice Terraces Visitor Centre in about 90 minutes, then make an onward connection. Drivers and taxis can navigate directly to Baiyin Valley or Kenggen Stone Village; there is no metro, so public-transport visitors should arrange the final return to Lishui or the county town before going uphill.
Baiyin Valley parking is free and has charging facilities. Ordinary cars can use the paved scenic roads, although the mountain route is still winding; visitors who do not want to drive are better off with a hired car or an arranged return vehicle than trying to find a ride from the village at the end of the day.
Scenic connections and reaching the other areas
Scenic Bus Line 2 connects Jiuqu Yunhuan and Baiyin Valley, useful for combining the sunrise terraces with the stone village in one day. A free shuttle runs between village parking and the ticket gate, but waiting times vary, so ask about the day’s arrangement before beginning the walk.
There is no easy level connection from Baiyin Valley to Qixingdun. Treat the old trail as a hike if you take it; for the easier option, return from the village and change areas by scenic bus, cable car or vehicle rather than judging mountain difficulty from the straight-line map distance.
Know before you go
Uphill walking, rain and clothing
Mountain weather changes quickly, so bring rain protection, a light layer and insect repellent. Morning or post-rain mist can make the village especially quiet, but stone steps become slippery; wear shoes with grip and slow down or turn back on steeper sections.
The climb from Baiyin Valley to Qixingdun is sustained, and non-hikers do not need to force it. The village route already covers the stone settlement and stream valley; skipping the climb leaves more time for photographs, rest and an on-time return.
Food, shopping and joining the other areas
Village food is mainly farmhouse cooking and can be salty, so ask for less salt when ordering. Buy local products only as needed; if the day also includes Jiuqu Yunhuan or Qixingdun, carrying water and snacks makes the connections easier.
Baiyin Valley works well in the same day as Jiuqu Yunhuan and Qixingdun, but the transfers are not short. Give sunrise to Jiuqu Yunhuan, the old village to Baiyin Valley and the high point to Qixingdun, then remove one stop to match the group’s energy rather than shuttling back and forth between all three.