Plan at a glance
Start from the Liuwan Qingxia rafting visitor centre
Huoshan Grand Canyon Rafting is in Lu'erling Town, Huoshan County, Lu'an. Navigate to “Liuwan Qingxia (Huoshan Grand Canyon Rafting) Visitor Centre”. Ticket purchase, ticket exchange, parking and scenic transfers are all handled at the visitor centre, and you return there for equipment arrangements and the journey back after rafting.
The rafting follows a natural canyon river about 8 km long with a drop of about 160 metres. The rafting itself takes about 2–3 hours. It is a seasonal water activity, usually operating from June to September, and the day's opening may be affected by the weather.
Launch time, ticket prices and real-name ticket exchange
The visitor centre's opening arrangements and the actual rafting launch time are different. On weekdays, launches are usually between 12:00 and 13:30; on weekends and public holidays, they may start earlier. Arriving before 11:00 gives time for parking, ticket exchange, queues and transfers.
The reference list price is CNY 198 per person. Online platforms may offer discounts, and some promotional days or Thursdays may have a special price of around CNY 158. After buying online, you generally need to exchange the ticket for a paper ticket at a self-service machine or staffed window using your ID and order code. Foreign visitors using a passport or another travel document should confirm the real-name registration and on-site exchange procedure in advance.
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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Rapids and the water-fight section
The main experience includes continuous rapids, faster sections and stretches where people can play in the water. The course passes through an area commonly called the “water-fight zone”. The 2–3-hour rafting experience depends on the day's water volume, weather and operating arrangements.
Liuwan Qingxia at the rafting finish can also be visited before or after the rafting. It may have live performances and mountain-and-water scenery. Whether the rafting ticket is sold together with other Liuwan Qingxia attractions or shows depends on the ticket type and included items available on the day.
Calmer water, the finishing platform and photography
Calmer water sections and the viewing platform at the finish are suitable for photographs. Bright quick-drying clothes or a life jacket stand out in photos. Phones, cameras and glasses can be splashed or washed away, so keeping them secured and waterproof takes priority while taking pictures.
Huoshan Grand Canyon Rafting suits young visitors, university students and groups of friends who enjoy water activities, excitement and team interaction. Visitors with serious health problems, a strong fear of rapids or difficulty with long water activities should not join the full rafting course.
Build your day
Full rafting: visitor centre, wharves and return
Arrive at the Liuwan Qingxia visitor centre → park and exchange your ticket → take the scenic bus to the lower wharf → store your clothes and collect a life jacket and helmet → take the scenic shuttle to the upper wharf → pass the ticket check and start rafting → after finishing, return to the lower wharf, shower and change clothes → take the scenic bus back to the car park. The rafting itself takes about 2–3 hours; queues, transfers, changing and showering require a longer stay.
On weekdays, rafting usually starts around noon, while weekends and public holidays may start earlier. Arriving before 11:00 makes it easier to complete ticket exchange and transfers. The day's queues, launch time and return arrangements follow the notice at the visitor centre.
Rafting requires the complete transfer and river sequence
Huoshan Grand Canyon Rafting requires the full transfer and river sequence, so it is not a stop for just a few dozen minutes. If you do not join the full rafting course, you can visit Liuwan Qingxia or view the area near the finish, but this is a sightseeing stop rather than a short rafting route.
After rafting, complete the shower, change of clothes and collection of your belongings before leaving the lower wharf. Keep the rest of the day's itinerary loose, especially because holiday queues can exceed 3 hours.
Combine rafting with Liuwan Qingxia
Liuwan Qingxia can be visited before or after rafting. The rafting ticket and Liuwan Qingxia admission are sometimes sold as a package, so check the ticket type, included attractions, shows and opening hours on the day. If you want to do both on the same day, confirm the launch time and Liuwan Qingxia's opening arrangements first.
Huoshan Grand Canyon Rafting can be combined with Wanfo Mountain or West Anhui Rift Valley on a multi-day summer self-drive route. After rafting, you still need time to change, shower and travel back, so the departure time from the scenic area will be later than the end of the rafting itself.
Get there
Drive to the Liuwan Qingxia rafting visitor centre
Navigate to “Liuwan Qingxia (Huoshan Grand Canyon Rafting) Visitor Centre”, where you can park and buy or exchange tickets. The car park is relatively large, with a reference charge of about CNY 10 per day; spaces and fees depend on the arrangements on the day.
The buses and scenic shuttles used for rafting all connect through the visitor centre. Do not navigate directly to the upper or lower wharf as a substitute for completing ticket purchase and transfer arrangements at the visitor centre.
Arrive by public transport
After taking high-speed rail to Lu'an Station, go first to Lu'an General Coach Station, then take a bus to Huoshan Bus Station. From there, change to a local bus such as Route 702 or take a taxi to the Liuwan Qingxia visitor centre. The journey takes a long time, and service frequency and the last bus can affect the return trip, so confirm the connections for the day in advance.
Inside the scenic area, buses and shuttles connect the visitor centre, lower wharf and upper wharf. Visitors cannot use a private car instead of the upper-and-lower-wharf transfers in the rafting process. After rafting, the bus takes visitors back to the car park.
Know before you go
Queues, operating season and launch time
Rafting mainly operates from June to September. Rainfall, temperature and river conditions can affect whether it opens on a particular day. Weekday launches are usually between 12:00 and 13:30, while weekends and public holidays may start earlier; arriving before 11:00 is recommended.
Queues may exceed 3 hours on weekends and public holidays. Parking, ticket exchange, transfers and showering also add to the total time on site. Buying a ticket online does not remove the need for on-site exchange and transfers; follow the process arranged at the visitor centre.
Waterproof equipment, shoes and safety
Bring a good-quality waterproof phone pouch. If you are concerned about splashing in your eyes, you can also bring goggles. Wear water shoes that secure the heel, have good grip and are unlikely to come off in the water; flip-flops are easily lost. Some sections have rapids and a risk of capsizing, so wear the life jacket throughout and hold the boat rope firmly.
Under the reference rules, children under 1.2 metres and visitors aged 65 and over cannot join the full rafting course. Visitors with serious health problems, who cannot cope with rapids or who are not suited to a long water activity should also not participate. Final age, height and health restrictions follow the scenic area's rules on the day.
Water conditions, showers and food
The water may be muddy during the rainy season. Shower facilities are simple, and hot-water supply may be unstable. After rafting, check your clothes, phone pouch and other belongings before lining up for a shower; bring personal washing items and a change of clothes.
Nearby options include Zhangjia Local Food Restaurant and Yingjiachang Restaurant. Common dishes include black-pig pork with dried bamboo shoots (黑毛猪烧干笋), nongjia cuanrou soup (农家氽肉汤), braised pig's feet and ganfeng mutton (干风羊肉). Restaurant opening, dishes and return-road conditions depend on the day, so bring drinking water and simple snacks for before and after the rafting.