# Qinglan Guaijiu Valley National Geopark (青岚怪臼谷国家地质公园)

Chaoshan, Guangdong Province · South China, China · Guidebook rating: 4/5
Canonical: https://cnatrip.com/en/places/qinglan-guaijiu-valley-national-geopark
Language: en

## Key facts

- **Admission:** ¥60
- **Opening hours:** 08:00-17:30
- **Time needed:** 2 hours
- **Address:** Junliao Village, Zhangxi Town, Raoping County, Chaozhou, Guangdong Province
- **Getting there:** The site is remote and public transport is limited, so hiring a car or driving yourself is recommended.
- **Phone:** 8：00—18：00（5—9月）8：00—17：30（10月—次年4月）
- **Good for:** Photography, Nature

## About Qinglan Guaijiu Valley National Geopark

Volcanic activity some 200 million years ago shaped Qinglan Guaijiu Valley, whose landscape is both strange and beautiful. Thousands of distinctive mortar-shaped potholes (shijiu hu) pock the riverbed and the undersides of its caves. Strange mortars, rocks and caves come together here, and a stroll through the valley is a constant source of wonder. The mysterious Dihe Cave (Dihe Dong) is the highlight: within it, mortars sit inside caves and caves inside mortars, and its underground river has flowed for a thousand years without drying up. The valley was also a filming location for the film “Shame Iron Fist” (《羞羞的铁拳》).

## Tips from the guidebook

- Chaozhou music: This music has a distinctive Chaoshan local character, blending elements from kunqu and xiqin opera. It is divided into percussion ensembles, string ensembles, fine music, flute-and-suite ancient music and temple music, with melodies that are graceful, varied and pleasant to the ear. Chaozhou opera (Chaoju) is one of the four major opera genres of Guangdong. Known as the “Flower of the South,” it evolved from Song and Yuan southern opera. Its musical arrangements are delicate and harmonious, its singing is lovely, and its best-known role types are the xiaosheng (young male), xiaodan (young female) and xiaochou (clown). In Shantou, be sure to set aside time to sit in a teahouse, sipping gongfu tea while enjoying Chaozhou music and Chaozhou opera.
- Tea art: Hengshan Lin Tea Art is located on the middle section of Hengshan Road in Longhu District, Shantou, and is a good place to drink Chaoshan gongfu tea.

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Source: China Self-Guided Travel 2025 (《中国自助游》, Tianjin Science & Technology Press, Aug 2024), p. 2388. Prices, hours and transport details are as printed in the August 2024 edition and may have changed. Always confirm with the venue before you travel.
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