Now let’s go hunting for Red-stone River that provides water for the waterfall. You can choose the northern line or the southern line. You can use the high ladder plank road for the southern line. Or you can use Strip Sky Mountain-climbing track or take the tour-sighting elevator.

(Northern Line)

Strip Sky: Strip Sky is located in the pivotal fort from Down Baligou to the Upper Baligou. When looking upwards from the food of the hill, you can see towering peaks shrouded by mist. You can catch glimpse of the azure sky from crevices of two mountains in sunny days. So it is called ‘Strip Sky’ or ‘One Strip of Sky’.

Thanks to crustal movement and constant erosion of iceberg and flood some hundreds of millions of years ago, Strip Sky is over 100 meters at the widest and can barely hold a person to walk sideways at the thinnest. It is over 200 meters in vertical height, so it is called ‘One Strip Magnificence’. People used to put it this way, ‘It is hard to walk. You have to get steady. When positioned in the towering height, you have to calm down.’ It is indicative of hardship when climbing upwards. It is also some reflections on life. It used to be tough by walking on the mountain road, but after facilities to ensure security are open to travelers, the dangerous road is turned to an adventurous track for ‘people with guts’. It is a place for the dauntless. But let me warn you in advance. People who suffer high blood pressure, heart disease and who have drunk alcohol or the elder people, women and children are advised to stay away. A 168-meter-long tour-sighting elevator can be used by the Strip Sky. You can ‘go up’ instantly. It can bring you good mood to appreciate the scene.

To assist advantages of the mountain, the tour-sighting elevator is mixed with the natural landscape. You can reach the peak 168 meters in height in some 90 seconds.

(Southern Line)

Sky Ladder Plank Road: The zigzag iron ladders in the precipice is Sky Ladder Plank Road. It is 180 meters in length and 130 meters in vertical height. It has 650 stairs. The plank road uses steel structure with handrail at its two sides. You it’s quite safe when ‘you do not appreciate the view when walking or do not walk when appreciating the scene’.

Now we are here in ‘Rainbow-viewing Road’. In sunny days, you can appreciate the seven-colored waterfall rainbow from 8:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. The wafting rainbow can sometimes be seen. You can take some rest here and take pictures.

Some friends might find it quivering when standing in the iron ladder. But you will claim victory after you hold on. It can test your willpower and physical status. If you are too tired, you can take some rest. Do not look downwards. Remember, ‘do not appreciate the view when walking or do not walk when appreciating the scene’. Be safe.

Now, let’s here in the peak finally. You can take some rest by the Nostalgia Pavilion. Then we will continue our tour.

Forever Love Tree: The ancient holm oak tree in the front is tied with many red ropes. It is called ‘Forever Love Tree’. It is 15 meters in height and 5 meters in enclosure. Its crown covers an area of 100 square meters. Tall and straight, it is verdant in leaves and old in age. It is the forbear for holm oak trees in Baligou of Taihang.

Legend goes that a long time ago, a girl in Down Baligou fell in love with a young man in Upper Baligou. But they were sabotaged by their families. The girl escaped from her family and passed through the track at the basement of Down Baligou before approaching Strip Sky climbing trap in the crevice between two mountains. The young man also ran away from his family. The hanged out secretly under the holm oak tree. By taking grass as incense, they made a pledge in front of the moon and got wedded by kowtowing in front of the tree. They then spent the rest of their life with tillage in daytime and spinning at night in the hut by the tree. To celebrate their love story, the later generation called the tree Date Tree. To help more people live a happy marital life, they changed the name into ‘Forever Love Tree’. Over years, newly-wedded couples would come over to the tree to burn incenses and get into wedlock in the hope of getting a good marital life.

Red-stone River: Red-stone river is located in calabash cliff. As its riverbed is red sandstone, it is named ‘red-stone river’. With its water hailing from Shanxi, Red-stone river is 20 meters in width and 0.6 meters in depth. As it is in the towering mountain thousands of meters in elevation, it is also called ‘Sky River in Taihang’. The crystal river is gushing forward in the well-positioned red-stone panel. Under reflection of sunlight, it is likened to a shining treasured mirror and sends rays of resplendence. It portrays the sentence in the poetry that goes by the meaning of ‘moonlight casting in the pine and brook water running on stones’.

Lover Stone: Two giant stones by the red-stone river are like a couple who can’t be separated from each other. Legend goes that the couple under the Forever Love Tree would spend their day of toiling exhaustion by the red-stone river at sunset. The two of them would huddle with each other and do not part company. After they died, they turned into ‘Lover Stone’.

Tide Cave: A cave named ‘Tide Cave’ by the Red-stone river sends chilly weather in the sweltering days of summer. Arya Avalokiteshvara is worshiped in Moisture Cave. Legend goes that the water in the cave will flow directly to the South Sea. By standing still in the cave, we can hear sound of the tide. So it gets is name as ‘Tide Cave’. According to another legend, it is sound of doctrine on Buddhism by the Buddhism Goddess of Guanyin in the South Sea. With incessant water throughout the year, it demonstrates transparent water without sundries or odors. It contains multiple microelement and is sweet and tasty. It is suitable for drinking. Using it to make tea would enhance its fragrance and applying it to boil rice would also enhance its fragrance.

Baligou Village: We will come to ‘Baligou village’ by walking eastwards from ‘Red-stone River’. As it is over 1,100 meters in elevation, unique peak climate takes form. It has no mosquitoes. You have to live on quilt at night. Upper Baligou is fresh in air. According to testing of negative oxygen ion, it can reach 30000 per cubic centimeters, scores of folds than that in downtown areas at the hill of the mountain. It truly lives to its name as ‘land of idyllic beauty’. All villagers are relocated to the hill of the mountain and only some abodes are left behind. You can still experience its rustic joy in the village with dense trees.

You can appreciate the structure of houses in Mountain Taihang. They are simple and rustic. Sparse and sporadic, they are built against the mountain. Most are made of stones and walls are paved by slice stone. Some are supplanted by yellow mud. With masonry arch, slice stones being used at the roof and slate being used to press the eaves, they are fused with nature. This is a rural yard preserved to date. It has a history of over 100 years.

Emperor Assistance Mulberry: This is called Emperor Assistance Mulberry. According to legend, Liu Xiu fell asleep against a stone board under a mulberry tree as he was tired and staved after being chased by officials dispatched by Wang Mang. A purple mulberry fell down into Liu’x mouth. It was both chilly and sweet and saved Liu’s life. After Liu Xiu seized the crown, he intended to honor the mulberry tree. But he didn’t remember its name and said, ‘it is 1000 years old’. The persimmon tree wanted to show gratitude but the honest mulberry tree cried out bitterly. As the persimmon tree got the promotion, it got his consciousness blackened. The pith of persimmon trees is black. As the mulberry tree has cried its tears out, it is hollow inside. After Liu learned about the truth, he named the tree ‘Emperor Assistance Mulberry’. But the mulberry tree has died. This tree was planted in Ming Dynasty and has a history of over 300 years old. People still call it ‘Emperor Assistance Mulberry’. The stone panel Liu used to lean against is addressed as ‘Dragon Lying Stone’. Travelers in Baligou would listen to the story of ‘Emperor Assistance Mulberry’ under the tree and would lie in the ‘dragon panel stone and experience the feeling of being an emperor.

Echo Wall: Echo wall is a huge rock resembling a stone wall. You can listen to the purling water under the stone wall or listen to dialogue by travelers. So it is called ‘Echo Wall’.

Mushroom Stone: A giant rock in front of Echo Wall is likened to mushroom, so it is called ‘Mushroom Stone’. According to legend, Liu Xiu concealed under the stone and said, ‘Mushroom, grow’. Then ‘Mushroom Stone’ turned to what it is today. So ‘Mushroom Stone’ also contributed to helping of the emperor.

Frog Stone: A giant rock lies in front of the mushroom stone. It looks like a big frog from the west. It is ready to leap at insect. It is miraculous that three smaller frogs are by its side. They look like one mother with three children. This stone earns the name as ‘Frog Stone’. Legend is circulated that Frog Stone can croak. When they croak together, it will mean a good harvest.

Bright Pearl Spring: A valley lies in the mountain the north. Water spring is gushing out and falling down the rock. It bears semblance to pearls that never stop. It is called ‘Bright Pearl Spring’.

Black Dragon Pond: A deep pond lies in front of the Bright Pearl Spring. It is called ‘Black Dragon Pond’. A story about ‘palace built by black dragon’ is popular in local place. Each year on February 2 of lunar calendar, dragons would cluster in here. One day, the black dragon built a dragon’s palace for the dragons. It is named ‘Black Dragon Pond’. Overjoyed, the black dragon would show up on the surface and would be oftentimes detected. Whoever sees it will get a lifetime of good luck.