A swinging time

If the ice lantern festival of the Lunar New Year in Longqingxia is a winter holiday must-see, then swinging across the lake created by damming the gorge must rate as a must-do activity in the spring.

People flock to the great gorge in huge numbers for the sheer thrill of swinging through the air attached to a cable, from Baihua to Green Island in the center of the lake.

A 50 meter bungee jumping platform awaits the brave on the far bank. The protracted hoots and wailing of jumpers echo across the lake like the calls of demented birds. For those looking for a less life-threatening approach to views of the gorge from on high, there is both a funicular railway and a roller coaster track to the top.