Daytripper is a regular column that aims to help people get the most out of their PRD experience by proposing fun excursions that can be made in a single day to explore the local culture and nature of the region.
Summers in Vancouver, British Columbia, are all about the outdoors. Growing up in the city, my friends and I spent the warm days of July and August hiking, trout fishing and swimming in rivers, aqua-blue glacier-fed lakes and the Pacific Ocean.
But upon moving to Guangzhou, my outdoor swimming exploits came to an abrupt end. Despite an abundance of pools in the city (click here for our guide to Guangzhou’s pools), swimming in an artificial container of water, treatment chemicals and child urine is clearly not the same as a glassy-clear river.
For those living in the heart of Guangzhou, the only real natural swimming option would be the Pearl River, but it’s too icky and polluted (really polluted) for a nice dip.
Visits to two lakes in northern Tianhe District, near the boundaries of Huangpu and Baiyun, were also as underwhelming as the sequel to 2004’s Anchorman. Resembling large carp ponds, both lakes were murky, muddy and had shorelines strewn with rubbish.
Then, on the tip of a friend, I finally discovered an unsoiled swimming hole within Guangzhou city limits: Wangzishan Forest Park (王子山森林公园).
Located about an hour’s drive north of Guangzhou’s CBD, in Huadu District, the park is most easily accessed via car (we recommend Didi, as no taxi is likely to take you that far).
After forking over RMB30 per person to two bored-looking guards at the park gate, my companions and I traveled a paved road to the start of the hiking trails, passing what could have been an abandoned riverside interpretive center, restaurant or something entirely different, as well as a nearly-completed resort complex, eerily quiet on our visit.
We then strolled past a small, green lake and began an uphill ascent to a small, rustic village that serves as the starting point for Wangzishan, or Prince Mountain, exploration.
When we arrived at the settlement at around 10am, it was decidedly quiet. The only people visible were a pair of elderly men smoking cigarettes on overturned buckets and a woman running a small stand selling bottled water and soft drinks.
We also encountered another group of hikers in the village, the only other group of people we would see on the trail for close to an hour.
Starting out from the village, the trail follows a small river into dense, jungle-like foliage and eventually ends atop the mountain. Along the route we passed tranquil pools deep enough to swim in and a seemingly endless number of waterfalls. There was also a large, apparently man-made cave, which rumor has it was tunneled during WWII, although this has proven difficult to verify.
The swimming holes lower on the trail, thus closer to human habitation, were not the cleanest, with garbage and discarded clothing occasionally visible around the water’s edge. But after hiking for around an hour, we were rewarded with a number of cold, crystal-clear natural pools that look as though they were teleported from beautiful British Columbia.
One pool even had a nearby small rock ledge that was a perfect jumping point, although we caution anyone leaping to ensure the water level is high enough – the depth presumably fluctuates with the seasons.
During hours of frolicking in the pools, we saw relatively few people, all of whom were hikers. Some stopped and watched us enjoying the cool water while most simply carried on along the trail. No one else got into the water, meaning we had the pool all to ourselves.
On our hike down, we did notice some children swimming, but the upper portion of the river still has plenty of private, low-key spots to cool down from the stifling summer heat.
Anyone interested in checking out Wangzishan Forest Park should bring water, snacks and proper hiking footwear, as the trail can prove slippery at points. And, a final note: please pick up your garbage. This spot is awesome; let’s keep it that way.
How to get there:
Order a Didi, or other private car, to Wangzishan Forest Park (王子山森林公园). Alternatively, take Metro Line 3 to Renhe Station and then catch the 704 bus, which you will need to ride 17 stops to Lianglong Shichang market. From there, catch the No. 17 bus, which will take you to the gate of Wangzishan Forest Park.
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[Photos by Matthew Bossons and Kelly Deng]
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