The Nanxi River () is located in

Yongjia County Yongjia County (; Wenzhou dialect: yon2ko1/ yu3 ''ion ko'') is a county in Wenzhou in the southeast of Zhejiang province, People's Republic of China, located north of the city proper of Wenzhou Wenzhou (pronounced ; Wenzhounese: Yuziou �y33 ...

of the

Zhejiang Zhejiang ( or , ; , also romanized as Chekiang) is an eastern, coastal province of the People's Republic of China. Its capital and largest city is Hangzhou, and other notable cities include Ningbo and Wenzhou. Zhejiang is bordered by Jiang ...

Province in eastern

China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a population exceeding 1.4 billion, slightly ahead of India. China spans the equivalent of five time zones and ...

, and is a major tributary of the Ou River. The Nanxi River Scenic Area () was named a National Tourist Scenic Spot by the State Council in 1988 due to its scenic landscape accompanied by its unique local culture. It is 23 kilometres from

Wenzhou Wenzhou (pronounced ; Wenzhounese: Yuziou �y33–11 tɕiɤu33–32 ), historically known as Wenchow is a prefecture-level city in southeastern Zhejiang province in the People's Republic of China. Wenzhou is located at the extreme south east o ...

, east of the Yandang Mountains, north of

Xianju County Xianju County ( Tai-chow dialect: Sin-kü Yön) is a county of Zhejiang, China. It is under the administration of the Taizhou city. It is the location of Shenxianju, a geological site protected by the Chinese government. Xianju is an economicall ...

and west of Xiandu County. The Nanxi River is 150 kilometers long and has a drainage area of 2429 square kilometers. It runs from north to south and flows into the Ou River, which empties into the

East China Sea The East China Sea is an arm of the Western Pacific Ocean, located directly offshore from East China. It covers an area of roughly . The sea’s northern extension between mainland China and the Korean Peninsula is the Yellow Sea, separated b ...

. The Nanxi River has 36 bends and 72 beaches. The main scenic spots of the Nanxi River area include Baizhang Waterfall, Furong Triangle Rock, the Waterfall of Tengxi Pool, the Twelve Peaks, Taogong Cave, the Warehouse Under The Cliff, the Furong Ancient Hamlet and Lion Rock. The rock stratum of the mountains is mostly made up of

tuff Tuff is a type of rock made of volcanic ash ejected from a vent during a volcanic eruption. Following ejection and deposition, the ash is lithified into a solid rock. Rock that contains greater than 75% ash is considered tuff, while rock cont ...

rhyolite Rhyolite ( ) is the most silica-rich of volcanic rocks. It is generally glassy or fine-grained (aphanitic) in texture, but may be porphyritic, containing larger mineral crystals (phenocrysts) in an otherwise fine-grained groundmass. The mineral ...

, and

granite Granite () is a coarse-grained (phaneritic) intrusive igneous rock composed mostly of quartz, alkali feldspar, and plagioclase. It forms from magma with a high content of silica and alkali metal oxides that slowly cools and solidifies undergro ...

. The river is located in the subtropical monsoon zone and is influenced by a

maritime climate An oceanic climate, also known as a marine climate, is the humid temperate climate sub-type in Köppen classification ''Cfb'', typical of west coasts in higher middle latitudes of continents, generally featuring cool summers and mild winters ...

. The climate is warm and moist year round. Temperatures vary from . The average annual temperature is . Drifting in the Nanxi River is the hottest activity. People sit on a bamboo catamaran which drifts rapidly with the current. From the raft, views of the ancient village, remote foggy mountains and locals washing along the river can be seen. The locals transport wood from the forest by means of the river. The wood is floated from the upper reaches and retrieved in the lower reach of the river.

World Heritage Status

The area was added to

UNESCO The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) aimed at promoting world peace and security through international cooperation in education, arts, sciences and culture. It ...

World Heritage A World Heritage Site is a landmark or area with legal protection by an international convention administered by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). World Heritage Sites are designated by UNESCO for h ...

Tentative List on November 29, 2001 in the Mixed (Cultural & Natural) category.Nanxi River - UNESCO World Heritage Centre

References

{{Authority control Rivers of Zhejiang