Shennong Stream, a tributary of the Yangtze River, rises in the southern part of the Shennongjia Natural Reserve. It joins the Yangtze at Xirangkou in Hubei's Badong County. With crystal clear water, this steam flows swiftly from north to south through deep gorges. Its natural beauty and local color have attracted the interest of overseas tourists.The boats will raft to a Longchuanhe Village where the Tujia minority nationality people live. They are hardworking and hospitable people and are good at singing and dancing. You can catch a picture of Tujia’s local and traditional style of living.
A sampan tour will allow you to experience a high speed adventure along this newly opened unspoiled river. An arrow-like sampan glides through the four-kilometer-long Mianzhu Gorge and then enters the main stream of the Shennong. The boat glides over the cobble-strewn riverbed with its bottom often banging against the stones.
The average flow of the stream is 20 cubic meter per second a year. It is an ideal place for drafting tour with a very good experience of adventures without any danger
The Shennong Stream Special Rafting Tour covers 20 kilometers from Mian Zhu (Bamboo) Gorge to Yingwu (Parrot) Gorge and Longchuan Gorge. During the rafting tour, you might see large and small karst caves, home of many swallows, a world of high cliffs, deep gorges, flying waterfalls, three-colored springs, the ancient trestle path the suspended coffin in the cliff, the groups of ancient tombs and marvelous karst formations. Startled swallows swoop overhead, fish swim about in the depths of the water and monkeys play on shore. The natural landscape is fascinating for overseas tourists sightseeing on simple, peapod-like flat boats.
Another striking scene is "Tracking through the Rapids". Trackers begin their heavy work of moving many tons of cypress upstream against a fiercely resisting roadway of water. The irresistible force of the bronze skinned tracker's teamwork and cooperation represents the best in masculinity and bravery.
Besides rafting and a sampan tour, you will also be dazzled by the
spectacular riverside scenery. Like the neighboring Three Little Gorges in
Wushan County, the ancient plank path runs along the river, mysterious ancient
coffins hang high on the cliff, and wild monkeys run under the primitive trees
and bushes. Dark green clear water, dark green trees, and dark green mountains
along the stream provide an once-in-a-lifetime vista which disappears into the
distance. This is another special example of China's rich natural
beauty
