The Yunhe Terrace Scenic Spot in Lishui, Zhejiang province was promoted to a national 5A-level tourist attraction, as announced by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism on Feb 6.

It is the first 5A-level terraced landscape tourist attraction in China, the second overall 5A spot in Lishui, and the 21st in Zhejiang province.

Situated in Yunhe county, Lishui, the scenic spot has a history of more than 1,000 years, having been first developed during the Tang dynasty (618-907). Spanning an area of 8.02 square kilometers, it encompasses an altitude range of 200 meters to over 1,400 meters, across three geological landscape belts of mountains, hills and valleys.

In the Yuan and Ming dynasties (1271-1644), silver mines were found near the Yunhe terraces. The rise of the local silver mining industry brought prosperity, societal development, and population growth. As a result, the scale of the terraces grew rapidly, gradually forming the region's distinctive "thousand-layer terraces and kilometer-drop" style.

Kenggen village, located within Yunhe Terrace Scenic Spot. [Photo by Chen Zhongren/WeChat account: zjlsly2014]

Kenggen village, nestled in the Silver Valley within the scenic spot, is said to have been established by miners. Adjacent to the mountain stream and valley, it is mainly built using wood and stones, with stone-paved roads. With the undulating terrain, residents leveraged the special environment to build independent courtyards, forming the unique "Keng Gen Stone House Village".

The cloud-viewing cableway in Yunhe Terrace Scenic Spot. [Photo by Pan Tingcong/WeChat account: zjlsly2014]

A highlight of the scenic spot is the cloud-viewing cableway. With a length of 3,880 meters, it is by far the longest cableway in East China. The altitude ranges from around 200 meters to more than 1000 meters, with a straight-line drop of 800 meters.

In the cable car, like traveling through the clouds, tourists can enjoy a bird's-eye view of the breathtaking scenery of the Yunhe terrace, valleys, and streams.