The Maling River Gorge is located about 10 kilometres from Xingyi, and is a long, deep rift in the Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau cut by the surging Maling River. It has an average depth of about 200-400 metres, and the narrowest point of the gorge is only just 50 metres wide. A series of both permanent and seasonal waterfalls (said to number around 100 in total) plunge or cascade down the steep cliffs on both sides of the gorge along its entire length, many of which are more than 100 metres high. Calcium sediments cover the faces of the cliffs of the gorge, forming strange patterns which look like hanging tapestries.

The best way to enjoy the scenery of the gorge is to hike down to the bottom of the gorge and walk along the plankways built on the cliff faces above the river on both banks. We walked down about a thousand or so steps (I lost count of the exact number) to the plankway and then followed it for about 2 kilometres before climbing up another thousand or so steps back to the top of the cliff. The climb up was tiring to say the least, but the stunning view at the bottom of the gorge made it well worth the effort.