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.

In China, climbing a mountain often comes at the exhausting price of steps, straight up, for miles on end. Whereas winding switchbacks distinguish trails in the West, the East has historically erected grand staircases – an expression of the culture’s readiness to ascend steadily towards a higher status, both personally and in society. The painstaking pursuit is revered as an honorable symbol of growth.

Baishuizhai, a breathtaking waterfall located two hours north of Guangzhou, hosts South China’s first mountain step path. Totaling nearly 10,000 stairs, the trail is far from a leisurely walk, though visitors are free to stop and turn back at any time. 

At 4,999 paces, the footpath fades into the shores of a tranquil mountain lake, where most hikers call it a day. Those who press onward towards the 9,999th step, it is said, will find everlasting love – a legend derived from the auspicious digit ‘nine,’ which shares its pronunciation with ‘久’ (jiu), meaning ‘a long time.’

Eight-hundred meters below, the trek commences on a road crammed with makeshift tourist stalls: visors, sunhats and fedoras are scattered atop tables clothed in red. Water bottles are sold at about twice their normal cost at the foot of the mountain and rise in price with altitude. 

Upon passing a lake dipped in shades of winter green, visitors cross through the park gate towards a child’s paradise. A bubbling stream churns around smooth boulders just large enough for a toddler to mount or his parents to sit down for a rest. Tree houses line the creek, their trunks smeared in abstract murals. Most youngsters won’t venture beyond this point, settling into a day of crayfish spotting instead.

After a level 10-minute walk, the path splits into two: a scenic route with plank bridges and a narrow passageway of steps. Knowing stairs will dominate the upper sections of the trail, we turn gratefully onto the scenic course.

On a Sunday morning, the trail is packed with couples, young and old, eager to reconnect with the sounds of nature. Few are dressed for the occasion – women trudge along in heels and men sport flip-flops nearly 5 kilometers up. No one seems phased by the fact that a jolly afternoon stroll turned out to be a rigorous three-hour hike.

The waterfall, which is visible from nearly every point on the trail, is divided into three main sections: an upper falls said to resemble a dancing dragon, a middle cascade that hangs like a silk curtain and a lower one that glistens like white pearls scattered in the woods. From each lookout platform on the rickety boardwalk, the falls loom robustly overhead, plunging down outside the railings in a thundering mist. A veil of lime sprigs and moss bathe in the endless spray. 

Each 100th step is engraved with the total distance traveled, ensuring hikers won’t lose count during the climb. All throughout the demanding course, crowds gather outside beverage stalls and restaurants serving hard-boiled tea eggs and instant noodles. Ice cream bars sell faster than Gatorade.

The last kilometer concludes as the trail began – flat. As our leg muscles adjust to the new gradient, we snap photos of exotic vegetation, eager to catch a glimpse of the fabled lake. 

Emerging from the forest into blinding sunlight, one final set of stairs appears, scaling a grassy hill. It’s so theatrically steep we can’t quite see what lies beyond, like a cliffhanger on the last page of a novel. All we can do is trudge upward, rung by rung, towards higher ground. 

The details:

When: Open daily, 8.30am-5.30pm

Cost: RMB60/adults, RMB35/children

Getting there: By public transport: take bus to Conghua Bus Station, then transfer to a tourist shuttle bus directly bound for Baishuizhai Waterfall Scenic Spot (bus comes every 30 minutes). Alternatively, take a bus bound for Paitan Town at Fangcun Passenger Station directly to Baishuizhai Waterfall Scenic Spot between 7.30am and 7.30pm, one bus per hour. Baishuizhai Scenic Spot, Paitan Town, Zengcheng District, Guangzhou 广州市增城区派潭镇白水寨景区 (020-2331 8758, www.bsz.cc, bit.ly/1IXqOnn) 

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