Lingyang Gorge Ancient Plank Road Forest Park「羚羊峡古栈道森林公园」

Review

After lunch with river delicacies today, we drove directly to Zhaoqing’s Lingyang Gorge National Forest Park. We entered from the south entrance, parked the car, and prepared to set off.

At first, we had a disagreement. I suggested just walking a section to experience it, about an hour, then turning back, worried about insufficient stamina. But my friend thought the route “could be easily handled,” so we decided on the spur of the moment to challenge the full 9-kilometer crossing.

We entered the gorge around 2:30 PM and didn’t come out until after 6 PM, taking about four hours in total. In the latter half, we were really just “toughing it out.” Our legs were no longer our own, and our energy was completely drained.

But to be honest, the scenery along this route is indeed beautiful. Walking along the Xijiang River gorge, with mountains, river water, and vegetation interwoven, there were several sections with very open views. It’s the kind of route where the more you walk, the more you feel it’s “worth the effort.”

However, there were also obvious shortcomings in the experience:

First, there’s no way to exit or turn back midway, which requires high physical fitness. Second, there are absolutely no supply points along the route—no shops, no water sources. This is not very friendly to visitors, especially when the weather is a bit hot, making it easy to experience physical exhaustion.

If this scenic area could set up some emergency exits or add drinking water and rest points in the middle, the overall experience would be greatly improved.

Overall, this is a completely free natural gorge trail. The scenery can be rated highly, but the physical threshold is indeed not low. It’s suitable for hiking enthusiasts who want a challenge, but not recommended for those with a relaxed, leisurely mindset to walk the entire route.

To sum up this experience in one sentence: the scenery is worth the walk, but my legs were truly “schooled” thoroughly.

Visit details

• Address: Guangdong Province, Zhaoqing, West side of Lingyang Gorge Ancient Plank Road Forest Park, Jiangbin Tiyu Road（广东省肇庆市江滨提路羚羊峡古栈道森林公园(西侧)）
• Rating: 4.5 / 5
• Published: July 2, 2026
• Original record: View this review on Dianping

Photos