Spring Festival Self-Driving Special Forces! I Took My Child to Stand on the 500-Meter “Glass Giant Racket,” His Reaction
Spring Festival Self-Driving to Qingyuan Huangteng Gorge! Cliffside Glass Corridor + Stunning Light Show, Please Keep This Self-Driving Guide
This Spring Festival, why not follow my tire tracks to Qingyuan Huangteng Gorge to experience the thrill and romance 500 meters above the ground!
This year’s Spring Festival, I drove with my family to Qingyuan Huangteng Gorge to challenge the famous “Asia’s Most Thrilling” Glass Corridor — Tianmen Corridor. A three-day, two-night self-driving trip offered both heart-pounding high-altitude experiences and warm, comfortable family time. Here’s a Spring Festival self-driving guide for those planning to drive.
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01 Spring Festival Self-Driving Route Planning
Smart Choices to Avoid Traffic Jams
Our trip started from Guangzhou. The biggest worry during Spring Festival self-driving is traffic jams, so we chose to depart the day before Chinese New Year's Eve, successfully avoiding peak hours. The total distance is about 120 kilometers, driving takes about 1.5 to 2 hours.
Recommended three routes to choose from:
· Route 1 (Most Common): Guangzhou Ring Expressway → Guangqing Expressway → Qingyuan City Exit → Huangteng Gorge Avenue. This route has good road conditions and clear signs.
· Route 2 (Backup to Avoid Traffic): Guangzhou Airport Expressway → Leguang Expressway → Qingyuan West Exit. This route is relatively less crowded during the Spring Festival.
· Route 3 (Scenic Route): Guangzhou → Guangqing Expressway → Qingyuan City → Riverside Road → Huangteng Gorge. You can enjoy the scenery of the Beijiang River along the way.
Special reminder for Spring Festival self-driving: It is recommended to check real-time traffic conditions on Gaode/Baidu Maps before departure. Guangqing Expressway tends to be congested on the first and last days of the holiday (Chinese New Year's Eve and the sixth day), so consider traveling off-peak. The tourist avenue from Qingyuan City to Huangteng Gorge sees heavy traffic during the Spring Festival, so please drive patiently.
02 Tianmen Corridor: A Spring Festival Surprise in the Sky
Two Experiences: Day and Night
Huangteng Gorge’s Tianmen Corridor truly deserves its nickname “Giant Racket,” supported by three huge pillars extending 368 meters from the mountain. Walking on the 500-meter-high transparent glass floor, with a bottomless gorge beneath your feet, the thrill is unforgettable.
During the Spring Festival, Huangteng Gorge is decorated with red lanterns and Chinese knots, adding a strong festive atmosphere. We arrived in the afternoon, with warm sunlight shining on the corridor. Standing on the circular platform at the corridor’s outermost edge, you can look north to the pristine gorge and south to the Qingyuan cityscape.
The most stunning is the nighttime light show. During the Spring Festival, the light show features extra red and gold themes, and the music is more festive. At exactly 7 p.m., over 2,000 lights turn on simultaneously, and a water curtain cascades from the corridor’s edge, forming a 168-meter-long circular waterfall. The lights change with the music, sometimes like a dancing Chinese dragon, sometimes like blooming fireworks.
03 Practical Tips for Spring Festival Self-Driving
Details to Make Your Trip Smoother
For accommodation, we booked a resort hotel near Huangteng Gorge on Trip.com one month in advance. During the Spring Festival, accommodations must be booked early, with prices rising 30%-50% compared to normal times. Qingyuan city also has many options with relatively affordable prices.
Ticket discounts: Booking tickets in advance on Trip.com offers Spring Festival special prices, about 15% cheaper than buying on-site. The scenic area has a large parking lot with a fee of 10 yuan/day. Parking spaces are tight during the Spring Festival, so it’s recommended to arrive before 10 a.m.
Dining options: There are several restaurants inside the scenic area, but prices are relatively high. We recommend “Feng Zhong Huang” in Qingyuan city for authentic Qingyuan chicken or seafood stalls along Riverside Road. The flexibility of self-driving allows you to choose where to eat freely.
Safety notes: Special shoe covers must be worn to enter Tianmen Corridor; high heels are strictly prohibited. People with heart disease, hypertension, acrophobia, and pregnant women are not recommended to experience it. It’s windy on the corridor, so bring a jacket.
04 Special Spring Festival Activities and Itinerary
Enrich Your Qingyuan Spring Festival Holiday
Huangteng Gorge is especially lively during the Spring Festival, with a series of special activities besides the regular Tianmen Corridor:
· New Year Blessing Activity: A blessing wall is set up at the corridor entrance where visitors can write their New Year wishes.
· Traditional Folk Performances: From the first to the fifth day of the lunar new year, the scenic area hosts lion dances, martial arts, and other performances.
· Spring Festival Photography Contest: Capture beautiful scenery in the park to participate in the contest and have a chance to win prizes.
Recommended two-day, one-night self-driving itinerary:
· Day 1: Depart in the morning → Arrive in Qingyuan city by noon → Taste local cuisine → Head to Huangteng Gorge in the afternoon → Experience Tianmen Corridor’s daytime and sunset views → Watch the light show → Stay at a nearby hotel
· Day 2: Hotel breakfast → Other Huangteng Gorge activities (such as mountain coaster, rafting) → Visit other Qingyuan attractions in the afternoon (such as Gulong Gorge or Yingde Tea Garden) → Return trip
A three-day, two-night itinerary can add: Lianzhou Underground River, Huangchuan Three Gorges, or Yingxi Fenglin, making the trip even richer.
05 Recommended Nearby Self-Driving Tours
Not Just Huangteng Gorge, Qingyuan Is Full of Scenery
If you have more time, Qingyuan has many other places worth visiting:
Gulong Gorge Scenic Area: About 40 minutes’ drive from Huangteng Gorge, famous for its glass canyon and waterfalls, also offering thrilling high-altitude projects.
Yingde Tea Garden: About 1.5 hours’ drive, experience tea picking and processing, taste Yingde black tea, and enjoy the leisurely rural scenery.
Lianzhou Underground River: A bit farther (about 2.5 hours’ drive), but the unique karst landforms and underground caves are worth a visit.
Huangchuan Three Gorges: Take a boat tour to enjoy picturesque mountain and water scenery, experiencing the charm of the “Number One Gallery of Lingnan.”
Qingyuan City: Stroll around the city square, visit Qingyuan Museum, and walk along the Beijiang River at night to enjoy the lights on both banks.
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06 Return Trip and Summary
An Unforgettable Spring Festival Self-Driving Experience
On the way back, we chose Riverside Road, driving slowly to enjoy the Beijiang River scenery. The kids excitedly discussed their experiences on the corridor in the car, and my wife browsed photos on her phone. Those moments standing 500 meters high and those dazzling nights became the most special memories of this Spring Festival.
Self-driving to Qingyuan Huangteng Gorge during the Spring Festival is not only a thrilling high-altitude challenge but also a wonderful time for family reunion. Standing on Tianmen Corridor to greet the first ray of New Year’s sunlight or making New Year wishes under the light show are unique experiences beyond traditional celebrations.
The flexibility of self-driving allowed us to arrange the itinerary freely, enjoying both exciting attractions and relaxing leisure time. Qingyuan’s good road conditions and ample parking facilities made the self-driving trip smoother.
This Spring Festival, why not start your engine, bring your family, and embark on a spontaneous Qingyuan self-driving trip? The thrilling Tianmen Corridor at Huangteng Gorge, the beautiful scenery of Qingyuan’s mountains and rivers, and the rich Spring Festival atmosphere are all waiting for you!
A final tip: During the Spring Festival, the temperature difference between morning and evening in Qingyuan is large, so it’s recommended to bring a warm jacket. Scenic areas and highway service areas remain open during the holiday, but some small restaurants may close on the first and second days of the lunar new year, so plan your meals in advance.