Dahebao Cool City Flower Sea (大河堡凉都花海) is a national AAA-rated tourist attraction located in Dahe Town, Zhongshan District, Liupanshui, about 20 kilometers from the city center. The name “Dahebao” comes from the distinctive village landscape, where castle-like buildings, walls, and courtyards are constructed almost entirely from natural stone. The scenic area features about 160 mu of terraced flower fields, while the average summer temperature is only around 19°C, making it a refreshing retreat during China’s hottest months. Combining European-style stone castles, colorful plateau flower fields, mountain scenery, and a striking infinity mirror pool on the hilltop, Dahebao has become one of Liupanshui’s lesser-known fairytale-like destinations for summer escapes, flower viewing, photography, family recreation, and relaxed countryside holidays.
🏰 Must-Try Experiences at Dahebao
🌷 Wander Through the Colorful Four-Season Terraced Flower Fields
The scenic area is divided into two main flower zones: a 60-mu Dream Flower Field and a 100-mu Colorful Terraced Flower Field, both spreading naturally across the hillside in layered terraces. Different flowers are planted and rotated throughout the year so that visitors can enjoy seasonal blooms in different months. In spring, more than 80 varieties of Dutch tulips cover the slopes in brilliant colors. From June to August, large fields of fragrant lilies, hydrangeas, sunflowers, and poppies bloom across the valley, filling the mountain air with floral fragrance. In autumn, pink muhly grass, chrysanthemums, and sunflowers create a warmer golden landscape. With terraced fields set against distant mountains, the flowers form overlapping layers of color at different elevations, making almost every section of the garden suitable for pastoral and landscape photography.
🌊 Photograph the Hilltop Infinity Sky Mirror Pool
One of the most recognizable attractions in Dahebao is the three-tiered conical circular mirror pool built on an elevated section of the scenic area. Its infinity-edge design allows the water surface to reflect the blue sky, stone castles, clouds, and surrounding mountains almost seamlessly. On clear days, drifting clouds appear across the mirrored surface, while at sunset the pool captures the warm colors of the evening sky, creating a minimalist and highly photogenic composition where architecture, water, and mountain scenery blend together. It is one of the most popular portrait and landscape photography spots in the park. Nearby, the heart-shaped flower landmark, giant hot-air-balloon installation, and Dutch-style windmill provide additional photography backgrounds.
🪨 Explore the Retro Stone Castle Complex
Much of the architecture throughout the scenic area is built from locally sourced natural stone, creating a strong rustic and European-inspired castle atmosphere. Stone castles, a clock tower, rainbow fountain, covered stone walkways, and courtyard structures are scattered across the grounds, while climbing vines wrap around stone walls, windows, and doorways, adding a romantic aged appearance. A 100-meter wind-chime corridor produces gentle sounds whenever the mountain breeze passes through, and walking through the stone-built lanes creates a striking contrast between the solid gray architecture and the softness of the surrounding flowers. The site is frequently used for wedding photography and vintage-style portraits. Visitors can also climb to scenic structures such as Riyue Pavilion and Wangmu Pavilion for broader views across the flower fields and mountain valley.
🎢 Enjoy Mountain Recreation and Leisure Activities
In addition to flower viewing and sightseeing, Dahebao offers a variety of optional recreational facilities. A glass water slide running above the flower fields and a colorful dry slide are popular with families and travelers looking for lighthearted entertainment, while the small deer garden allows visitors to interact with animals at close range. At the foot of the mountain, a redwood forest barbecue area and an ecological restaurant provide countryside dining options, while the nearby Stone Castle Hot Spring Hotel makes it possible to combine flower viewing with a relaxing hot spring experience. Cafés and sunny leisure lounges are also available within the park, providing comfortable places to stop for coffee, afternoon tea, or a break between sightseeing activities.
✅ Why Visit Dahebao in Liupanshui
🏔️ A Rare Plateau Landscape Combining Stone Castles and Flower Terraces
Scenic areas that combine European-style stone castles, mountainous terraced flower fields, distant karst landscapes, and elevated mirror pools are relatively uncommon in China. Dahebao offers the softness and color of seasonal flowers alongside the solid, dramatic character of stone architecture, creating both natural and man-made visual highlights. The diverse scenery makes it particularly suitable for couples, families with children, photographers, and travelers looking for a distinctive countryside attraction near Liupanshui.
❄️ A Naturally Cool Summer Retreat
As one of the signature attractions of Liupanshui, known as China’s “Cool City,” Dahebao benefits from an average summer temperature of approximately 19°C. Even during midsummer, the mountain air remains fresh and comfortable, with gentle breezes passing through the flower fields and cooler temperatures in the morning and evening. Visitors do not need to travel deep into remote mountains to escape the summer heat, as Dahebao can be reached from central Liupanshui in around half an hour, making it an easy destination for both flower viewing and summer relaxation.
📸 A Diverse One-Stop Photography Destination
Dahebao brings together terraced flower fields, stone castles, the sky mirror pool, windmills, wind chimes, hot-air-balloon installations, and broad valley landscapes in one compact scenic area. Morning light is generally soft and clear, while from around 16:00 to 18:00, the low afternoon sun adds warm golden tones to the flowers and stone buildings. Because so many different photography environments are concentrated within one park, visitors can capture several visual styles without traveling between multiple locations.
🚗 Easy to Combine with Other Liupanshui Attractions
Dahebao is only about half an hour from central Liupanshui and Liupanshui North High-Speed Railway Station, making it convenient to combine with other attractions such as Wumeng Grassland (乌蒙大草原), Minghu Wetland Park (明湖湿地公园), and Tuole Ancient Ginkgo Village (妥乐古银杏) on a one-day or two-day trip. Travelers coming from Kunming can reach Liupanshui by high-speed train in approximately 2.5 hours, making Dahebao a convenient additional stop for a wider summer escape and flower-viewing journey through western Guizhou.
📋 Practical Visitor Information
📍 Location
No. 95, Daqiao Community, Dahe Town, Zhongshan District, Liupanshui City, Guizhou Province (贵州省六盘水市钟山区大河镇大桥社区95号).
⏰ Opening Hours
The flower garden area is generally open from 08:30 to 18:00, with last admission at approximately 17:00. The supporting hot spring facilities normally operate from 10:00 to 22:00. A standard visit to the flower fields and stone castle area usually takes around 3–4 hours, while travelers combining sightseeing with the hot springs, slides, dining, and leisure facilities can comfortably spend most of the day here.
🎫 Ticket Information
The standard listed admission price for the flower garden is around RMB 38, while online promotional tickets may sometimes be available from approximately RMB 19.9. A combined ticket for the flower garden and deer garden may cost around RMB 29.9, and packages combining the flower garden with the hot spring can offer better value for visitors planning a longer stay. Students and senior visitors may qualify for discounts with valid identification. Dining, slides, hot springs, and other recreational facilities inside the park are optional and there are no compulsory additional purchases. A large parking area near the entrance is generally available free of charge. Ticket prices and promotional packages may change, so visitors should confirm current rates before departure.
🚗 Transportation Guide
Self-driving is the most convenient option. Search for “Dahebao Cool City Flower Sea (大河堡凉都花海)” on a navigation app and follow Provincial Highway 212. The journey from central Liupanshui normally takes around 30 minutes, and free parking is available at the scenic area. Public transportation is also possible via the L1 or K35 tourist bus services, which can be boarded from areas including People’s Square and Liupanshui High-Speed Railway Station. The fare is approximately RMB 3, with services traditionally operating at intervals of around 20 minutes and stopping near the scenic area entrance. A taxi from central Liupanshui usually costs around RMB 40–50 for a round trip, making it a practical option for groups of two to four travelers.
💡 Travel Tips
Liupanshui has a noticeable temperature difference between day and night, so even during August, evenings in the mountain area can feel cool and carrying a light jacket is recommended. For photography, light-colored dresses, pale shirts, and straw hats work particularly well against the colorful flower fields and gray stone castles, while the soft light between 16:00 and 18:00 is especially suitable for portraits and landscape photography. Many of the walking paths include stone steps, so comfortable flat shoes with good grip are recommended for visitors planning to spend several hours exploring the flower fields. Food and drinks inside the scenic area can be relatively expensive, so bringing your own drinking water and light snacks can be useful. Seasonal highlights vary throughout the year, with tulips in spring, fragrant lilies in summer, and pink muhly grass in autumn, allowing visitors to choose their travel dates according to the flowers they most want to see.