The Maling River Canyon National Scenic Area is located in the northeast of Xingyi City, the capital of Qianxinan Buyei and Miao Autonomous Prefecture in Guizhou Province. It is an important member of the Xingyi UNESCO Global Geopark of China, with a total area of 450 square kilometers. It holds titles including National Natural Heritage, National Key Scenic Area, and National 4A-level Tourist Attraction. The canyon was formed during orogenic movement as a 74.8-kilometer-long fissure, with a depth of 120–280 meters. Its main features include fissure canyons, cascading waterfalls, and travertine wall draperies. The Tianxing Gallery section features a calcified waterfall group with a hanging area exceeding 300,000 square meters, among which the travertine cliff waterfall group covers an area of 2 million square meters, forming China's most densely distributed canyon waterfall group. In 2025, it was selected for Chinese National Geography magazine's "China's Most Beautiful Waterfalls Challenger List" and "China's Most Beautiful Canyons Challenger List," and is praised as "the most beautiful scar on Earth."
Since hosting the first China International Kayak and Rafting Competition in 1998, the scenic area has become known as "China's Number One Rafting Destination." In 2005, it was designated as a national whitewater kayaking training base. The rafting route is divided into three sections: ecological sightseeing, recreational leisure, and thrilling adventure. From February to December 31, 2020, free admission was offered to medical workers nationwide, and in 2025 this was extended to specific groups including teachers, police officers, and students. In the first eight months of 2025, it received 1,896,200 visitors, with reception capacity increased to 20,000 per day. During the first three days of the National Day holiday in the same year, it received over 40,800 visitors. The core scenic area, Wanfenglin, contains relics from Ming Dynasty explorer Xu Xiake's investigations, and Wanfeng Lake has a planned leisure fishing area. The scenic area has built sewage treatment facilities and wetland parks to ensure ecological protection, and has implemented rainwater-sewage separation to meet national discharge standards.
The Maling River Canyon was formed during Cenozoic orogenic movement and is a typical karst fissure canyon landform. Calcified waterfall groups are distributed within the canyon, with the most spectacular located in the middle section, with a drop of over 20 meters. Ancient trees tower on both banks of the canyon, with intertwined vines, maintaining a relatively pristine ecological state. Over 50 species of rare plants have been discovered. The Maling River Canyon is located in Xingyi City, Qianxinan Buyei and Miao Autonomous Prefecture, Guizhou Province, and is a section of canyon in the lower reaches of the Maling River. The canyon has a total length of approximately 74.8 kilometers and a maximum depth of over 300 meters, and is known for its "Seventy-Two Waterfalls." The Maling River Canyon is a National 4A-level Tourist Attraction, attracting a large number of visitors with its spectacular karst landforms and rich natural landscapes.