Huangguoshu Waterfall. [Photo: ChinaDaily]

People with some knowledge of China's natural scenery may have heard of Huangguoshu Waterfall, but it seems few are aware that the home city of China's largest waterfall is a cultural travel destination in itself to explore.

Anshun, 90 kilometers from Guizhou province's capital city of Guiyang, is one of the earliest-developed tourism cities in the province partly because of its cluster of natural waterfalls. The most spectacular, Huangguoshu (74 meters in height and 81meters in width), is the only waterfall in the world that can be observed from all directions��from above, below, front, back, right, and left.

Prompted by the fame of Huangguoshu, the city has been promoting its rich tourism allure since 2004 on the platform of the annual Huangguoshu Waterfall Festival.

This year's waterfall festival began with a worship rite to Confucius held in the city's Wen Miao, or the Confucian temple, dating back to the Ming Dynasty (1836-1644). Thinker and social philosopher Confucius (551 BC to 479 BC), whose teachings and philosophy have deeply influenced China, is one of the symbols of Chinese traditional culture. Initiated by this traditional worship, the city hopes to lead people to its other cultural allures.

The Tunpu culture is one of those cultural attractions. Tunpu, the mix of stone-built military garrison and residence for army families and other immigrants, is now home to the descendants of the fort soldiers in the reign of Emperor Zhu Yuanzhang, the first emperor of the Ming Dynasty (1368 - 1644). After more than 600 years, the ancient architecture is still standing, with the dim scars of battle visible.