The Waterfall Park in Kunming

The Waterfall Park (昆明瀑布公园), also known as the Niulan River Waterfall Park (牛栏江瀑布公园), is located in the northern part of Kunming (昆明), Yunnan Province. This park is a remarkable part of the Niulan River-Dianchi Lake water replenishment project (牛栏江-滇池补水工程), which is of global significance. It serves as a comprehensive facility that integrates Kunming’s drinking water supply, landscape enhancement, and the management of Dianchi Lake (滇池).

“牛栏江水汇德泽，翻山越岭入滇池”

The park features an artificial waterfall that was constructed using water diverted from the Niulan River, flowing over a distance of more than one hundred kilometers through pipelines to Kunming. Upon arrival at Kunming, the water forms the stunning artificial waterfall.

Scenic Features of the Waterfall Park

The Waterfall Park takes full advantage of the natural elevation of the Niulan River water diversion project, creating an artificial waterfall that is approximately 12.5 meters high and 400 meters wide. This makes it known as “the largest artificial waterfall park in Asia.”

Key Information

  • Location: Intersection of Panjiang West Road (盘江西路) and Z107 in Panlong District (盘龙区), Kunming.
  • Climate: Subtropical highland monsoon climate.
  • Opening Hours: Open year-round, Monday to Sunday, from 06:00 to 21:00.
  • Ticket Price: Free of charge.
  • Height of Waterfall: 12.5 meters.
  • Width of Waterfall: 400 meters.
  • Water Source: Niulan River – Dianchi Lake water replenishment, Panlong River entrance segment.

Overview of the Park

Construction of the Waterfall Park began in 2013, with a total investment of approximately 1.1 billion yuan. Situated at the entrance segment of the Niulan River-Dianchi water replenishment project, visitors can immediately feel the humidity in the air upon entering the park. The waterfall area utilizes the 12.5-meter elevation difference to create a wide artificial waterfall that spans approximately 400 meters. A viewing bridge is constructed over the water surface in front of the waterfall, allowing close-up viewing of this magnificent sight. This artificial waterfall is reported to be the widest, largest in flow, and most expansive artificial waterfall in the country.

As an important supporting project of the Niulan River water diversion project, the Waterfall Park is designed to enhance the ecological landscape of the Panlong River water intake, improve flood control conditions, and provide a theme park for water landscapes. Major construction components include the outflow project (including upper and lower pools and the waterfall), riverbank stabilization of the Panlong River section, reconstruction of the Jinzhihua River (金汁河), modifications of existing municipal pipelines, landscaping, and supporting buildings.

Practical Information

  • Ticket Information: Free of charge.
  • Location: The Waterfall Park is located in the northern part of Kunming’s mountain and water new area. Upon entering the park, the humidity in the air becomes noticeably higher as the water from the Niulan River falls from a height of 12.5 meters, creating a spectacular sight. The waterfall is approximately 400 meters wide, and the viewing bridge allows visitors to appreciate it up close. Reports indicate that this artificial waterfall is the largest in terms of width and flow in the country.

Transportation Information

  • Public Transport: You can take Metro Line 2 or bus routes 182, 906, or 168 to reach the Sijiaying bus station (司家营). From there, transfer to a direct shuttle bus to the Waterfall Park. The shuttle operates daily from 7:00 to 17:00, with departures every 7 to 8 minutes.The route passes through the following stops:
    • Sijiaying (地铁司家营站)
    • Kunshi Zhong Beijing Road (地铁司家营站)
    • Fengyuan Road Junction (北京路)
    • South Entrance of Wayaocun (瓦窑村南口)
    • North Entrance of Wayaocun (瓦窑村北口)
    • Kunming Waterfall Park (昆明瀑布公园)
  • Direct Shuttle from Kunming’s West Side: A direct bus route from Qiuyuan Community to the Waterfall Park was established on January 16, 2016, operating from 9:00 to 17:00, with intervals depending on passenger flow.
  • Direct Shuttle from Kunming Normal University Junction: This route runs directly from the Kunming Normal University junction to the Waterfall Park. Morning departures include: 9:00, 10:00, 12:00, and 14:00; returning in the afternoon at 14:00, 15:00, and 17:00, with a ticket price of 5 yuan. This is a custom direct shuttle service with no stops along the way, making it convenient for residents in nearby areas like Panjiawan (潘家湾) and Xiaoximen (小西门).

The Artificial Waterfall

The largest artificial waterfall in Asia within Kunming’s northern mountain and water new area has begun operation, marking a significant development in the park’s landscape. The Waterfall Park, covering an area of 484.4 acres with a water surface of 209 acres, had a total investment of about 1 billion yuan. It is expected to fully open to the public by the end of the year, allowing residents to enjoy the grandeur of the waterfall amidst the beautiful mountainous scenery.

The longest artificial waterfall in Asia currently is the Pandongshan Waterfall (蟠龙山瀑布) in Liuzhou, Guangxi, which is about 220 meters wide and 12 meters high. Once completed, the waterfall in Kunming’s Waterfall Park will showcase a stunning spectacle with a straight width of 300 meters, a length of 400 meters, a water surface length of 340 meters, and a height difference of 12.5 meters, surpassing the Pandongshan Waterfall to become the longest artificial waterfall in Asia.

Social Value

Utilizing the outlet and the 12.5-meter height difference of the Panlong River, the construction of upper and lower pools and the waterfall allows for aeration, oxygenation, pollutant reduction, and sedimentation, which will improve and stabilize the water quality from the Niulan River.

Once completed, the park will serve as an emergency water source for Kunming city. In times of drought or extreme water shortages, it can supply up to 300,000 cubic meters of emergency water daily. The Waterfall Park is a multifunctional facility that integrates drinking water supply, urban flood control, water quality improvement, river channel rehabilitation, urban water supply, and landscape enhancement.

The entire park features wide roads, surrounded by lush landscaping adorned with shrubs and flowers. Additionally, the project includes two water bridges and two pedestrian bridges spanning the Panlong River, allowing visitors to feel the grandeur of the waterfall as they walk across them.

Visitor Flow

During the New Year holiday in 2016, the Kunming Waterfall Park (昆明瀑布公园), located beside Tianyulan Mountain (天宇澜山), opened its doors to the public for free, attracting a massive number of visitors as China’s largest artificial waterfall. The public transportation system was nearly overwhelmed. Reports indicate that during the New Year period, bus traffic to see the artificial waterfall reached 7,000 to 8,000 visitors per day.

It was reported that the two bus lines Z46 and Z65, which pass by the Waterfall Park, initially had an average daily ridership of 500 to 600 people. However, during the New Year holiday, the ridership surged more than 13 times, reaching 7,000 to 8,000 visitors in a single day. To accommodate the sudden influx of passengers, emergency plans were activated, increasing bus departures and introducing larger buses to manage the crowd. After the holiday, visitor numbers began to decline, but the enthusiasm remained high, and transportation services continued to adjust accordingly.