Scorching summer heat is now sweeping across Guangdong province with high temperature alerts effective in most cities, including Guangzhou. With the mercury levels on the rise, people are eager to seek places to cool off. Rafting, an exciting sport that offers non-stop water fun in lower temperature in the embrace of nature, is a great choice for summer escape.

Silk Road Post offers a list of top spots for thrilling rafting tours around Guangzhou to help you  escape from sweltering summer heat and have fun.

Bishui Valley, 

Conghua district 

从化碧水峡

Photo/Bishui Valley

One of the most popular rafting spots in Guangdong province, Bishui Valley is located at Tiantangding Mountain, Guangzhou's topmost mountain with an altitude of 1,285 meters. The 3.8-kilometer rafting waterway, with a total fall of nearly 380 meters, will take rafters on a thrilling journey rushing down deep ravines and traversing the lush wild forest. Feel free to scream!

Huangteng Valley, 

Qingyuan city 

清远黄腾峡

Photo/Huangtengxia Eco-tourism Scenic Spot

Huangtengxia (or Huangteng Valley) Eco-tourism Scenic Spot, a national AAAA tourist attraction, has hosted many national and international rafting competitions. The attraction is only 3.8 kilometers from downtown Qingyuan and around 1.5 hours' drive from downtown Guangzhou, making it an ideal destination for a one-day trip on weekends. The 4.8-kilometer waterway, featuring over 130 drops, will be a 150- to 180-mintue adventure for people to enjoy not just the fast-paced sport but also awe-inspiring scenery lining both sides.

Photo/Huangtengxia Eco-tourism Scenic Spot

Apart from rafting, another attraction — Tianmen Gallery, Guangdong's highest circular glass bridge — will greet tourists with breathtaking views. The tennis-racket shaped gallery extends 368 meters out from a cliff and is 500 meters high, equivalent to the height of a 166-floor building; it is only 100 meters lower than the Canton Tower.

Jiudao Valley, 

Foshan city 

佛山三水九道谷

Photo/Jiudao Valley Ecological Tourism Resort

Covering an area of 3200 mu (about 2.13 million square meters), Jiudao Valley Ecological Tourism Resort in northwest Foshan is celebrated as one of the top 10 rafting destinations in the province. Characterized by nine bends, five valleys and 30 beaches, the 3.8-kilometer watercourse wows rafters with a total drop of 238 meters, enabling them to experience a "roller coaster in water" during the two-hour journey.

Xiangshui River, 

Huizhou city 

惠州博罗响水河

Photo/Xiangshui River

Xiangshui River flows down from Luofu Mountain (罗浮山), which makes the list of China's "natural oxygen bars". The watercourse for rafting stretches 3.5 kilometers with a total fall of 50 meters. Visitors will be amazed, when drifting down the river, by a rare landscape — moulins, a kind of glacier landform shaped by meltwater that can date back to the glacial period three million years ago. The whole journey will take about two hours.