In recent years, local people have turned this border village in Daxin county, Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region, into a tourist destination.
The resort is built on stilts, the style of the Zhuang ethnic group's houses called diaojiaolou. Rising above ground, the design is meant to avoid insects and animals and features beautiful overhanging eaves.
But, the resort's interior is more fanciful than we expected. The rooms are decorated with cozy wooden floors and equipped with a low bed, and a small tea table. The other facilities are of a five-star hotel standard.
The road to Detian Falls is dubbed a "hundred-mile photo gallery", and not without reason. Many TV dramas have been shot there, we were told.
Besides beautiful scenery, Detian's lush tropical forests are an abundant source of Chinese medicinal herbs.
Detian is also known for its karst caves and landscapes.
Remnants of the war between China and Vietnam in 1979 are evident in some parts of the historical suburb, with small underground tunnels dug by Chinese soldiers to hide from artillery shelling.
The road to Detian Falls runs parallel along Guichun River, which borders China and Vietnam. Because of the proximity, one gets to see Vietnamese vendors who cross the river to sell their products at local weekend markets in Detian.
Winter is not the best season to visit the waterfalls, which have the lowest volume of water. But it is the best time to avoid the crowds if you plan China tours in Guangxi.
It is said that one third of Detian Falls belongs to Vietnam and two thirds to China. Just 50 meters to its left is a smaller waterfall called Ban Gioc Falls, which belongs to Vietnam.
Detian Falls is a three-level waterfall 200 meters wide and dropping 60 meters.
Visitors can ride a bamboo raft, which costs 30 yuan ($5), to see the waterfall up close. It doesn't look imposing from a distance, but when you are on the raft, you realize how small your raft is compared to the waterfall.
After the raft ride, you can climb the man-made stairs to the top of the waterfall.
A transnational market about 600 meters from the waterfall is a good place for souvenir shopping. A wide range of Vietnamese products are available, like coffee, rosewood bracelets and toys made of bullets and bombshells.
It is also a good spot to take a photo of the China-Vietnam border mark, which was erected in the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911).
Tourists first walk down 817 steps to the bottom of the canyon. The path is lined with lush tropical plants, such as huge gomuti palm trees and tree ferns, a rare species that have survived since the age of dinosaurs.
The walk is about 3 km, but because it is a winding path, it feels much longer.
At the end of the path, you will see Tongling Waterfall, which spreads 30 meters wide and drops 188 meters. Right below it is a stalactites cave with smaller waterfalls. You may experience water dripping from above in some parts of the cave, which feels a bit ghastly.
If you are stuck for the idea where to go after Guilin tours, you can consider Detian.
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