Chongqing- The Mountain City of Chongqing has a long-standing reputation as one of the "Furnaces of China," thanks to blazing hot summers. Yet, there are many fantastic getaway options tucked amid the seemingly infinite backdrops of towering green ridges. 

Canyoning is a prime example that has taken outdoor enthusiasts by storm in the Chongqing mountains, and in this vlog, iChongqing reporter James Alexander experiences a thrilling climb down the rushing waters of Jindao Canyon in Beibei District.

This 4A scenic area 90 kilometers north of downtown Chongqing has everything from vertical karst cliff faces, emerald streams, waterfalls, and fascinating rock formations situated around 880 meters above sea level, making it perfect for summer visitors looking to cool off amid the natural beauty of this deep canyon.

While the canyoning activity stretches for 1.8 kilometers, with high platform dives, rack wall climbing, underground rivers, and slides down narrow and slippery rock chutes, along with icy cold waters gushing forcibly downstream, there are more gentle options available such as rafting, or taking a stroll on the canyon walkway 7 kilometers long.

The canyoning challenge at Jindao Canyon involves high dives, rock wall climbing, underground rivers, and rock slides (Photo/James Alexander)

In recent years, Jindao Canyon has optimized the experience through professional safety gear and trainers who guide visitors along the full course, demonstrating the best ways to safely overcome each challenge and providing warm words of encouragement when fatigue begins to creep in, and shivers take hold from the cold mountain waters.

Our guide this day, Xiao Mi, explained that over 200,000 visitors have taken on the canyoning challenge to date, eighty percent of whom have generally been able to complete the course successfully, and no serious accidents have been recorded so far.

The main challenges at Jindao Canyon include the chilly gorge waters, overcoming personal fears, and determination to physically complete the 1.8-kilometer long course (Photo/James Alexander)

Xiao Mi also explained the three main challenges are getting used to the cold water temperatures ranging between 18-20 degrees Celcius, overcoming the trepidation of diving from high ledges into deep pools, and mustering the physical stamina and determination to complete the last section when the cold and fatigue starts to play a major factor.

In this first canyoning experience vlog on iChongqing, follow James on this exciting descent through Jindao Canyon and place this beautiful location on your must-do list if you happen to be in Chongqing over the summer months of July and August.

(Zhang Hengyu and Guo Juntao, as interns, also contributed to this report)