From Cloud-Peaked Thrills to Underground Wonders: Overseas Influencers’ “Extreme Crossing” of Wulong

Chongqing — On August 17, the "Cool Chongqing Journey" - part of the broader "Experience Chongqing, Seasonal Splendors" campaign - reached its climax. Eleven overseas influencers from eight countries drove Seres AITO M9 new energy vehicles from Nanchuan to Wulong, packing into a single day an extraordinary range of attractions: alpine vistas, a cliffside plank road, an underground karst cave, an emerald river gallery, and an immersive intangible-cultural-heritage performance. "There's so much to take in, but every second is worth it," they exclaimed.

Above the Clouds: The "Ugly-Cute" Charm of Flying Kiss and the Grandeur of Wangxian Cliff

The first stop was the Tianchi Qingyuan Scenic Area on Baima Mountain. At an elevation of 1,300 meters, the summit was veiled in mist like a fairyland. Yet the moment the influencers stepped out of their vehicles, their eyes were seized by a giant sculpture of peculiar shape - the Flying Kiss. Standing more than 50 meters tall, the sculpture draws on a thousand-year-old love legend. With its somewhat clumsy yet endearing appearance, it has become an internet-famous landmark affectionately described by netizens as "ugly-cute." The influencers surrounded it, photographing and laughing. Michele, an influencer from Italy, joked, "I want to put my face on it."

From the viewing platform of the Flying Kiss, the Wujiang River stretched below like a jade-green galaxy plunging into the mortal world, while the romantic peaks of Fairy Mountain shimmered across the river. Every casual shot of the majestic riverscape looked like a viral masterpiece, prompting the influencers to exclaim, "It's extremely imposing!"

Still not satisfied, the group set out along the Changkong Zhandao (Skywalk), built against karst cliffs shaped over hundreds of millions of years. The walkway stretches approximately 800 meters, with a vertical drop of 300 meters - the equivalent of a 100-story building. The transparent walkway hangs over the abyss, clinging to the cliff face. Every step was heart-pounding, and the adrenaline rush left the influencers cheering with excitement.

After the thrills, the mood shifted abruptly to calm. The influencers entered the Gu Li Go Academy, established under the leadership of Gu Li, a nine-dan professional Go player and eight-time world champion. At an altitude of 1,300 meters, Baima Mountain enjoys a cool year-round climate, with temperatures around 20°C. Amid green hills and seas of cloud, the influencers played Go with Chinese Go enthusiasts. Nearby, a tea master in a qipao elegantly demonstrated the "Twelve Tea Arts", including warming the cups and serving the tea, before offering the influencers a cup of "Fairy Red," a high-mountain tea from Baima Mountain. From the "ugly-cute" sculpture to quiet games of Go and tea tasting, and from heart-pounding excitement to peaceful contemplation, the sharp contrast within the same scenic area made the influencers marvel: "Wulong is such an interesting place - you never know what the next scene will be."

Wonderland at the Earth's Core: The Brilliance of Furong Cave and the Poetry of Furong River

Arriving at the Furong River, the water was as clear and emerald as jade, sparkling in the sunlight. Tour boats glided across the surface as if on silk. The lush gorges stretched more than ten kilometers on both banks, lined with ancient trees, fantastically shaped peaks, and a remarkable variety of natural formations. Water birds skimmed the surface and macaques played, creating a living scroll of vibrant landscape full of life. Leaning against the railings, the influencers immersed themselves in the poetic scene, with camera shutters filling the air.

Their enjoyment on the water had barely ended when another hidden wonder quietly revealed itself - Furong Cave. As a core area of a UNESCO World Natural Heritage site (South China Karst) and a national 5A scenic area, it ranks alongside Mammoth Cave in the United States and Clamouse Cave in France as one of the world's three great caves. While the sun blazed outside, the temperature inside the cave remained at a refreshing 18°C, making it feel like a natural air-conditioned room. Two hundred meters underground, this "underground art palace" features spectacular geological formations shaped over hundreds of millions of years. A giant curtain-like waterfall cascades down, countless needle-like formations line the walls, the Coral Jade Pool glistens like crystal, and sparkling crystal flowers illuminate the cave. Every formation is a geological treasure sculpted by the passage of time. Looking up in awe, the influencers exclaimed: "We've seen plenty of caves, but Furong Cave is definitely the top one!"

As the influencers walked along the path outside Furong Cave, several agile figures suddenly appeared on the roofs and corridors of the roadside rest station - a group of macaques squatting leisurely on the tile eaves, grooming themselves or nursing their young. Surprised and delighted, the influencers raised their phones to photograph and interact with these "original residents" from just a few steps away. The unexpected mountain encounter became an unforgettable surprise interlude of the trip.

Echoes in the Canyon: The Millennium Swan Song of Impression Wulong

As night fell, the true grand finale unfolded inside the U-shaped Taoyuan Grand Canyon. The entire natural gorge served as the stage for Impression Wulong - the night sky as curtain, the cliffs as screens, and the canyon's natural surround-sound carrying every shout straight to the heart. With Zhang Yimou as artistic consultant and jointly directed by Wang Chaoge and Fan Yue, Impression Wulong is the final installment in the renowned Impression series. Centered on the national-level intangible cultural heritage of the "Chuanjiang Working Song" (Chuanjiang Haozi), the performance brings the nearly vanished thousand-year trackers' culture of the Wujiang River onto the real-life stage.

During the 70-minute performance, the customs of the Ba-Yu region unfold one after another: the joys and sorrows of a traditional wedding, the powerful chants of stone-lifting work songs, the gentle sway of sedan chairs, and the lively atmosphere of hotpot gatherings. The most breathtaking scenes feature a boat suspended in mid-air and a group of trackers hauling ropes - bare-chested men roaring, ropes taut, as if trying to drag the entire great river. More than a hundred local performers sang with their natural voices, synchronized with 3D lasers and giant cliff projections. Sound, light, electricity, and the canyon's natural echoes resonated together, setting every spectator's blood racing.

The influencers' expressions shifted from focused concentration to deep emotion, and to reddened eyes. After the show, the Italian influencer could barely contain his excitement: "During the day I was laughing at that 'ugly-cute' sculpture. Now I can't say a word. Those trackers fighting the raging river with their flesh and blood. That power is so breathtaking." An Australian influencer was equally moved: "The sons and daughters of Ba-Yu using their bodies to confront the great rivers. That indomitable spirit, I truly felt it in this performance."

From bursts of laughter in front of the "ugly-cute" sculpture by day to silent tears in the canyon by night - the same day, the same Wulong, delivered two utterly different emotional peaks. And this is precisely Wulong's charm: it never plays by the usual rules, yet it always strikes the softest places in people's hearts with the most sincere means.

This appointment with mountains and rivers that transcends language and national borders is now traveling farther into the world through the influencers' lenses and shares.

(Tan Rui and Chen Xiangling, as interns, also contributed to this article.)