If you have a fear of heights, the Enshi Grand Canyon will either cure it or break you. I consider myself brave, but as I stepped onto the "Precipice Plank Road," my knees turned to water.
This concrete walkway clings to the vertical face of a 1,700-meter high cliff. There is no ground beneath you—just a sheer drop into the abyss. I hugged the cliff wall at first, refusing to look down. But the view demanded attention. The canyon floor was a tapestry of green fields and winding rivers, so far down they looked like a model train set.
I forced myself to let go of the wall. The wind up here was fierce, whipping my hair across my face. I walked towards the "One Incense Stick" (Yizhu Xiang), the canyon's most famous rock formation. It defies physics. A slender pillar of rock, 150 meters tall but only 4 meters thick at its narrowest point, standing alone in the void. It looks like it could topple with a strong push, yet it has stood for millennia. Legend says it is an incense stick given by a deity to the local people to light in times of trouble.
Seeing it against the backdrop of drifting clouds, I felt a hush fall over the noisy tour group. It was a natural totem, commanding respect.
After the adrenaline of the hike, the hunger set in. I stopped at a small Tujia family restaurant near the exit. The owner, a woman in traditional embroidered clothing, brought out a plate of Tujia smoked pork. The meat was translucent, with a deep, smoky aroma from being cured over cypress branches. It was salty, fatty, and incredibly savory, especially when washed down with "Bowl-Breaking Wine" (Shuai Wan Jiu). The tradition is to drink the rice wine and smash the ceramic bowl for good luck.
Smash! The sound of breaking pottery echoed through the restaurant. With a belly full of pork and wine, and the memory of the cliff edge still tingling in my feet, I felt truly alive.