Magnificent Riverbed Waterfall Groups

Bird view of Zangbo Badong Waterfall (Taken by Li Bosheng)

　　From Xixing La downwards to entrance of Parlung Zangbo into the Great Canyon, the length of the river course is only more than 20 kilometers, but it is really the scarriest and the most miraculous section of the great canyon. The average slope-deflection of this section amounts to 9.6‰. Within the 2.9 kilometers section from Xixing La downwards to where Zangbobadong waterfall groups occur, the slope-deflection of the riverbed even amounts to 75.6‰. Moreover, within such a short distance, the river turns several times; some bends are S-shaped and some bends are even in right angle. All the river channels of the bends cut deeply into the base rock, and the spurs interlock with one another; according to our field measurement, the narrowest part is only 35 meters in width. In the rock groove valley, the rapid currents roll on in waves and usually waterfalls or waterfall groups would occur in the bend of the riverbed. Professor Zhang Wenjing, based on his eyewitness on site, raised the concept of waterfall groups for the first time. It means the waterfalls would occur in a series, i.e. within a short distance, there would be a bigger major 

The rushing Rongzha Waterfall

Whirlpool formed by rapid currents lashing the rocks

waterfall; and in its upstream or downstream, there would be a series of small waterfalls or head falls. Field measurement indicates that there are four waterfall groups within this section of the canyon. The order of the four waterfall groups from upstream to downstream is: 
Zangbobadong waterfall: it falls in two spells, the one in the left has a height of 33 meters and a width of 117 meters; the one on the left is 21.04 meters high.
Zangbobadong Waterfall, another name is Bailang waterfall: It has a height of 35 meters and a width of 62.57 meters.
Qiugudoulong waterfall: it has a height of 7-17 meters and a width of 40 meters.
Rongzha waterfall: it has a height of 30 meters and a width of 70 meters.
On the river bed down from Baimagexong, "the color waterfall' or "the rainbow waterfall" mentioned by a British Belly in the early of the 20th century and by F.K.WARD, were proved to have disappeared in this expedition. Only four waterfall relics were left on their original sites.