A wild ride

We relaxed as the rubber dinghy floated downstream while singing a melodious song accompanied by the hum of river.

I felt like I was in Ang Lee's film, Life of Pi, but without the tiger or death. Amazing scenery passed by and we drifted leisurely downstream.

When we paddled, the rubber dinghy gently drifted forward.

When the rubber dinghy passed a shallow, fast moving part of the river, we felt like we were riding a wild horse, crashing against rocks, giving us an adrenaline-pumping taste of adventure.

Forty minutes went by before we knew it. A waterfall soon appeared before us.

We managed to descend the waterfall and enjoyed the rush of the free-flowing water.

We completely forgot about life's problems in the calm, cool water. We floated and enjoyed the scenery along the river: steep cliffs, lofty peaks, roaring waterfalls, winding rivers and crystal-clear water.

It felt like we were traveling through time as we came upon ancient fossils of marine life billions of years old and underground views of miraculous karst landforms.

Finally, we reached the highlight of our journey, a waterfall with a 200-meter drop. We screamed at the top of our lungs as our rubber dinghy fell through the water.

A good drifting experience not only brings excitement and thrills, but also washes away the dust and noise of urban life.

Drifting in Taoyuan River is too exciting and crossing the cave feels like magic, like entering a fantasyland. It was a multi-level experience for me, a "feast for the senses", as another traveler described it.

Up to now, Taoyuan River has received 150,000 visitors this year and the number will reach 200,000 by the end of the year, according to Liu.