The Chishui River or "red water" has brought blessings and curses.
When it rains, the river turns blood red and its banks are full of poisonous snakes.
In the old stories, the local population believed that dragons lived in the depths of the river. They hunt fish and shrimp on a large scale when it rains, turning the river blood red.
In another version, the red color comes from the blood of a serpent demon who breaks the law and suffers the punishment of the gods. The snake demon eggs hatch into poisonous snakes on both sides of the river.
On rainy days, the wind and rain wash away the fine red sand from the surface of the sandstone, which then flows into the Chishui River, dyeing the river water crimson, forming a red Chishui like a dragon.
The environment of the area is conducive to deadly poisonous snakes on both sides of the river bank. Also, snakes thrive in this area due to the humid climate.
Hence, the locals avoid approaching this area when it rains. Even a slight bite can cause death.
