A Journey Across the Yellow River's North and South
Our grandson is on summer break, so we two are also taking off.
On July 12, we took the K152 train from Shanghai Station to Henan.
On July 13, we arrived at Zhengzhou Station on time. A car rental guy delivered the car to the station exit. First stop: Huixian Baoquan Tourist Area (5A). It was summer break plus weekend, so even the huge parking lot was overflowing. A scenic shuttle bus took us to the cable car station, which went straight up to Yaitianxia (Cliff World). Baoquan once graced the cover of China Geographic magazine, but now the area has been turned into a large amusement park (glass bridge, cliff swing, bungee jumping, roller coaster, via ferrata). At the end, a cave sightseeing elevator can take you down to the grand canyon, or you can take an electric cart back to the cable car station. The canyon's waterfalls and streams are especially family-friendly (fish-scale dam, bamboo rafting, parent-child water play). You can walk slowly along the stream after playing, or take an electric cart to the bus stop to exit the scenic area. The area is elderly-friendly, with few climbs or options for rail cars and electric carts (free for seniors).
On July 14, Baligou Scenic Area is only half an hour's drive from Baoquan (5A). There is a new, spacious parking lot and visitor center. To visit the attractions (Baligou, Jiulianshan, Tianjieshan), you need to take a shuttle bus (ticket and bus valid for 3 days). Baligou is about 4 km long, hence its name. You can walk upstream along the creek (or take an electric cart) to the Tianhe Waterfall at the valley bottom. Behind the waterfall, a water curtain cave has been artificially carved out, allowing you to pass through. Climbing the Heavenly Ladder takes you to explore above the waterfall (there is now an elevator). Jiulianshan is close to Baligou, while Tianjieshan requires taking a shuttle in another direction. These two areas feature the landscapes of the southern Taihang Mountains. Since the cable car was under repair, we didn't bother with the strenuous climb.
From Huixian, Henan, we drove to Lingchuan, Shanxi, climbing the Taihang Mountains on a highway that twisted like a pretzel, with tunnels one after another. Not far off the highway was Wangmangling. Named after Wang Mang of the Western Han who pursued Liu Xiu and set up camp here, it is the highest peak in the southern Taihang Range (4A). A shuttle or cable car goes straight to the summit, where there are large service facilities – the best place to watch sunrise and sunset. Nearby attractions include Guituofeng (Turtle Camel Peak) and Liuxiu Tiao (Liuxiu's Leap), as well as a Taihang Mountain Red Imprint Exhibition and a Geological Museum. The shuttle ride to Xiyagou passes through a thrilling cliff-hanging road. The driver sped through, and we barely got a look before it was over. After development, Xiyagou now has complete facilities and beautiful scenery, a great summer retreat.
On July 15, Wanxianshan is famous for Guoliang Village, which gained recognition for its cliff corridor and movies. A shuttle took us to the cliff corridor, where we walked through a 1,250-meter cliff tunnel. In the 1970s, villagers used hammers and steel chisels to manually excavate this road on a 1,700-meter cliff, forever changing Guoliang Village's history. Today, Guoliang Village is a popular internet-famous tourist destination. Inside the village's Party-mass service center, there is an introduction to how old party secretary Shen Mingxin led the villagers in carving the mountain road. Three kilometers east of the village are the film set's watchtower and the Heavenly Ladder. The Heavenly Ladder, dating back to the Ming Dynasty, was built along the cliff and was once the only way for villagers to enter and exit; a section is preserved for tourists to experience. A shuttle took us to Nanping, where a 4 km walk offers natural mountain scenery and canyon waterfalls. It was scorching hot, and the climb was tough. We gave up and returned to the hotel in Linzhou city to rest.
On July 16, after a half-day rest, we continued our southern Taihang tour. Linzhou Taihang Grand Canyon (5A) consists of three parts: Taohuagu (Peach Blossom Valley), Taihang Tianlu (Taihang Sky Road), and Wangxiangyan (Wang Xiang Rock). Taohuagu is 4 km long with an elevation difference of nearly a kilometer. The valley features strange peaks, springs, ponds, and cascading waterfalls. The winding Taohua Stream runs through the canyon, with grass and vines hanging along both banks. Walking and sightseeing took about 2 hours. Out of the valley, we took a shuttle along Taihang Tianlu, which is about 30 km long. The sky road atop the Taihang Mountains is an excellent vantage point for overlooking the magnificent Taihang scenery. There are stops along the way for sightseeing and activities (glass bridge, zip line, suspension gallery), before returning to the visitor center to exit the scenic area. Wangxiangyan is about 3 km from the visitor center. Legend says that King Wu Ding of the Shang dynasty, obeying his father's order, worked alongside the common people here and met the brilliant Fu Yue. When Wu Ding ascended the throne, he broke the ancestral rule that slaves could not hold office and appointed Fu Yue as his prime minister. Their harmonious collaboration brought the Yin-Shang dynasty to its peak. Later generations renamed the place where they lived to Wangxiangyan in memory of this history. The scenic route goes up from the left and down from the right. After crossing the Danghun Bridge and the Muma Slope, only a narrow cliff-hugging plank road leads straight to the top, which is quite arduous. After reaching Yangtian Pool, you can descend or continue climbing the Moutian Tube Ladder, then stoop and bow your head along the cliff plank road to Yuhuang Pavilion, and finally descend via the Heavenly Ladder. Near the exit, there are sites like Wangxiang Village.
On the way back to the city, we passed Taihang Pavilion, which looked magnificent in the sunset! Unfortunately, there were few tourists, and we couldn't ascend the tower.
On July 17, in the 1960s, the "Divert the Zhang River to Linzhou" project (later renamed the Red Flag Canal) made Linzhou famous nationwide. Today, we visited it. The Red Flag Canal Scenic Area (5A) includes a museum and the Qingnian Cave (Youth Cave). The museum fully reflects the history of the canal's construction. Nearby are the water distribution gate, a monument, and garden landscapes. Qingnian Cave is located on the cliff of the Taihang Mountains and was the most difficult control project of the canal. The two sites are 20 km apart (shuttle available). To reach Qingnian Cave halfway up the mountain, you can walk or take an electric cart. The cave is over 600 meters long, and you can take a boat through it. The Red Flag Canal spirit—"self-reliance, hard struggle, solidarity and cooperation, selfless dedication"—was born in the 1960s but embodies the nature and purpose of the Communist Party of China. Known as the "Artificial River in the Sky," the canal attracts many visitors and learners.
Following National Highway 234 into Hebei Province, we arrived at Shexian County at the eastern foot of the southern Taihang Mountains. A sign pointed to "129th Division Headquarters Site"; we decisively turned off for an unplanned red tourism stop. At the village entrance stood statues of Liu Bocheng, Deng Xiaoping, and their comrades. To the right was Victory Square; uphill led to General's Ridge and a monument. A hundred meters ahead was the 129th Division Exhibition Hall. Though small, it detailed the growth of the 129th Division and the Shanxi-Hebei-Shandong-Henan Base Area. To the left, within the Red Bank Village headquarters site, were the meeting room, operations room, code room, and the living/office rooms of Liu Bocheng and Deng Xiaoping. Behind the village were air-raid shelters, kitchens, and the landlords' former residences.
Wahuang Palace (5A) is located in Zhonghuang Mountain, a branch of the Taihang Mountains in Shexian County. Legend says it is the place where Nüwa molded humans from clay and smelted stones to repair the sky. Enter the scenic area and walk or take an electric cart to the foot of the mountain, where there are Bantian Square, Chaoyuan Palace, Guangsheng Palace, Tingcan Palace, and Lüxian Temple. Then climb via the 18-bend mountain path. Wahuang Palace faces east and looks west; climbing in the afternoon with the sun beating down was exhausting! The main building, Nüwa Pavilion, is built against the cliff, 23 meters high, with four stories. The first story is a natural stone cave, while the upper three are pure wood pavilions. Without a deep foundation, clever craftsmen connected the cliff and the building with nine iron chains to maintain balance, earning it the names "Living Building" and "Hanging Temple."
On July 18, we spent the night in Handan, a city that hasn't changed its name in 3,000 years and has the most origin stories of Chinese idioms. In Congtai Park, the Wuling Congtai was first built in the late Eastern Zhou period. It was where King Wuling of Zhao reviewed troops and enjoyed music and dance. The current structure, rebuilt during the Tongzhi era of the Qing dynasty, is a 23-meter-high blue-brick terrace, a witness to the history of the Zhao capital. Behind the terrace, the Seven Virtuous Sages Shrine commemorates seven loyal and able ministers who greatly influenced the State of Zhao. The park is open free all day and is a leisure spot for Handan residents.
About 25 km from Handan, Guangfu Ancient City (5A) was first built in the Tang dynasty; the existing structures are from the Ming. It sits in the center of 45,000 mu of Yongnian Lake, surrounded by a 100-meter-wide moat. The city covers an area of 1.5 square kilometers, with east, west, south, north gates and corner towers. The city walls and gates are well preserved. The ancient city is open; climbing the city wall (South Gate), visiting the ancient government office, and old residences require tickets. The east and west gates have barbicans; small vehicles can pass through the north and west gates. However, the roads inside the city are narrow and the residential buildings are messy, so drive carefully.
Via the Jing-Guang-Ao Expressway, we arrived at Anyang City. 3,300 years ago, King Pan Geng of the Shang dynasty moved the capital to Yin, where it passed through eight generations and twelve kings over 255 years. King Wu of Zhou defeated Zhou, the last Shang king, and destroyed Shang; the Yin capital gradually fell into ruin, historically known as the "Yin Ruins." The new Yinxu Museum, opened in 2024, stands like a giant tripod in water, with the oracle bone script characters "大邑商" (Great City Shang) on its bronze-colored gate. The main exhibition "Great Shang Civilization" on the second floor displays over 4,000 artifacts including bronzes, pottery, jade, and oracle bones. Among them are China's earliest systematic oracle bone script, China's earliest chariot pit ruins, the tomb of China's earliest female general Fu Hao, and the world's largest and heaviest bronze artifact, the Houmuwu Ding (also known as Simuwu Ding). On the first floor are the "Exploring Shang Civilization" and "Wind Rustling, Horses Neighing" (chariot pit) halls. The third floor houses the "World's Shang Civilization" hall and two special exhibitions. The Yinxu Museum is a cornerstone for exploring the origins of Chinese civilization; the discovery of oracle bones pushed Chinese recorded history back a thousand years. The hot weather made the museum's air conditioning quite pleasant. We did not visit the Yin Ruins site itself.
In the evening, we checked into a hotel near Wenfeng Pagoda in Anyang city. Wenfeng Pagoda, first built in 952, has a unique umbrella shape—wide at the top and narrow at the bottom—rare both in China and abroad.
On July 19, Tangyin County is less than 20 km from Anyang. First stop: Youli City, the first recorded national prison in China. King Zhou of Shang imprisoned King Wen of Zhou (Ji Chang) here for seven years. It was here that King Wen expanded the Eight Trigrams of Fuxi into the 64 hexagrams, completing the I Ching (Book of Changes) and laying the foundation of ancient Chinese philosophy. Youli City contains rich cultural remains from the Longshan to Zhou and Shang periods. Main attractions include the King Wen Temple, Yiyi Terrace, Youli Well, and the Eight Trigrams Array. There is also the Tu'er Zhong (Vomited Son Mound). Legend has it that King Wen, after painfully eating the flesh of his eldest son Bo Yikao, soon vomited it up. Later generations gathered earth at the spot to form a mound in mourning.
Second stop: Tangyin Yue Fei Temple. One of the three major Yue Fei temples in China; the other two are in Hangzhou (where Yue Fei was killed) and Zhuxian Town, Henan (where Yue Fei was victorious over the Jin army but then recalled and murdered). Tangyin is Yue Fei's birthplace. The temple faces south, with six courtyards. Main structures include the Jingzhong Archway, Main Hall, Yue Yun Shrine, Four Sons Shrine, Xiao'e Shrine, and Yue Ke Shrine. To the right of the mountain gate, in front of the Shi Quan Shrine, there are five iron kneeling statues of the traitors Qin Hui, his wife王氏, Mo Qixie, Zhang Jun, and Wang Jun, which are spat upon by visitors. History will forever remember a good man and never let a wicked man off.
Taking the expressway to Shibaotou, Weihui City, Xinxiang, then Provincial Road 227 to Longwo Village. Under the Changlin Stone Chamber of the Lin family ancestral court is Lin Yuan Cave. Legend says it is the birthplace of Lin Jian, the posthumous son of Bi Gan, and is recognized globally as the origin of the Lin surname. In the Bigan Temple Village of Weihui, there is a temple-tomb integrated complex—temple in front, tomb behind. Along the central axis are memorial archways, sacred way, mountain gate, worship hall, main hall, stele pavilion, and tomb mound (the tomb of Bi Gan is China's earliest mound-style tomb). The Confucius sword-carved stele in front of the tomb is protected as a cultural relic. Bi Gan is deeply beloved by the people and revered as the Civil God of Wealth. Bigan Temple is a pilgrimage site for the global Lin clan to trace their roots, and a place for ordinary people to commemorate loyalty, pray for wealth, fame, and bless merchants.
We smoothly returned to Zhengzhou city. It was still early, so we went to the Henan Museum. It happened to be a summer weekend, and there were many visitors. The museum's main building is based on the Yuan dynasty ancient star observatory, artistically exaggerated into a "crowned pyramid." There are four floors of exhibition halls. The crowd was shoulder-to-shoulder, and we left without a detailed look.
On July 20, after returning the car, we took G3494 from Zhengzhou East Station to Tangshan. Upon arrival, we rented a car and headed to the city center's Earthquake Memorial Monument. In the rain and mist, the monument square seemed somewhat deserted. Beside the square is the Earthquake Memorial Museum, which was under renovation and closed.
On July 21, at the entrance of the Tangshan Earthquake Ruins Park, a broken clock points to 3:42:52.8, July 28, 1976—the moment of a magnitude 7.8 earthquake that instantly killed over 240,000 people and flattened a million-population industrial city. Twelve tall nameplates of the deceased remind future generations of that difficult time. The park's main sculpture on either side depicts the sorrow, helplessness, despair at the earthquake's onset, then unity and concerted efforts in disaster relief. Just like the lone old locust tree in the park, with dead branches yet always sprouting fresh green leaves, a new, better Tangshan has risen.
Tangshan Nanhu Park was built on the former subsidence area of the Kailuan coal mine. It hosted the 2016 World Horticultural Exposition and is now a 5A scenic area. The massive park covers nearly 10 km around; you can take a small train or electric cart, or rent e-bikes and bicycles. Attractions include Longshan (Dragon Hill), Danfeng Chaoyang (Red Phoenix Facing the Sun), a botanical garden, and various recreational activities.
Hetou Old Street is located alongside the Tangshan Ancient Canal. It is said to have a nice light show at night, but under the summer sun there was little to see, and the artificially created ancient street charged 98 yuan for admission. We passed it by.
On July 22, we stayed overnight in Zunhua City, Tangshan. Besides sightseeing, we also came here to visit relatives. Relatives told us about Xinglong Mountain, a 40-minute drive away. We drove via the Chengde-Tangshan Expressway, turned right at Baimachuan, and arrived at the scenic area's transfer center parking lot. After buying tickets, we took a bus to the Shepigou scenic area entrance. Facing a waterfall with the inscription "Great Rivers and Mountains," we then climbed the 2,080 steps of the Haohan Slope to the sightseeing elevator (cable car also available). The elevator took us to a higher cliffside walking path. Down in the mountains it was scorching, but up top it was cool and comfortable. After crossing the Huiqiao Bridge, Sifang Cave, Huilong Bridge, and a glass bridge, we returned to the cable car's upper station via the Wolong Canyon. The entire circuit took about 3-5 hours.
On July 23, we gathered with relatives and shared family ties.
On July 24, returning to Tangshan, we first visited the Kailuan National Mine Park and the China Railway Source Museum. Tangshan prospered because of the Kailuan coal mine, and railways were built to transport the coal. The Kailuan Coal Mine Museum has three floors, detailing the mine's history and development. The most surprising part was taking a straight elevator down to the -2 floor for an underground exploration tour. The main transport tunnel showed everything from mule-drawn coal carts to railcars, and side tunnels displayed from manual coal mining to automated mechanized mining. Finally, we rode a short train and took three escalators back to the surface. Next door, the China Railway Source Museum introduced the first railway built for coal transport in China: the Tangxu Railway. Later extended to Tianjin, it became part of the Beijing-Shenyang Railway and is still in operation, integrated into China's railway network, earning its title as the source of Chinese railways. Outside the museum, old locomotives are displayed, the old Tangshan Station has been rebuilt, and a cross-line bridge is preserved for visitors to climb and look into the distance.
We heard that the Food Culture Museum is a Tangshan tourism business card. The huge parking lot was overflowing, and indoors it was packed. This museum is not a simple introduction; it covers everything for eating, drinking, and having fun. The first floor is a snack world plus various cultural displays; the second and third floors are banquet restaurants; and above are hotel accommodations.
We returned to Tangshan Station, returned the car, and took the G1202 high-speed train back to Shanghai, ending this long summer self-driving tour across the Yellow River's north and south.
