2019 Tales of Shaanxi and Shanxi

The eight hundred li of Qin land, the Loess Plateau—in people's minds, this ancient land is tumultuous and weathered, toilsome and red. Yet beneath its magical loess terrain lie many breathtaking natural wonders. I came specifically for the Jingbian Wave Valley and the Yucha Grand Canyon, which are said to rival the Wave and Antelope Canyons in the United States. This route also includes some sights in Shanxi, a province rich in natural and cultural landscapes. When I first backpacked through Shanxi in 2008, I exclaimed, 'Shanxi is a wonderful place.' This trip conveniently avoided the spots I had already visited. Unexpectedly, the Ten-Thousand-Year Ice Cave and Laoniu Bay in Shanxi were delightful surprises. Summer in the north is quite pleasant—though the sun can be a bit scorching, the temperature difference between day and night is large, making it very cool, and the breeze isn't as sticky as in the south. The tales of Shaanxi and Shanxi offer a different palette of summer colors, a ruggedness and resilience you can't find elsewhere. If there's one thing that feels uncomfortable, it's the dryness—an all-encompassing dryness. On the day of departure, a typhoon was approaching, and Shanghai was drenched in torrential rain. We waited at the airport for four hours, nearly missing the flight. Then during the seven days in Shaanxi and Shanxi, it didn't rain a single day.

D1: (August 9) Shanghai – Taiyuan. We waited at the airport for too long; delays kept being announced, and flights kept getting canceled. When we finally got clearance to take off, my anxiety was relieved. Flying over the thick cloud layer, we arrived in Taiyuan. I could even catch a glimpse of the sunset glow at Wusu Airport—under the same sky, rain in the east, clear skies in the west.

When traveling in August, you must factor in typhoons and allow extra time to avoid delays messing up the rest of the itinerary. I took the airport bus to the hotel. My travel companion from Hangzhou was still stuck by the typhoon and hadn't taken off yet, so I was relatively lucky. The night in Taiyuan was cool and breezy. Near the scenic spot, I had a bowl of steaming hot lamb soup with flatbread. The lamb soup and noodles in Shanxi are truly authentic.

D2: (August 10) Taiyuan – Ten-Thousand-Year Ice Cave – Laoniu Bay. The Ten-Thousand-Year Ice Cave is located in Ningwu County, Xinzhou, Shanxi (about 200+ kilometers, over 3 hours). I hadn't heard of this ice cave before—my knowledge is limited. This magical ice cave was formed 3 million years ago during the Ice Age, and its discovery shocked the world. Scientists call it a 'geothermal negative anomaly.' Even in the hottest summer, when outside the cave grass is green and flowers are in full bloom, inside it's bitterly cold with ice carvings and jade-like structures. The relative depth of the cave is over 100 meters. The stalactites inside never melt year-round, and the deeper you go, the thicker the ice. At the entrance, we took a shuttle bus to the cave mouth. Sitting in the bus, I felt a chill; even wearing a jacket, I was cold. Some overly cautious people had already put on down jackets. Walking down from the entrance, it was indeed freezing. Don't wear sandals—they're not only cold but also slippery. The cave isn't very spacious; you walk in single file, and it takes at most an hour to go around. A jacket is enough to withstand the cold.

The ice stalactites inside are very thick. Under the colorful lights, they gleam coldly—breathtaking! Every snapshot looks gorgeous. There are plenty of exquisite pictures online, so I won't post many here.

After visiting the ice cave, the nearby Luya Mountain scenic area wasn't on our itinerary, so we headed straight for Laoniu Bay. The drive was long—another 200+ kilometers—and seemed endless. Laoniu Bay is in Pianguan County, Xinzhou, and is the first place the Yellow River enters Shanxi. Due to its unique terrain, the limestone cliffs are jagged and interlocking. At dusk, we arrived at Baozi Tower Bay (the guide called it Qiankun Bay; I'm not sure if it's the same place). Because the local government was repairing roads, we might have been taken to a different viewpoint. Even if they are different, the views should be similar. The Yellow River was somewhat dry, full of mud. If the water level rises, there are boats.

The road after that was very rough, and the village was under road construction. According to the guide, construction had been going on for over a year, and when it rains, it's even worse. At a steep curve, our big bus got stuck and couldn't go up. We had to call the village to send a car to pick us up. So we unloaded our luggage and waited for a transfer. Riding a big bus is more comfortable, but it's awkward when the road conditions are poor. As we waited, it got dark, and our hope of watching the sunset at Laoniu Village faded. We waited over two hours for a place that would normally take half an hour to reach.

We walked along a path in the pitch dark. Surprisingly, Laoniu Bay turned out to be a hidden gem. In the courtyard of our accommodation, vinegar jars were everywhere, and the rooms were decorated like traditional heated brick beds (kang)—quite interesting.

D3: (August 11) Laoniu Bay – Lotus Formation – Shenmu. I got up early to watch the sunrise. The accommodation had an open view, making it convenient for sunrise watching, but the clouds were thick, and we waited a long time without seeing it. After breakfast, we toured the village. The Great Wall extends here along steep, prominent mountains, running parallel with the Yellow River southward, like two dragons dancing together—the first meeting of the Great Wall and the Yellow River.

An ancient military fortress along the Great Wall—Laoniu Bay Fort—is located here.

This is the first bend of the Yellow River as it enters Shanxi.

The weather was excellent. 'The Yellow River has eighteen winding bends; the sacred ox plowed a furrow to Pianguan, startled by a bright lamp, turned and plowed out Laoniu Bay.'

Laoniu Village is a quaint, tranquil village. Under the daytime sun, there was little shade; it was scorching. If you can arrange your time well, it's better to visit the village in the evening. I quite liked this place. Probably because I grew up near the Yellow River and have a kind of Yellow River complex: I've ridden a sheepskin raft on the Yellow River in Lanzhou, witnessed the spectacular Hukou Waterfall, and seen the serene Tangke Nine-Bend Yellow River. Now I've seen the first meeting of the Yellow River and the Great Wall. It all blends with many Yellow River verses in my mind, allowing me to ponder for a long time. Also, due to its special geographical location, there are very few people here, like a self-sufficient paradise. Gazing across the river, you see the border between Shanxi and Inner Mongolia.

From Laoniu Bay, we headed to Lotus Formation in Fugu County, Shaanxi. Across the river is Shaanxi. Taking a ferry is faster than driving.

From the viewing platform, the rocks were a mix of red and white, displaying the Danxia landform of the Yellow River. This place hasn't been fully developed. The Pisha sandstone isn't very red, so it's not as stunning as the promotional pictures, but it has the advantage of being vast.

Under the blazing sun, we had no interest in hiking. There were few people; we took a quick look and called it done. We took the ferry back to Shanxi, then drove to Shenmu in Shaanxi.

D4: (August 12) Shenmu – Qingshui River Grand Canyon – Red Stone Gorge – Yulin.

Shenmu's Erlang Mountain: Not high, just a morning exercise after waking up. Then we headed to Qingshui River Grand Canyon.

A little drama unfolded at Qingshui River Grand Canyon, which is a free undeveloped scenic spot. Before entering the canyon, a ditch blocked our way. The ditch was about 3–4 meters wide. We had been warned to bring river shoes, but our group was not well-prepared. People were stumped and debated whether to continue. Some wanted to give up, but about half insisted on crossing. In the end, we just took off our shoes and walked across barefoot—it wasn't deep, just below the calf.

The Qingshui River Grand Canyon turned out to be just the view in the promotional photos. I wonder what it's like to hike the full trail, but we just made a loop and returned. This was the first time I encountered such unusual people in a travel group, especially on a route that was supposed to be semi-outdoorsy. It was quite disappointing. The original plan was to hike for 2–3 hours, but because of the heat and because most of the group didn't want to walk, we just took a brief look and ended.

Red Stone Gorge: Located about 5 km north of Yulin city center, at the foot of Red Hill along the Ming Great Wall in the Yuxi River valley. Locals call it 'Xiong Stone Gorge' because the mountain is made of red rocks. Inside the gorge, there are strange peaks, clear water, numerous grottoes and ancient temples, and the largest group of cliff carvings in Shaanxi Province. Most works date from the Ming and Qing dynasties, not extremely old, but some bear calligraphy by famous figures. The earliest relics in Red Stone Gorge are temples and grottoes carved during the Song and Yuan dynasties, but now, aside from some cave paintings and carvings, nothing remains.

Many people were playing on the sandy beach of Red Stone Gorge. It wasn't hot in the evening, and it's rare to see a river. Kids couldn't wait to splash around. Sitting by the bank watching them was nice—finally some shade. All day long we had been on the Loess Plateau under a blazing sun.

D5: (August 13) Yulin – Wave Valley – Ansai.

I always long to see landforms I haven't encountered before. After seeing the promotional photos of the scenic spots, I was hooked. So I traveled thousands of li from Jiangnan to northern Shaanxi just to see the Jingbian Wave Valley. The Wave Valley showcases a wondrous world carved by wind, water, and time over millions of years. Sand dunes were continuously covered by layers of red sand soaked with groundwater. Over time, minerals in the water cemented the sand into sandstone, forming layered structures. The Wave Valley is divided into three areas: A, B, and C. However, I didn't know that Area A (Earth Heart Danxia) and Area B (Flame Danxia) were closed for construction. Only Area C, known as Water Danxia by the reservoir, was open—another disappointment.

Then we went to a non-scenic area, what they call 'Old Party Secretary's Front Door.' The view was inferior to Water Danxia, so the guide just let us take photos. Along the way, I realized that luck plays a big role when visiting such places. For example, after rain, the color of the earth might be brighter, but rain can also cause sandslides, making the ravines dangerous to enter. When encountering construction closures, there's nothing you can do.

D6: (August 14) Yucha Grand Canyon – Yan'an. Yucha Grand Canyon is located in Ganquan County, Yan'an. The morning was clear, so we could go smoothly. The road stretched vast and dusty… Currently, the discovered Yucha area has four regions and over a dozen ravines. The distances between ravines are large. What you see from the car are typical northwestern earthen hills. Experts call it 'a natural rift wonder on the Loess Plateau.' You never know which ravine hides breathtaking beauty. We visited three ravines (the first was One-Line Sky, relatively small and unremarkable; not far away was Peony Ditch; the last was Birch Ditch). The Yucha Grand Canyon is indeed a graceful ravine hidden deep in the mountains. From the outside, it looks ordinary, but as you walk in, it's like entering a time tunnel, revealing a fantastic world carved by wind, water, and time over millions of years. The lines are graceful, smooth, and natural. Especially at noon, when sunlight filters through the cracks, the colors change kaleidoscopically. Yet beautiful as it is, there are too many people. There's basically no time to stop—if one person stops in the narrow ravine, it causes a jam.

From Peony Ditch to Birch Ditch, it's quite far, and we had to wait for the scenic shuttle bus. The order was chaotic.

Under the midday sun, the colors of the rocks shifted continuously.

The shuttle service was also problematic. The natural scenery is good, but the overall experience was lacking, and the scenic area's capacity is limited. 'The world's most spectacular and unusual sights are often in dangerous and distant places'—this is true. With modern transportation, you can reach them without needing 'determination.' But it's questionable whether a long journey of several hours is worth it just to see a sight that may not match the pictures, not to mention the noisy tourist experience. Ending the Yucha trip, I finally fulfilled my wish. Though the trek was hard, I gained a deeper understanding—I saw the environment where such beauty exists, its bare face, and I appreciated, understood, and marveled at it.

Finally, we arrived in Yan'an—salute to Yan'an!

Yongning Mountain Stronghold: a towering peak rising from flat land.

The Yan'an holy land: the light of Pagoda Mountain shines as brightly as the sun and moon.

In the evening, we visited Yan'an University, where we saw the largest group of cave dwellings (yaodong). It was truly huge, but it has now been converted into a university guesthouse and cannot be toured.

D7: (August 15) Yan'an – Xi'an.

In the morning, we visited Yangjialing and Zaoyuan. The sky in Zaoyuan was incredibly blue.

We arrived in Xi'an around 5 PM. I hadn't expected Xi'an to be so hot—truly a furnace. I took the subway to Wulukou (near the train station) and found a cold drink shop to have some shaved ice to cool down. I remembered a Xi'an delicacy featured in a recent popular TV series—water basin lamb (shuǐpén yángròu). Fortunately, there was a highly rated restaurant not far from the station, so I went to try it. After a hearty meal, I strolled to the train station. After a good sleep, I returned to Shanghai.

The customs and landscapes of the eight hundred li of Qin land… Tired and dried out, I went home to recuperate. Next year, I'll continue.