2019 Chongqing National Day Trip to Hukou Waterfall and Yan'an Red Tour

It's been a few days since we returned, and I wasn't in the mood to write. But these days I thought I'd sort it out, first to keep a memory for myself, and second to share some insights with friends planning a trip.

During the National Day holiday, I had nothing else to do. Originally I planned to just wander around the Qinling Mountains to relax. But then, when my father heard we were entering Shaanxi, he insisted on visiting Yan'an. So, I quickly planned a route and set off: Chongqing → Zhen'an County → Yichuan County → Hukou → Nanniwan → Yan'an → Fuchuan → Ziyang County → Chongqing.

On the morning of October 1st, we departed from Chongqing. If you leave early, there's basically no traffic jam, especially after leaving Chongqing where the roads are even emptier.

Since there were elderly people in the car and we were in no rush, we stayed overnight in Zhen'an County for convenience.

Before the trip, I had checked online and netizens said this place was a rip-off, but in the end, we found it was even worse than expected.

In fact, you don't need to buy tickets here; the scenic area has no gate. It's barely a scenic spot—just a small path off the side where you can go down on your own.

For us, who haven't traveled much, the geological landscape was decent, but there was absolutely no management, not even any road signs. When we went down into the gully, we couldn't find anyone to ask for directions. The slopes were very steep, no less than the hillsides in Chongqing.

If you're not in a good mood or don't like trouble, don't go.

There were too many crossroads at the bottom of the valley, and we couldn't find the right path to where we wanted to go. The navigation app didn't have a destination either. Unable to find the way, we had to come out and continue toward Hukou.

We stayed overnight in Yichuan County town. We chose this place because it's relatively close to the scenic area and the price was reasonable. That evening, we asked at the hotel about the scenic area and were told there would be huge crowds, and only very early in the morning would there be slightly fewer people. So we set out before dawn the next day. When we arrived at the scenic area gate, it wasn't open yet, and the road was already clogged with cars. The ticket booth was packed with people. My wife went to buy tickets while I queued to enter the parking lot. Fortunately, everything went smoothly. When we finished touring and came out, the traffic jam behind us stretched at least one or two kilometers.

I heard the viewing effect is slightly better on the Shanxi side, so we went to the Shanxi Hukou. Actually, it's just the two sides of the river. Since we only saw one side, we can't say which side is better. Tickets on the Shanxi side are a bit more expensive.

The scenic area is not big, and there's not much to do. Going up and down takes a little over an hour. It's mainly about soaking in the atmosphere. For my parents, who love anti-Japanese war dramas, are loyal fans of Chairman Mao, and are true patriots, they had longed to come here. This is a must-visit!

After leaving, we took the provincial road to Nanniwan. There was a highway, but we thought since we were out for a trip, the provincial road would give us a better feel for the local culture and customs.

From Nanniwan, we got on the highway toward Yan'an. We missed the exit and ended up going to Yan'an North. After exiting the highway, I searched on my phone and found that Zaoyuan was nearby. It was already 4 or 5 in the afternoon, and there was a line of 20-30 meters at the entrance of Zaoyuan. Probably because it was the 70th anniversary of National Day, there were really a lot of people.

After Zaoyuan, it was quite late, so we stayed in the city. Accommodation in Yan'an was hard to come by. During the National Day period, there were so many people, so it's best to book a few days in advance.

A special note: Baota Mountain was a place my father specifically wanted to visit. But when we got to the foot of the mountain, they wouldn't let him in without paying. The fee was 60 yuan, which wasn't cheap. Only those over 65 are exempt; those aged 60 get a half-price ticket. So we paid half price and got him in. To be honest, it's rare for such a red tourism site to still charge an entrance fee.

Yan'an is not big, and accommodation was really tight. After we had seen enough, we started the return journey before dark. After an hour or two of driving, we stayed overnight in Fu County. A three-star hotel there cost only a bit over 200 yuan, while in Yan'an a shabby room would cost 200-300.

After leaving Fu County, we made a stop in Ziyang County. The tea there is very good, so we bought some. We booked a special hotel online, and unexpectedly it was right on the pedestrian street. Then we went straight back to Chongqing.