Late Autumn 2019: 'Search on the Loess Plateau' – Yucha Grand Canyon and Yellow River Qiankun Bay
On the morning of October 28, after finishing our tour of Jingbian Wave Valley, we took a bus and arrived at Yan'an East Bus Station at 2 p.m. Upon exiting the station, we immediately bought direct bus tickets for the next day to Yucha Grand Canyon, and stayed at the Starway Hotel (146 yuan per standard room, no breakfast), which is just next to the station. We chose to stay here because buses to Yucha Grand Canyon and Yellow River Qiankun Bay both depart from East Station.
On the morning of October 29, we took a direct bus from Yan'an East Bus Station to Yucha Grand Canyon, covering over 80 km in about 2 hours, and arrived at the Canyon ticket office at 10 a.m. Currently, Yucha Grand Canyon has no admission fee. After external vehicles reach the visitor center parking lot (see picture below), everyone must transfer to the scenic area shuttle bus to visit the various spots. The shuttle bus round trip costs 70 yuan and can only be used once.
Regarding transportation to Yucha Grand Canyon: Currently, there are direct buses from both Yan'an East Bus Station and South Bus Station, going straight to Yucha Grand Canyon, round trip 90 yuan per person (including pickup from accommodation). To save on travel costs, you can take a long-distance bus from Yan'an's two bus stations (frequency may vary with tourist numbers) to Ganquan County Bus Station (14 yuan), then transfer to a township bus to Xiasiwan Town in Ganquan (10.5 yuan), and finally take a local farm vehicle or electric cart to the Yucha Grand Canyon visitor center (typically costing 3-5 yuan). This route takes longer than the direct bus.
Regardless of how visitors reach the Yucha Grand Canyon visitor center, everyone must transfer to the scenic area shuttle bus to visit the various spots. On the day we arrived, the only open area was Huashugou (Birch Tree Valley). We saw many unlicensed taxis and guides near the ticket office soliciting tours to other areas, all at high prices. Many online comments have criticized the shuttle bus fee (round trip 36 km for 70 yuan), arguing that it essentially includes a hidden admission fee, thereby bypassing national discount policies for specific groups (students, seniors, etc.), and enabling illegal taxis and guides to disrupt the tourism market.
The scenic area shuttle bus arrived at the Huashugou parking lot. Walking down the stone steps about 100 meters leads to the entrance of Huashugou.
Huashugou of Yucha Grand Canyon is 300 meters long. At its entrance, the widest part allows several people to walk abreast, while the narrowest part allows only one person to pass sideways. On rainy days, you must wade through water (rental rain boots available for 10 yuan each time). In case of heavy rain, the canyon will be closed. If you visit Huashugou during a non-crowded period, it takes less than an hour to complete the full walk.
Regarding the formation of Ganquan Yucha Grand Canyon: Geologists have analyzed that hundreds of millions of years ago, a strong earthquake occurred on the northern Shaanxi Plateau, splitting the mountain into several large cracks. Over millions of years, rainwater erosion and infiltration gradually formed these canyon crevices, which we see today. Now, Ganquan Yucha Grand Canyon is known as a geological wonder on China's Loess Plateau, rivaling the Antelope Canyon in the United States.
Visiting Yucha Grand Canyon requires choosing a sunny day and the right time, generally best between 11:30 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. During this time, sunlight shines directly above the canyon, creating fantastic lines, colors, and stunning light and shadow changes. At that moment, wherever you stand in the canyon, turning 360 degrees lets you take dozens of photos with different lighting, scenes, and colors!
About accommodation at Yucha Grand Canyon: Currently, there are some farmhouses near the visitor center and parking lots of various spots offering food and lodging. Xiasiwan Town also has a few hotels and inns (4 km from the visitor center, with slightly better sanitary conditions), and parking is convenient for self-driving tourists. For independent travelers, staying near the visitor center might be the only option.
Wherever you stand in the canyon, turning 360 degrees lets you take dozens of photos with different lighting, scenes, and colors!
The narrowest part of the canyon requires holding onto the rock wall and passing sideways with one foot.
Today, Huashugou was not crowded. We finished our walk early, and since the direct bus departure was not until 2 p.m., we had nothing else to do. My spouse re-entered the canyon for another look—a worthwhile extra visit. However, no matter how many times you visit, the photos look similar. Although we only saw Huashugou in Yucha Grand Canyon, inevitably missing the full picture, we felt Huashugou lacked depth; calling it a “grand canyon” seemed insufficient. We think it is more appropriate to call it a “crevice wonder”. From a geological perspective, it is not exactly Danxia landform (it is actually a water-eroded crevice in granite, not a canyon formed by sedimentary rock movement). Overall, it still gives a dreamlike feeling and has strong visual impact, very much worth seeing.
This is a picture of a bountiful apple harvest taken in an orchard on our way back to Yan'an. The fruit growers didn't mind if tourists tasted one or two apples—an unexpected bonus of the day.
With winding mountain roads, our direct bus meandered along. The Loess Plateau in sight gave a heavy feeling; the loess hills were no longer barren as we had imagined. According to the driver, years of grazing and farming bans have gradually increased vegetation here. Many once bare hills now are covered with shrubs and orchards... Watching the Loess Plateau outside the window, filled with the joy of travel, we concluded our trip to Yucha Grand Canyon.
On the morning of October 30, we took the first long-distance bus (departing at 6:30 a.m.) from Yan'an East Bus Station to Yanchuan County, covering about 80 km in over 2 hours. After arriving at Yanchuan Bus Station, we took a taxi for 5 yuan to Yanchuan South Bus Station, then transferred to a bus to Qiankun Bay (departing at 10:30 a.m.), covering 52 km in about 1.5 hours. We arrived at the famous Yellow River Qiankun Bay scenic area around 11 a.m.
Yanchuan County is built along the river valley we saw; the houses are orderly, and the streets are clean. The railing we leaned on was spotless, surprising us—this small northern Shaanxi town was not what we expected. Yanchuan was a county where many Beijing educated youth were sent to work in the countryside during the Cultural Revolution. Many former Beijing youth now return to revisit their “second hometown” and actively participate in local poverty alleviation and development. They are warmly welcomed and respected by the local people. While waiting for the bus, we strolled by the roadside, and a local asked us which township we had worked in and invited us to his home. This shows how popular the former educated youth are here.
Yellow River Meander National Geopark combo ticket: 90 yuan/person + scenic shuttle bus 60 yuan/person; Qiankun Bay single ticket: 60 yuan/person (can be visited entirely on foot, no shuttle needed). Half price for ages 60 and over, free for 65 and over.
There are several transport options from Yan'an to Qiankun Bay: First, Yan'an to Yanchuan then Yanchuan to Qiankun Bay, all by long-distance bus, covering over 120 km. The fare (57 yuan one way) is relatively cheap. Second, you can get off at the South Gate of Yellow River Meander National Geopark (14 km from Qiankun Bay), then transfer to the scenic shuttle bus (60 yuan/person) to visit multiple spots along the way (see picture below) and reach Qiankun Bay.
Actually, visitors originally came here just to see the Yellow River Qiankun Bay. In recent years, with the development of local tourism, many new attractions have been added along Qiankun Bay line, now collectively called the Yellow River Meander National Geopark, with Qiankun Bay becoming one of its attractions. If you only want to see this rare geographical wonder of the Loess Plateau, you don't need to visit the others. As our bus driver said, “What else is there to see?”
The main area of Qiankun Bay has three viewing platforms for multi-angle views of the so-called “First Bend of the Yellow River”. However, Platform No. 1 has the best vantage point, being relatively centered. This is a photo of Qiankun Bay taken from Platform No. 2.
Scenery of Qiankun Bay from the second viewing platform.
Yellow River Qiankun Bay Mother Stone – in mythology, the place where Nüwa mended the sky and created humans.
Passing the Mother Stone, there is also the Eagle Beak Stone of Qiankun Bay. From a distance, it looks like an eagle about to spread its wings and soar. According to legend, this eagle is stationed here to protect Nüwa's children, and the eagle is also a totem of the Chinese nation.
Further ahead is the famous Fuxi Stone of Qiankun Bay. Legend has it that Fuxi and Nüwa were twin siblings who together created the Chinese nation.
This island in the river bend is known as “Qin-Jin Friendship”. Historically, Qin and Jin were both large vassal states under the Zhou emperor; during the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods, they fought many times but also allied. The viewing platform side is Shaanxi, known as the land of Sanqin; the opposite side belongs to Shanxi, called Jinzhong. It is said that during low water seasons, people from both sides can walk directly to the island. To turn swords into plowshares, the island was jointly administered by both states, hence the name Qin-Jin Friendship.
At the far end of the second viewing platform is the original site of a fossil specimen of a giant primitive snake unearthed here. According to legend, the Chinese ancestor comes from the dragon totem, and the dragon is the incarnation of the snake. If so, the value of this fossil specimen is immeasurable!
The Yellow River Qiankun Bay as seen from the first viewing platform.
Before us is the full view of the Yellow River Qiankun Bay, known as the “First Bend Under Heaven”. Here, you cannot help but marvel at the wonders of nature!
Afterward, we shared a car with three tourists from Baotou, Inner Mongolia, at 60 yuan per person (a great deal, only 3 yuan more than the bus, and it could take us directly back to Yan'an and drop us at our hotel). Since it was still early, and as the saying goes “He who has never been to the Great Wall is not a true man; he who has not seen the Yellow River has not fulfilled his wish,” we went to the Fuxi Pier by the Yellow River for a visit.
Fuxi Pier is 4 km from the Qiankun Bay viewing platform. On the way, we passed a place called Fuxi Village. We asked our shared-car driver (who called himself a driver-guide) why it was called Fuxi Village and what connection Fuxi Pier had with Fuxi. Our driver-guide made up a bunch of nonsense, which made us laugh heartily but left us completely clueless about what he really said.
This is the entrance to Fuxi Pier. Visitors are not allowed in unless they take a boat tour on the Yellow River. We didn't go in; instead, we stood by the city wall near the parking lot and gazed at the Shanxi side across the Yellow River, which counted as “seeing two provinces from one spot.”
Sitting on this low city wall, we could see the entire Fuxi Pier. There were a few newly built thatched huts resembling dwellings of ancient ancestors (probably conveying some atmosphere of the Fuxi era), and several boats (a ride on the Yellow River costs 120 yuan). The cannon beside us was aimed at Shanxi; just a moment ago we had Qin-Jin friendship, and now a cannon pointed at Shanxi. Who is the cannon aimed at? What era relation does the cannon have with Fuxi? We asked our driver-guide again, but still no answer. Tomorrow, the five of us will share a car with this amusing driver-guide and go together to Hukou Waterfall. We look forward to that.
(End) Jinling Lesou
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