Journey from Mount Huashan through Shanxi to Yan'an
The year 2020 was destined to be an unusual one. In June, we went to Guizhou and wrote a travelogue titled '2020 Guizhou Trip', which recounted the journey from Shanghai to Zunyi, then south to Tongzi, to Guiyang, and finally to Xingyi where we flew back to Shanghai. Along the way, we took shuttle buses to various attractions, sometimes using public buses, sometimes joining local one-day or two-day tours. We finally made it to Fanjing Mountain and witnessed the red rooftops emerging from the clouds and fog—it felt wonderful. After that, we arranged a trip every month. Because of this special period, there were far fewer travelers than in normal years, plane tickets and hotel prices were cheap, and the crowds at scenic spots were not heavy—it was really a great opportunity for off-peak travel. Just after the National Day holiday in October, we embarked on a journey from Mount Huashan to the Yuncheng area in Shanxi, and then to Yan'an.
On October 13, we, an old couple, took the train from Shanghai to Huashan. We spent a night in the sleeper car and arrived at Huashan Station early the next morning. The weather was bad, and it was still raining. We went to our booked hotel in Huayin County, dropped off our luggage, grabbed our rain gear, and decided to go up the mountain. There was a free shuttle bus in the county town that went to the Huashan Visitor Center. When we waited for it, the driver said we had to show our health codes before boarding. We were flustered and couldn't open it at first, so we asked to board first and show it later. That stubborn driver refused to start the car. We had never heard of needing a health code to take a bus before. We were at a standoff, and the police were called. After hearing our situation, two young policemen offered to drive us to the scenic area in their car. We really encountered warm-hearted people. The people of Shaanxi are honest and kind—we met kind-hearted people everywhere. Unfortunately, we didn't take a photo.
This is the Treasure Lotus Lamp on the square of the scenic area. Mount Huashan has the legend of splitting the mountain to rescue the mother. Below is a distant view of Mount Huashan.
Mount Huashan is a famous scenic spot. Even though it was raining, there were still many tourists from all over the country. We decided to take the cable car to the North Peak and call it quits. We basically didn't have to queue to get on the cable car. Riding through the clouds and fog, we arrived at the North Peak cable car station. When we got out, the rain stopped. As the clouds and fog parted, we saw the graceful silhouette of Mount Huashan—a scene many photographers dream of capturing. We walked as if in a painting. Even though it started drizzling again, we didn't use umbrellas; our rain jackets were enough.
Ahead was the Canglong Ridge. Now there are steps and railings, but climbing up and down was still quite strenuous.
From the high point of North Peak, the view below was nice.
Should we climb further up to the West Peak? It was raining again, and the stone steps were slippery. We assessed our abilities and decided to turn back. We headed down the other side toward the cable car station, enjoying some scenery along the way.
We took the cable car down the mountain and looked back at the back of Mount Huashan. Farewell, Western Sacred Mountain.
In the afternoon, we went to the Xiyue Temple, located north of Huayin County. It could be called the Forbidden City of Shaanxi, very grand in scale. Unfortunately, I don't have many photos—probably because my phone battery died. Inside the main hall, there were two large murals that seemed to depict scenes from the Luo Shen Fu, but I regret not taking pictures.
This was taken at the back of Xiyue Temple, at the highest Scripture Library. The photo below, a distant view of Mount Huashan, was taken from the best spot to see it from afar. Mount Huashan really looks like the character '山' (mountain), but unfortunately the fog was heavy that day and it wasn't clear. The ancients were very particular when choosing the site for Xiyue Temple; the Tai Temple at Mount Tai was also the same.
On the second day, we took a train to Yongji City in Shanxi. Shanxi has rich tourism resources and is very considerate to the elderly. For example, places like Taiyuan, Datong, Wutaishan, Pingyao, and several large courtyard compounds—most of which we had already visited. We hadn't been to the Yuncheng area, but there are many cultural relics there. This time we chose to head north from here to Yan'an, instead of going from Xi'an to Yan'an, because we wanted to visit Pujiu Temple, the Stork Tower, the big iron oxen unearthed at the Pujin Ferry site, the Hongdong Big Locust Tree, the Yao and Shun Temples, and Fenglingdu. Originally, we planned to spend a day going from Yongji to Fenglingdu, but after reading someone else's travelogue, it felt as if we had already been there, so we skipped it. On the train to Yongji, as we crossed the Yellow River Bridge, we saw the bend of the Yellow River and the gate tower.
Yongji city was very clean. We stayed in the city center near the municipal government, bustling and convenient for transportation. What impressed me most were the moon-shaped cakes that cost only 1 yuan each, crispy on the outside and soft inside—very delicious.
A close friend of ours, who didn't go to Huashan, arranged to meet us in Yongji. She flew specially from Shanghai to Linfen, then took a high-speed train to Yongji to join us. The next day, the three of us took a bus to Puzhou, very convenient. Right next to the bus stop was Puzhou Pujiu Temple. I'm a huge fan of 'The Story of the Western Wing'. When I read Wang Shifu's original work in my early years, I was moved by its beautiful verses. Later, I came to love the Peking opera, Kunqu, and Yueju versions of the story, especially the pingtan (storytelling with music). This time, I finally arrived at Pujiu Temple, the setting of 'The Story of the Western Wing'.
The temple's buildings, such as the mountain gate, main hall, pagoda, side rooms, and the character figures, were all familiar to me. But compared to the cultural value of the Yuan dynasty drama 'The Story of the Western Wing', these are insignificant.
Near the scenic area archway, there was a local tour bus charging 20 yuan per person to take us to three attractions.
We first went to the farthest—the Stork Tower, located by the Yellow River. The original building had long disappeared. People rebuilt it based on the verses left by ancient poets, and it was quite spectacular. A rare treat: we happened to see a flock of wild geese migrating south. They flew overhead, now in a 'V' formation, now in a line, with their calls echoing. It was my first time seeing real wild geese flying south.
We went to the Pujin Ferry site, where a few years ago the sensational Yellow River big iron oxen were unearthed. These were the anchors for the pontoon bridge cables on the ancient Yellow River. Over the centuries, the Yellow River frequently flooded and changed course, burying the pontoon bridge anchors under the sand. According to historical records, people finally found the legendary Yellow River big iron oxen and their attendants, and located the famous Pujin Ferry site. It turned out that the Yellow River had changed its course, but the iron oxen hadn't moved. They are cast iron, very heavy. Besides the four groups of iron men, iron oxen, and pillars in the photos, underneath them are huge and deep iron foundations cast together, visible in an underground exhibition hall. They were raised as a whole during excavation. Various top leaders have visited. I was a bit puzzled: why doesn't Shanxi province promote such an important site more? Even someone like me, who loves cultural relics, only came across it by chance. I predict that on the other side of the Yellow River, another set of giant iron oxen is still buried.
The rural market in Puzhou caught the interest of our female companion. No stall fees were charged there, and it was quite orderly with prices surprisingly low. We ate some noodle dish that the locals called something we couldn't name. It tasted okay, but the hygiene was a bit lacking, and our stomachs felt uncomfortable afterward.
We arrived in Yuncheng city, which is much bigger, but it didn't feel as clean and comfortable as Yongji. We went to the Salt Lake; Guo Moruo's inscription was the biggest feature of the scenic spot.
We visited two Guandi Temples. One was in Changping, the birthplace of Guan Gong. We even visited his family temple. Judging from the thousand-year-old arborvitae trees inside, it is authentic.
In the distance was a newly built Guan Gong sculpture scenic area, a bit far, so we skipped it—it's more for drivers.
The other was the Xiezhou Guandi Temple, the ancestral temple of all Guandi Temples across the country, and the largest in scale.
Inside, there were also several thousand-year-old arborvitae trees. Whether the main hall or the iron incense burners and iron cast warriors, they all had a sense of age, unlike the temples along the coast that are splendid but obviously modern.
Yuncheng's Christian church also had its unique features.
Yuncheng is very close to Linfen city; the high-speed train arrived quickly. Hongdong County is also 30 kilometers north of Linfen. We took a taxi from the high-speed station to our hotel, and for an extra 50 yuan, the driver took us directly to the entrance of the Hongdong Big Locust Tree scenic area.
This is a famous spot, a must-visit for tour groups. It was our first time here. In Hongdong county town, following the lyrics of 'Yu Tang Chun', we walked along the street where Su San was escorted to the court. Inside, there is said to be Su San's prison.
We went to the food street opposite and had a bowl of meatball noodles. Different tastes, not our thing—can't say much. Not far away was Hongdong Railway Station, and we returned to Linfen for just a few yuan.
We visited the newly built Yao Temple, but it didn't leave much impression.
There were long-distance buses from Linfen West Bus Station to Yan'an. We boarded one early in the morning and didn't arrive in Yan'an until 3 pm. I heard they are building a high-speed rail, so it won't take 8 hours in the future. When crossing the Yellow River, we saw the river below the bridge.
When I was in school, I was deeply impressed by He Jingzhi's poem 'Return to Yan'an'. His excitement after ten years of separation from Yan'an was vividly portrayed. The line 'How many times in dreams I returned to Yan'an' often echoes in my ears. I had always wanted to visit Yan'an but never made it. This time, I finally made up my mind to come.
On Yan'an Bridge, I took a photo of Pagoda Hill. Now I am really in Yan'an, staying near the South Gate, next to South Gate Square. Looking up, I see Pagoda Hill; behind it is Phoenix Hill. I heard this was once the busiest South Gate Market. There is an old photo of Yan'an showing a group of young people in uniforms strolling down the street, with a small South Gate tower in the background. Now, a new replica of that South Gate tower has been built on the original site. The street scene of those days is long gone; now it's a city square. Below is a photo I took from Pagoda Hill showing the location of our hotel at South Gate Square.
We arrived at the hotel around 3:00 pm, dropped off our luggage, and hurried to Zaoyuan. Fortunately, it closed late, so we made it. The Zaoyuan scenic area was completely renovated, with not too many tourists. We rushed through it, just to say we had been there.
It was already dark when we returned to the city, just in time to take night photos.
Yan'an, like other cities in China, has become a modern city with beautiful night scenery. There is also a Wanda Plaza, a pedestrian street, and even traffic jams.
On the second day, we joined a local one-day tour to Hukou Waterfall on the Yellow River, Nanniwan, and other places.
At Nanniwan, we met some local villagers and bought their millet. When we got home, we cooked porridge with it, which was very delicious.
A few years ago, we had also visited Hukou Waterfall on the Shanxi side—the opposite bank. The angle was different, but the surging momentum of the Yellow River was similar.
Along the way, we passed by a former sent-down youth site. The apples grown there are the real Luochuan apples, sweet and sour, juicy and crispy. They were only 2 yuan per catty. Unfortunately, we couldn't carry much. We brought back a few catties to Shanghai, and we haven't finished them yet.
You can't tell the quality by appearance; the key is the place of origin and variety. The local first-grade apples cost 5 yuan per catty for purchase.
Back in Yan'an, we looked for food. There was a food festival on the pedestrian street featuring snacks from all over the northwest. We had he le noodles, which might contain buckwheat, very chewy.
On the third day at noon, we were to fly back to Shanghai. Early in the morning, I was the first out-of-town visitor to enter Pagoda Hill Scenic Area. It was no longer like the old photos; there were stone-paved steps. In a few steps, I reached the platform of Pagoda Hill, overlooking the Yanhe River Bridge.
I climbed all the way to the top of the mountain behind to a newly built pavilion, where I encountered a big dog blocking my path—proving I was the first to arrive, and the staff hadn't yet taken the watchdog away.
The photo below is a newly built beacon tower, said to be a relic from the Song dynasty.
At the foot of Pagoda Hill, there are cliff inscriptions by Fan Zhongyan, Mao Zedong, and Chiang Kai-shek, illustrating Yan'an's history.
This is an inscription by Chiang Kai-shek for Sun Yat-sen's birthday after Hu Zongnan captured Yan'an in 1947. Some characters have been chiseled off and are unreadable. The visible ones may have been deepened in their original positions—the story has never been reported.
At noon, we three hailed a taxi to Yan'an Nanniwan Airport. I asked if it was the airport from which Mao Zedong departed for the Chongqing negotiations. The driver said no; that small airport has become an urban area called 'One-Hundred-Meter Avenue', and soon a high-speed rail station will be built in Dongguan. The current Yan'an airport is not far from the city; the taxi fare was only 31 yuan, while the airport bus costs 20 yuan per person.
Yan'an has developed rapidly, and the revolutionary sites are well preserved, allowing future generations to identify some historical traces. Our journey from Mount Huashan to Shanxi and then to Yan'an was coming to an end. There were quite a few people doing this same route; on the same bus, there was another elderly couple from Shanghai traveling the same way. At the scenic spots, we often heard the Shanghai dialect. During the pandemic, there were fewer group tours, but more independent travelers like us. Don't look for private guides—there are many such ads on Baidu. We traveled freely, arranging everything ourselves, adapting as we went. For example, we originally planned to take a high-speed train to Hongdong County, but when we found a more convenient taxi, we took it, saving time and money. Another time, we saw a rural market from the bus, so we got off to explore it. We have made many trips like this, and even on the plane, we are already discussing our next route.
