Self-Drive Tour of Shaanxi and Shanxi (Part 4)
Stop 6: Yichuan
Starting the return journey on April 22nd, planned to stay overnight in Yichuan, and visit Shaanxi Hukou Waterfall on the way.
Hukou Waterfall is located at the border of Shaanxi and Shanxi, and is the second largest waterfall in China and the largest yellow waterfall in the world. Upstream, the Yellow River is 300 meters wide, but within a distance of less than 500 meters, it is compressed to a width of 20-30 meters, with the river water roaring down. Because ice removal is still ongoing at the Shanxi Hukou Waterfall, it is currently closed, so we could only visit the Shaanxi Hukou Waterfall, which is located in Yichuan County, Yan'an. We arrived at the scenic area around 2 PM. The ticket price was 90 yuan, and the round-trip sightseeing bus ticket was 40 yuan (about a 20-minute ride). It was a small peak period, with many tour groups, and we waited nearly half an hour before boarding the sightseeing bus. The weather was not very hot yet, and there was still a lot of ice on both sides of the river, some up to two meters thick. The best photo spot was very crowded, and we barely squeezed in to take a few pictures. Actually, the view from the opposite side in Shanxi would be more spectacular. There were folk performances from northern Shaanxi inside the scenic area. There was also a hotel inside, which was under renovation at the time.
Ice, with sand and soil on top
Scenic area entrance, quite crowded
A smaller waterfall nearby
These two photos were taken after squeezing into the crowd
After visiting the waterfall, we headed to Yichuan county town. On the way, we saw the former site of the Second War Zone Commander of the National Revolutionary Army, which was under maintenance and not open for visits.
Couldn't enter, took a few photos at the entrance
That night we stayed at Yichuan Xinda Yu Hotel, one of the better hotels in the county, and the price was reasonable. For dinner, we found a lamb restaurant in the county - Lamb Yijue, and ordered a small pot of lamb, 148 yuan per pot. At first, I thought it was not cheap for a county town, but when the pot arrived, it was all lamb ribs, and the taste was excellent. My husband said it was the best meal of the entire trip. Even I, who don't usually like lamb, ate quite a lot. Kudos to the owner.
April 23rd continued the return journey. My husband's colleague recommended driving along the Yanhuang Highway in Shaanxi, known as China's "No. 1 Highway." So we planned to first visit the Beijing Educated Youth's Former Residence in Yan'an, then drive a section of the Yanhuang Highway from Hukou Waterfall to Hancheng, and stay overnight in Yang County, Hanzhong.
The Beijing Educated Youth's Former Residence is located in Yichuan County, Yan'an City, Shaanxi Province. It consists of cave dwellings made of earth. It's about half an hour's drive from Shaanxi Hukou Waterfall and is a free attraction. Most of the cave dwellings have been converted into tourist accommodation, with a few still inhabited by villagers. The local villagers are very simple and allowed me to go inside the cave dwellings to have a look. After visiting the Beijing Educated Youth's Former Residence, we headed to the Yanhuang Highway.
Beijing Educated Youth's Former Residence
The Shaanxi Yanhuang Highway runs along the west bank of the Yellow River, connecting 4 cities, 12 counties, and over 50 scenic spots, with a total length of more than 800 kilometers. We drove about 50 kilometers. Along the way, there were viewpoints where we could stop. There were very few cars on the road.
At noon, we strolled around the food street in Hancheng Ancient City and tried local specialties. I called it mini wontons, but the taste was average.
Fake, just for display
That night we stayed at Yang County Shangdu Smart Hotel. The hotel had a parking lot on the third floor, and the car took the elevator to the third floor, which was interesting. There was some traffic jam on the expressway today, so we didn't arrive at the hotel until after 8 PM, and it was raining. For dinner, we went to Wang Baoqi Mapo Fish opposite the hotel, a chain restaurant where the seasonings are stir-fried on the spot. I felt the fish wasn't as delicious as the one we had in Hanzhong. This trip started with eating fish and ended with eating fish.
April 24th we returned home. On the way, we visited Wuhou Tomb in Mian County. At noon, we had lunch at the Ningqiang Service Area, which had a rich variety: set meals, fried rice, roujiamo, noodles, etc. I had noodles, which were pretty good and came in a large bowl. Even I, who loves noodles, couldn't finish it. We arrived home around 4 PM, ending this trip.
