Discovering a Different Yan'an During the May Day Holiday
During the May Day holiday, it would be a shame not to go out and enjoy the spring. Due to the pandemic, most people didn't travel during the Chinese New Year and Qingming holidays. So, when the weather warmed up and the pandemic was under control, everyone seemed to plan a trip simultaneously. We chose Yan'an. It coincided with the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Communist Party of China, allowing us to appreciate both the natural scenery of northern Shaanxi and provide a red-education experience for our child.
Travel style: Family road trip (three of us)
Travel dates: April 30, 2021 β May 5, 2021, total 6 days
Itinerary: Hukou Waterfall β Pagoda Mountain β Wave Valley (Flame Danxia) in Jingbian County, Yulin City β Zaoyuan Revolutionary Site β Ganquan Grand Canyon β Yongning Ancient Fortress
Round trip mileage: About 3000 km
Accommodation:
April 30: Hukou Business Hotel
May 1 β May 5: Jinyan'an Suji
Day 1: Departure
My husband and I packed our luggage, picked up our child from school, and set off directly. The child was overjoyed.
Our first destination was Hukou Waterfall. We initially planned to rest overnight at a service area along the way, but found that the service areas in Shaanxi were quite basic, none with hotels. So we drove straight to the Hukou Waterfall scenic area and randomly checked into a hotel that still had rooms, sleeping in our clothes. Though simple, it served to recharge our energy. Early the next morning, we had breakfast at a nearby restaurant for 80 yuan, which was quite tasty.
Day 2: Hukou Waterfall, Pagoda Mountain
Morning: Hukou Waterfall
We visited the viewing point on the Shanxi side; Shaanxi's viewing point was just across. The scenic area opened at 8 AM, but during the holiday, to manage visitor flow, it opened one hour earlier at 7 AM. The Yellow River is gathered into a single pot at Hukou Waterfall, magnificent and majestic. Watching the surging mother river filled us with excitement. The weather was clear. The morning sunlight was perfect for viewing the waterfall from the Shanxi side. A gentle rainbow hung above the majestic waterfall, creating a striking contrast and a beautiful scene!
Two hours later, we left Hukou Waterfall, intending to go to Nanniwan. But we encountered traffic jams on the road and immediately decided to head to Pagoda Mountain in downtown Yan'an. We arrived at Pagoda Mountain at lunchtime. For lunch, we chose 'Lao Yan'an' at the foot of Pagoda Mountain. In the following days, every time we went to the city center, there were traffic jams. Yan'an's traffic was chaotic; many intersections had no traffic lights, requiring a large number of police to direct traffic. However, motorists were good at yielding to pedestrians.
Afternoon: Pagoda Mountain
Pagoda Mountain is a landmark of Yan'an and a symbol of the revolutionary holy land. The mountain scenery is beautiful with wide views. Admission ticket costs 60 yuan, and the round-trip sightseeing car costs 20 yuan per person. Although it's a small electric sightseeing car, the ride was quite exciting. Under the scorching sun, the sightseeing car was cool and fun. There were also creative Pagoda Mountain popsicles, 18 yuan each, and they tasted pretty good.
Evening: Jinyan'an
We returned to Jinyan'an in the afternoon, drove directly to the underground parking of our courtyard 'Wuxian', and took the elevator straight to the guest room β very convenient. Jinyan'an is a tourism complex themed around the historical context of old Yan'an city and loess folk culture, recreating the courtyard blocks of 1930s Yan'an and the border fortress town of Northern Song Dynasty's Yanzhou from a thousand years ago. At night, Jinyan'an was brilliantly lit. After showering, we strolled and ate in the block in front of our courtyard, enjoying the night view. It felt great, but the Shanbei Minjie (a local noodle dish) in the complex was both expensive and not authentic.
Day 3: Wave Valley (Flame Danxia) in Jingbian County, Yulin City
After a full day of activities yesterday, we slept in today. Checking the weather forecast, it would rain in Yan'an today. Fortunately, it wouldn't rain in Yulin, another destination on this trip. So we traveled light, drove for two hours, and arrived at Wave Valley at 11 AM.
The Danxia landform here is called the fingerprint of time. The vast loess plateau interwoven with red sandstone created a stunning view. Admission ticket costs 100 yuan, and the 3D glass bridge at the entrance costs 50 yuan. Currently, only part of the scenic area is developed. The route is one-way: from entrance to exit, passing through Flame Danxia, Red Cliff Danxia, and Center-of-the-Earth Danxia. The entire hike is about 6-7 km, requiring some physical effort.
By the time we exited the scenic area, it was 3:30 PM. Watching the long queue of tourists scanning health codes at the entrance, my son said, 'Mom, all these people are about to enter devil's training!' Haha, it seemed the child was really tired! But without effort, how could we witness such stunning Danxia landforms?
There was a large rest area. The scenic area is partially developed; there's no place to eat, so you need to bring your own food and water. Though it seemed empty when taking photos, it quickly filled up with people. You had to wait for the right moment to take pictures.
Day 3 (continued): Zaoyuan Revolutionary Site, Local Flavors, Strolling in Jinyan'an, Erdao Street
After yesterday's 'devil's training', we planned a relaxing day. Zaoyuan Revolutionary Site was very close to our accommodation in Jinyan'an. Today's plan: visit Zaoyuan in the morning, then have lunch at 'Local Flavors', return to Jinyan'an for a stroll in the afternoon, and go to Erdao Street in the evening for local snacks.
Morning: Zaoyuan Revolutionary Site
This is a garden-style site in northern Shaanxi, with a tranquil environment. After the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China moved to Yan'an, this site served as the headquarters of the Central Social Department and later as the location of the Central Secretariat. It's a red scenic area with free admission, but attracted many tour groups and had limited parking. The number of visitors here far exceeded that of Wave Valley, which could only be accessed by self-driving.
My maternal grandfather joined the army during the Anti-Japanese War and participated in the War of Resistance against Japan and the Liberation War. Later, he served in Tianjin, Taiyuan, and other places with the army, never leaving the military throughout his life. We grew up with red education. Taking our child to visit the revolutionary site and telling him about revolutionary history, he enjoyed it very much.
From Zaoyuan, we went directly to 'Local Flavors' (Bentu Weidao). This was one of the best meals we had in Yan'an, not far from Zaoyuan. I recommend it to everyone.
After lunch, we returned to Jinyan'an to rest and study. When traveling, homework cannot be forgotten. Every day we returned, the child had to do homework. Being a kid isn't easy either!
After the afternoon nap, we strolled around the complex, exploring the blocks, watching performances, and buying creative products and agricultural aid items.
The following building was modeled after the Qiaogou Church in old Yan'an city from the 1930s. After the Party Central Committee moved to Yan'an in 1936, the Qiaogou Church was requisitioned as a party school. It witnessed the Sixth Plenary Session of the Sixth Central Committee, which played an important role in China's revolutionary path, and the Xi'an Incident that shocked the world. In today's complex, the square outside the church is a venue for folk performances, while inside the church is a bookstore with a strong artistic atmosphere. Reading there was quiet and relaxing.
During these days in Yan'an, we realized how beautiful Yan'an's nights are. There are three mountains in downtown Yan'an: Pagoda Mountain, Qingliang Mountain, and Fenghuang Mountain, surrounded by larger mountains. No matter where we went, we could see mountains. My son said, 'Mom, every house here has a mountain view.' During the day, these mountains are lush green; at night, they glitter with lights. On the first night in Yan'an, I was captivated by the starlight-like lights covering the mountains. Every night I had to come out to see them.
Before we knew it, night fell.
After wandering around the complex for a while, we drove to the city center. We sampled the food on Erdao Street and watched the Pagoda Mountain light show.
Erdao Street is a famous snack street in Yan'an, popular with both locals and tourists. Almost every food stall was good, and it was packed with people. Fortunately, the pandemic was under control; otherwise, such a scene wouldn't have been seen. Highly recommended: Li Lao Er's lamb trotters (7 yuan each) and stomach-wrapped meat (18 yuan each) β they were so delicious, but there were too many people, and we were too busy eating to take photos. We also had Teacher's Family lamb offal stew two meals in a row.
After satisfying our taste buds, it was time for visual feast: enjoy Yan'an night scenery and the Pagoda Mountain light show. The light show starts at 9 PM every night and lasts about half an hour. Watching it live was truly stunning!
Day 5: Ganquan Grand Canyon, Yongning Ancient Fortress
Morning: Ganquan Grand Canyon
Can you imagine what breathtaking beauty lies beneath such an ordinary-looking mountain? Under this mountain is the Ganquan Grand Canyon!
To take photos before the crowds arrived, we set off at 6:30 AM. Ganquan County is about an hour and a half drive from Yan'an city. After exiting the highway, we drove deep into the mountains for almost 40-50 minutes. As we drove, we thought, no wonder this stunning place was only discovered in 2017 by a geological photographer. We were lucky to see this geological wonder formed over millions of years in a relatively pristine state.
To enter Ganquan Grand Canyon, you need to purchase both an admission ticket (98 yuan) and a scenic area bus ticket (70 yuan). The buses operate on two routes: Route 1: Peony Gully β Dragon Dock Gully β Birch Tree Gully; Route 2 is the reverse: Birch Tree Gully β Dragon Dock Gully β Peony Gully. Both routes converge at Dragon Dock Gully, making it the most crowded. Birch Tree Gully is 1100 meters long, with the best part in the second half; Dragon Dock Gully is 800 meters, the narrowest, and always jam-packed with people; Peony Gully is 120 meters, entirely stunning.
We bought tickets for Route 2. Took the bus for 20 minutes to Birch Tree Gully first. Since we were among the first batch of visitors, there were fewer people, so we could slowly take photos β so happy! Exiting Birch Tree Gully, we took the bus for about 15 minutes to Dragon Dock Gully. By then, tourists were already blocking the entrance, and inside we moved slowly. Then a 10-minute bus ride to Peony Gully, arriving at noon β the best time for light and shadow in the canyon, the most vibrant colors. Finally, a 30-minute bus ride back to the entrance.
Almost all the photos we took were with our heads tilted upward. That wasn't us posing; it was simply because we were constantly looking up to admire the canyon beauty, unwilling to look down. After returning, our necks were very sore, haha.
Afternoon: Yongning Ancient Fortress
Yongning Ancient Fortress is about half an hour's drive from Ganquan Grand Canyon. On the way, we had lunch at a local restaurant; the food was average but filling. Yongning Ancient Fortress is a fortress embedded in a cliff, with a river at its foot β a great place for wading and picnicking.
In the evening, we returned to Yan'an. Thinking we would head home tomorrow, we went to see the Pagoda Mountain light show one more time, letting the brilliant lights mark a perfect end to our trip.
Day 6: Return Journey
This trip to Yan'an made me realize that Yan'an is not only about red (revolutionary holy land) and yellow (loess plateau) but also about gold (brilliant lights and magnificent natural scenery). Just as Chairman Mao said: 'Northern Shaanxi is a good place!'
At 10 AM, we set off on the road home. Looking forward to the next trip...
