A Photography Journey Through Shaanxi

When I signed up, I thought my photography trip wouldn't be too tiring. But the day before departure, the itinerary notice arrived, and I saw that everything had changed. I even had to take a 9C flight, and the biggest change was that the entire trip spanned several provinces, all by long-distance bus, which was quite exhausting. It was different from the itinerary I had originally liked. For the sake of the long-cherished 'Yucha Grand Canyon' and 'Wave Valley,' I didn't bother negotiating with the travel agency. I didn't want the hassle. I packed my bags and started my photography journey.

Let me briefly describe the itinerary:

5.28 Took a 9C plane to Heze Airport in Shandong, then took a bus to Henan

5.28 Shanghai - Heze - Jiaozuo

5.29 Jiaozuo - Hukou - Yan'an

5.30 Wave Valley

5.31 Yan'an - Yunqiu Mountain

6.1 Yunqiu Mountain - Kaifeng

6.2 Kaifeng - Heze - Shanghai

Following the timeline, the detailed itinerary:

2021.5.28 Pudong Airport, Little Song City

Took the airport metro to the boarding gate

So many outlets, but no power

Arrived at Heze, Shandong by plane, then transferred to a long-distance bus to Jiaozuo, Henan

Little Song City gathers hundreds of traditional Kaifeng snacks that have been passed down for a thousand years. It mainly offers Kaifeng specialty snacks and flavors from all over the country. It has been honored as 'Kaifeng People's Living Room,' 'Top Choice for Out-of-Town Visitors,' 'New Business Card of Kaifeng,' and 'New Cultural Tourism Landmark.'

What were the diners eating in Little Song City?

It works on a card recharge system. First, deposit 50 to 100 yuan into the card. After eating, you can get a refund and return the card. If it's not enough, you can top up.

Donkey meat was quite expensive—68 yuan for eight thin slices. I heard that the thinner the slices, the better the seller's knife skills. In other words, the better the knife skills, the less meat you get—I don't want knife skills, I want meat!!!

To aid digestion, I strolled around the city.

I spent 30 yuan to have a sketch portrait drawn by a street artist. Friends said it looked quite like me.

2021.5.29 Hukou Waterfall, Nanniwan

Early in the morning, the car headed toward the Hukou Waterfall Scenic Area in Ji County, Linfen City, Shanxi.

Arrived at the Hukou Waterfall Scenic Area in Shanxi. At this point, the Yellow River has steep cliffs on both banks, and the river mouth narrows like a teapot spout, forming the spectacle of 'a thousand miles of the Yellow River gathered in one pot,' hence the name Hukou Waterfall. It is the second largest waterfall in China and the largest yellow waterfall in the world.

It is also the location depicted on the 50-yuan note of the fourth series of RMB.

Business is everywhere.

On the same side of the Yellow River, looking from Ji County, Linfen City, Shanxi, toward Hukou Township, Yan'an City, Shaanxi.

The scenic area centered on Hukou Waterfall combines the Yellow River Gorge, Loess Plateau, and ancient villages, showcasing the magnificent natural landscapes of the Yellow River Basin and its rich historical and cultural heritage. Here, poets and musicians throughout history have composed 'Yellow River Cantata,' singing the praises of the Chinese people visiting the largest yellow waterfall in the country, wandering around the turbulent mother river, taking in the grandeur and majesty of the Yellow River, and reflecting on the five thousand years of Chinese civilization...

Nanniwan: A hundred years ago, this place was densely populated with abundant water and fertile land, and both production and economy were very prosperous. By the mid-Qing Dynasty, Qing rulers incited conflicts between the Hui and Han ethnic groups, leading to mutual slaughter, turning this place into a desolate area overgrown with weeds and thorns, sparsely populated, and frequented by wild animals.

In March 1941, the 359th Brigade of the Eighth Route Army, led by Brigade Commander Wang Zhen, carried out the famous Great Production Campaign in Nanniwan. Nanniwan is the birthplace of the Yan'an Spirit and also the birthplace of China's agricultural reclamation industry.

This was an added attraction. After visiting Hukou Waterfall, we still had time, so each of us paid an extra 20 yuan for the bus fare to check in at Nanniwan as a tip for the bus driver.

On the giant party emblem, the German text 'Communist Manifesto' was hollowed out.

2021.5.30 Wave Valley, Yangjialing

Longzhou Danxia Landform is currently the largest Danxia landform site in Shaanxi. Locals call it 'Wave Valley' or 'Red Stone Mao,' also known as Jingbian Red Sandstone Gorge.

We paid 50 yuan for the self-paid scenic area shuttle bus and visited two free attractions. This was where locals bought wild honey.

The red sandstone here, eroded by wind and rain, presents a variety of strange postures and colors. Different angles and times reveal different scenes. After a clear rain, the red sandstone becomes even more vibrant, and under sunlight, it creates special light and shadow, making the scenery spectacular and unique.

It is a wonderland carved by millions of years of wind, water, and time into the sandstone. As we walked into the valley, we could see circles, clumps, and patches of wave-like formations rushing toward the winding ravines like mudslides, creating a breathtaking natural wonder!

The water Danxia, Pit No. 3, is a free attraction with few visitors. I personally think it can rival Horseshoe Bend in the United States, and it is even larger in scale.

Like an eagle spreading its wings.

Also like a crawling snake head.

Red rocks, blue sky, and green ripples.

Pit No. 4 is also a free attraction, larger in scale than Pit No. 3.

At first glance, it looks exactly like the head of a bird or an eagle, quite similar to the rocks at Horseshoe Bend in the U.S.

This photo is of a rock at Horseshoe Bend taken during a trip to the U.S. a few years ago.

After visiting Wave Valley, the bus continued toward Yangjialing in Yan'an.

Yangjialing, Pagoda Hill: From November 1938 to May 1943, the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China continued to command the anti-Japanese war behind enemy lines and led the Liberation War, the Great Production Campaign, and the Rectification Movement from Yangjialing. It also convened the Seventh National Congress of the Party and the Yan'an Forum on Literature and Art. In 1942, the Central Auditorium was built here. From April 23 to June 21, 1945, the Seventh National Congress of the Party was solemnly convened in the Central Auditorium.

Topographic map of Yangjialing.

The bus headed toward Yucha Village, Ganquan County, Yan'an City.

2021.5.31 Yucha Grand Canyon

Hundreds of millions of years ago, a strong earthquake occurred in northern Shaanxi, splitting a large loess mountain into a huge crack. After hundreds of years of rainwater erosion, the surface gradually formed a peculiar canyon landscape with beautiful wavy curves. This is the Yucha Grand Canyon we see today, also known as Ganquan Grand Canyon.

Yucha Grand Canyon consists of seven canyons: Huashu Gully, Peony Gully, A Thread of Sky, Snake River Gully, Phoenix Gully, Leopard Gully, and Longba Gully. The most beautiful is Huashu Gully. Currently, only the first three gullies are open. Today, we visited two: Peony Gully and Huashu Gully.

No entrance fee for the scenic area, but we had to pay 70 yuan per person for the shuttle bus.

Walking into the canyon, the walls are uneven with smooth lines, like waves sweeping past you. In wide areas, several people can walk side by side; in narrow areas, only one person can pass. Walking inside feels like entering another space! The colorful, mesmerizing rocks and wavy, flowing lines are like a moving painting, both dynamic and static...

We took the scenic area's electric car, a ten-minute ride, to Huashu Gully.

The rock crevice is quite narrow, and taking photos gives the effect of a 'time tunnel.' You can't stay long; it feels like 'one man can hold the pass against ten thousand.'

People in Shaanxi are truly simple; they let you pay whatever you want for a posed photo. They don't take coins. I searched all my pockets and only had two one-yuan bills, which I gave him. We took a photo together.

2021.6.1 Yunqiu Mountain, Shenxian Valley, Ta'er Village

Yunqiu Mountain's unique karst landform and stone forest environment create various strange peaks and wonders. It can be described as 'a thousand peaks competing in beauty, ten thousand ravines majestic.' Yunqiu Mountain not only has peculiar natural landscapes but also profound cultural heritage, making it a frequent destination for Taoist immortals for thousands of years.

We mainly visited Shenxian Valley, Ta'erpo Ancient Village, and the Yunqiu Mountain Millennium Ice Cave Group.

Shenxian Valley, Ta'erpo Ancient Village, Yunqiu Mountain Ice Cave Group

Shenxian Valley features clear waters and green mountains, full of vegetation, and a beautiful environment—a place of excellent feng shui. Legend has it that the predecessor of Emperor Zhenwu, 'Gun,' came here while searching for a place to cultivate. Seeing the murmuring stream, gentle breeze, birdsong and flowers, and green mountains and waters, he felt the feng shui was excellent and stayed here for a while. After Gun became an immortal, locals called this place 'Shenxian Valley' (Immortal Valley).

Walking along Shenxian Valley toward the hillside.

Man-made mist, really a bit like fairyland.

After climbing this slope, we reached the village entrance.

Ta'erpo Ancient Village, originally named Ta'erpo, has a history of over 2,500 years. It got its name because Laozi (Li Er) once stayed here while traveling the world. Later, Taoists heard about it and came, finding this feng shui treasure land very suitable for quiet cultivation. They practiced fasting in the nearby mountains and lived alongside the local villagers, gradually forming a village.

Made from flour, like a work of art—hard to eat.

Regular performances in Ta'erpo Village.

After touring Ta'erpo Ancient Village, we took a 5-yuan electric car, walked up the steps, and arrived at the entrance of the ice cave group.

The Yunqiu Mountain Ice Cave Group formed during the Quaternary Ice Age, more than 3 million years ago. It is a natural group of ice caves consisting of 11 cave chambers. Its scale is extremely rare in the world as a natural phenomenon.

The cave was suddenly cold, about -15°C.

Each visitor was provided with a helmet and a thick cotton coat, which was quite thoughtful.

After visiting the ice cave, we headed toward Kaifeng.

The service area we passed through was quite advanced. I first saw such screens a few years ago at a service area in Japan. Not long after, we now have them too.

Arriving in Kaifeng, it was already sunset.

Sunset by Pan Family Lake at Kaifeng Longting Park.

2021.6.2 Daxiangguo Temple, Lord Bao's Memorial Temple, Chairman Mao's Inspection Site of the Yellow River

Daxiangguo Temple has two treasures: the bronze statue of Lu Zhishen uprooting a willow tree and the giant statue of the Thousand-Armed, Thousand-Eyed Guanyin. The Guanyin statue is about seven meters tall, covered in gold leaf, and is said to be carved from a single ginkgo tree, exceptionally exquisite. Surrounding the Guanyin statue are over a hundred arhats in various poses, vivid and lifelike.

Lord Bao's Memorial Temple is located on the west bank of the scenic Bao Gong Lake in the ancient capital of Kaifeng, which has been the capital of seven dynasties.

Bao Zheng, respectfully called 'Lord Bao' or 'Bao Qingtian,' was a famous incorruptible official in the Northern Song Dynasty. He cared about the country and the people, was upright and impartial, suppressed the strong and helped the weak, and was iron-faced and selfless, seeking justice for the people. He earned a reputation known to all, ancient and modern, Chinese and foreign, and has been deeply respected and loved for thousands of years. Since the Jin and Yuan dynasties, Lord Bao's Memorial Temple has been built in Kaifeng to commemorate this historical sage.

So this is what Bao Zheng actually looked like.

In the second hall stands a stone stele, the 'Kaifeng Prefecture Inscription,' a relic from the Northern Song Dynasty. It lists the names and appointment dates of 183 Kaifeng prefects. Only under Bao Zheng's name is there a deep finger groove. This groove was worn down over time by people pointing at the inscription while admiring it.

Evidence of the people's respect for Lord Bao.

Chairman Mao's Inspection Site of the Yellow River: We still had a few hours before the return flight, so we added this check-in point. Originally, we could have taken a speedboat for 30 yuan per person to cruise the Yellow River, but unfortunately, it was out of service for the day. We walked around the area and took a photo in front of the monument to mark the end of our tour.

The bus took us back to Heze Airport, waiting to go home.