Travel Notes of Henan: Shenling Village in Luoning

At 3:30 PM on May 19, 2020, we took a bus to Luoning. The bus departed from the bus station in front of Sanmenxia Railway Station, and the ticket cost 20 yuan. Under normal circumstances, the bus would have reached Luoning in an hour and a half, but it took a detour on a rural road, so we didn't arrive at the county bus station until nearly 6 PM. There were no decent hotels near the bus station, so we booked a Shangyite Chain Hotel about 700 meters away. The hotel was newly opened, with acceptable conditions, good service, and a cheap price of 83 yuan for a standard room, which was worth recommending. After checking in and dropping off our luggage, we went out for dinner and also inquired about the next day's travel plans. Luoning was a stopover on our way to Luanchuan; it was the closest route from Sanmenxia to Luanchuan. Luoning has a 4A-level scenic spot called Shenling Village, which is not well-known inside or outside the province. As a place with mountains and water, it was only recently developed, and we just wanted to take a brief look. According to online information, there was a bus to the scenic spot that departed at 7 AM every day from a place called 'The Big Stone.' We found the spot, which was about 100 meters east of the bus station at a T-junction. The landmark was a large stone standing in the middle of the road, serving as a city decoration and naturally becoming a local landmark, commonly referred to as 'The Big Stone.' We asked nearby shopkeepers and confirmed that the bus departed from here at 7 AM every day. There were also some snack stalls nearby, so we had dinner there as well. On May 20, 2020, we got up at 6 AM, stored our luggage at the hotel, and walked to The Big Stone. Seeing no bus yet, we had breakfast first. Then at the T-junction, we saw a scenic spot shuttle bus parked at the bus stop near the bus station. We got on, the fare was 2 yuan per person, and the bus departed at 7 AM sharp, with only the two of us on board. The bus took 40 minutes to reach Shenling Village scenic spot. We also asked the driver about the return buses, and he said there was one at 9:30 AM and another at 1:30 PM. Neither time was suitable; the first was too early and the second too late, as there was only one bus from Luoning to Luanchuan at 1:30 PM. To catch that bus, we had to find another way back. The ticket for Shenling Village was 40 yuan, free for those over 60. There was also a 10-yuan round-trip electric car ride, but the distance was not far, so we chose not to buy it. We walked through a bamboo forest to the electric car upper station and started hiking from there. Although it was called hiking, Shenling Village was actually divided into two sections. The first section was called the 'Water Route,' which followed a mountain stream meandering upward with a gentle slope, ending at the Chinese Grand Stone Waterfall. Further up was the 'Land Route,' which involved climbing up the mountain and was more difficult. However, there was a sign saying 'Visitors Stop' indicating that this section was temporarily closed. On the way back, we could have taken a different mountain path, but seeing that it also involved climbing, we simply returned the same way. Shenling Village National Forest Park is located in Luoning County, Henan Province, 17 kilometers southeast of the county seat, within the Sanguanmiao Forest Farm at the northern foot of Xiong'er Mountain. It is 90 kilometers east of the ancient capital Luoyang. It is a national forest park and national geopark, and one of the top ten ecological tourism bases in Henan Province. The scenic feature of Shenling Village is the grand view of stone waterfalls. Within the 10-kilometer-long grand canyon, there are stone waterfall landscapes of various heights and orientations, some lying, some standing, some cascading as a single waterfall, and some competing as a group. The types of stone waterfall landscapes are systematic and complete. Based on their shape and scale, they are mainly classified as flying waterfalls, giant waterfalls, dragon waterfalls, stacked waterfalls, curtain waterfalls, radish waterfalls, skirt waterfalls, wall waterfalls, and peach waterfalls. The Chinese Grand Stone Waterfall Group is the most attractive geological landscape in Shenling Village Park. The stone waterfalls in the park are grand in scale, with a height of 218 meters and a horizontal width of 578 meters. Formed by years of rain erosion on a granite mountain body over 2,460 meters thick, the shapes are peculiar, varied, and magnificent. The main types are curtain waterfalls, radish waterfalls, suspended waterfalls, and stacked waterfalls. They resemble a sea pouring down or a galaxy rolling backward, showcasing the wonders of nature's craftsmanship, which is truly breathtaking. The stone waterfall group is the main geological landscape in the park, concentrated on both sides of Huashan Main Peak. The largest stone waterfall covers an area of 100,000 square meters, and the smallest covers over 1,000 square meters. The weather was overcast that day, with light rain, making the road slippery, especially on the rocks by the water, where one could easily slip. Small waterfalls and streams accompanied us along the way, adding a unique charm. With blue sky and white clouds as a backdrop, the scenery would surely be beautiful. On the way back, we met a young couple who also did not want to go further up. We returned to the scenic area entrance together, and since they were driving their own car, they agreed to give us a ride back to the county seat. Thanks to their help, because there were no taxis at the entrance, it would have been quite troublesome to get back. We returned to the county seat at 12:30 PM. They dropped us off at the hotel entrance, and we thanked them before parting. We picked up our luggage from the hotel and walked to the bus station. On the way, we found a noodle shop and had lunch there. After lunch, we took the 1:30 PM bus to Luanchuan, arriving at around 7 PM. We checked into the Hulu Special Hotel near the station, with a special price of 69 yuan.