Backpacking Solo Through Anhui, Shandong, Henan, and Shaanxi.

In recent years, I've visited many places, but some overlooked, remote, or poorly connected attractions I wanted to visit but couldn't. This time I finally made up my mind to link them together and take advantage of the beautiful spring weather to embark on a solo backpacking trip. With a detailed itinerary, I set off step by step.

April 10: Took a high-speed train in the morning to Shou County, Anhui. Stayed at the Wanjing International Hotel near Bagong Mountain. After dropping off my luggage, I visited Bagong Mountain, famous for the phrase "every bush and tree looks like an enemy." For lunch, I had the local dish of tofu. Then I rode an electric scooter straight to the ancient city's north gate to admire the Song Dynasty city walls and barbican. I then walked through the old streets, visiting the thousand-year-old Bao'en Temple, the Confucian Temple on West Street, the Shou County Museum, Binyang Gate, and Tongfei Gate.

Front is the Wanshou Palace, back is the Dihou Palace.

Fei River winds gently, a reservoir visible in the distance. Once upon a time, over a thousand years ago, the battle of Fei River with its swords and shadows was right here.

Ginkgo trees planted in the ninth year of Zhenguan in the Tang Dynasty (two trees).

Confucian Temple, first built in the Yuan Dynasty, renovated 42 times, reaching its current scale.

Largest Chu round tripod unearthed (weighing 400 kg).

Shou County, as the last capital of the Chu state, has profound historical culture.

A Catholic church blending Chinese and Western styles.

Shou County is the birthplace of tofu.

Tomb of Liu An, King of Huainan; went to see it early the next morning. Nearby is Lian Po's tomb (no time for it).

April 11: Took a high-speed train in the morning to Bozhou, staying at a guesthouse on Old Street. First stop: Huaxilou (Flower Opera Tower), then in order: Nanjing Alley Bank, Hua Tuo's Former Residence, Zhongde Palace, Cao Teng's Tomb, Cao Cao's Underground Troop Transport Passage, Bozhou Museum, Cao Cao Park, and Cao Cao Memorial Hall. I managed to visit all efficiently thanks to shared electric scooters.

The guesthouse was clean and affordable.

Originally a Guandi Temple, later a guild hall, now integrated into the scenic area complex—a broad concept.

The gate carving is the main attraction.

The wood carvings on the stage are also exquisite.

Business relies on trust, so worshipping Lord Guan is a must.

Nanjing Alley Bank is old and large; the Chinese Coin Museum inside is worth a visit.

Hua Tuo was also from Bozhou, so Bozhou's Chinese herbal medicine market is nationally famous.

Zhongde Palace enshrines Laozi, the founder of Taoism, who was also from Bozhou.

Chen Tuan, a Taoist master, lived to 117 years old (his handwriting is found at Longmen Grottoes).

Cao Teng was Cao Cao's grandfather; Bozhou is also Cao Cao's hometown.

Gate of the Underground Troop Transport Passage.

The tunnels beneath Bozhou city, said to be Cao Cao's troop transport passages, are 7 kilometers long in total, with 800 meters open to the public. Inside, there is a detailed introduction to the Seven Masters of the Jian'an period.

Bozhou Museum's collection is not extensive, mainly ceramics and weapons.

Not far from the museum is Cao Cao Park, which houses the Cao Cao Memorial Hall.

April 12: Took a train in the morning to Shangqiu, Henan, staying at the Riyuehu Shanshui Hotel across from the station. The main purpose in Shangqiu was to see the ancient city, so I first took a taxi to the Shangqiu Ancient City Scenic Area, more than ten kilometers from the city center.

Shangqiu, anciently called Guide, has an absolutely advantageous location: surrounded by lakes, from above it looks like a small boat in the sea, easy to defend and hard to attack. The ancient city is currently undergoing a revitalization project, expected to be a large leisure and entertainment venue for tourists in two to three years.

Renovated City God Temple.

Zhang Xun Temple is magnificent, with regular costume performances.

The Confucian Temple in the ancient city has also been restored.

This tree is said to have been chewed by Zhao Kuangyin's horse when he tied it there.

View of Shangqiu Ancient City from a distance.

Huoshen Mountain is another scenic area near the ancient city.

This is the birthplace of "Shang" (commerce), which emphasizes money (the ground is paved with coin patterns).

A gentleman makes money by proper means; this place worships the way of doing business.

The architecture also has Han cultural style.

Peonies were in full bloom.

The Quebo Platform in the garden is the site of China's earliest astronomical observatory.

Finally, a look at Riyue Lake.

April 13: Took a train to Heze, Shandong, to see peonies. I chose the Caozhou Peony Garden, which was the right time; all kinds of peonies were in full bloom. In between, I toured the city and visited the Hebei-Shandong-Henan Border Region Historical Memorial Hall. Then took a train to Xuchang, Henan.

The huge station had no luggage storage.

Heze has many peony gardens; I chose the most popular, Caozhou Peony Garden.

During the flower festival, there are various events.

Only the peony is truly rich and noble.

Heze Square architecture.

Hebei-Shandong-Henan Border Region Revolution Memorial Hall.

April 14: "Whenever I hear about the Three Kingdoms, I want to go to Xuchang." Arrived in Xuchang last night, stayed at Hanting Hotel (free laundry service). After breakfast, walked to the nearby ancient city, called Cao Wei Ancient City, a free scenic area. It was obvious they hadn't made drastic changes to the streets, but the style of Han and Wei was already discernible. Walked through the old street to the Prime Minister's Mansion, then to Chungju Tower (Spring and Autumn Tower), then took a bus to Baling Bridge Scenic Area on the outskirts. Seeing I had time, I changed my plan and took a bus to Suiping at 2 p.m. to prepare for the next day's trip to Chaya Mountain.

Guanzhai was Guan Yu's temporary residence in Xuchang; renamed Chungju Tower because he read the Spring and Autumn Annals at night. Now combined with the Confucian Temple, it's quite interesting.

Baling Bridge Scenic Area is outside the city, featuring the Green Plum Pavilion where the famous "discussing heroes over green plums and wine" took place, and the site where Cao Chong weighed an elephant. The main story is Guan Yu leaving Cao Cao here, using his sword to pick up the battle robe Cao Cao had given him.

There is also a national key cultural relic: Guanyu Temple.

April 15: Last night stayed at Jindu International Hotel in Suiping County. Checked out early, stored luggage at the front desk, rode a bike to the main bus station, took the first bus to the scenic area Chaya Mountain. After visiting, took a bus back to Suiping in the afternoon, retrieved luggage from the hotel, then took a bus to Zhumadian station. An hour later, I was in Xinyang, on the border with Hubei (by high-speed train).

I arrived earlier than the staff.

Chaya Mountain is where the 1990s TV series Journey to the West was filmed.

The granite rock formations are very unique.

Now a 5A scenic area, with many plank roads built on the mountain.

An unfinished suspension bridge.

Beautiful scenery, few people (mainly due to inconvenient transportation).

Arriving in Xinyang at dusk was the perfect moment.

April 16: Transportation from Xinyang to Jigong Mountain is more convenient. Xinyang station has direct buses to the scenic area running frequently. Jigong Mountain is one of China's four major summer resorts. As early as the early 20th century, foreign missionaries, diplomats, and domestic political celebrities, financial tycoons bought land and built villas here. It was a craze; owning a villa was a status symbol. So visiting Jigong Mountain is mainly to see the international architecture.

Most buildings on Jigong Mountain are near the summit, so you must take a bus to Baojian Mountain Pass.

Military service center for soldiers.

In 1938, Chiang Kai-shek set up his command post here for the Battle of Wuhan; an underground bomb shelter was built then.

Jigong Mountain is located on the border of Henan and Hubei, with dense forests and unique climate conditions.

Baoxiao Peak is 768 meters above sea level.

April 17: Left Xinyang early on a green train to Nanyang. The train, scheduled to arrive after 1 p.m., arrived an hour early—great, gaining precious time. But the hotel I checked into was hard to find due to road expansion near the station, costing some time. So I first took a taxi to Wolong Ridge, then to the Prefectural Government Office (taxis in Nanyang are cheap via DiDi). Then, on the snack street in front of the government office, I had beef soup and flatbread (Nanyang's beef soup is fresh and generous). Returned to the hotel and rested early.

Nanyang has Wolong Ridge, Xiangfan has Gulongzhong—both associated with Zhuge Liang. In my view, Nanyang is more ancient and authentic.

Nanyang Prefectural Government Office, first built in the Yuan Dynasty, underwent large-scale renovation in 2001, basically maintaining the Ming and Qing style. It covers over 80,000 square meters and is a well-preserved prefecture-level government office.

All six ministries: Personnel, Revenue, Rites, War, Justice, Works are present.

In recent years, excavations revealed that beneath the office was a mint from the Wang Mang period of the Han Dynasty.

April 18: Participated in the local "Laojie Ridge One-Day Tour." Laojie Ridge is located in Xixia County, Nanyang, part of the Funiu Mountains, 180 km from Nanyang. The main peak, Jijiao Peak, is 2,212 meters high. The mountains are layered green, forests lush, with an average summer temperature of 21°C. "Lao" refers to Laozi's blessed land; "Jie" means the boundary between northern and southern watersheds.

First took a sightseeing car to the cable car station, then the cable car to the top, then walked 5 km along the mountain path—achievement unlocked!

The peak forest near the summit belongs to the same Funiu Mountain granite landscape group as Laojun Mountain.

Main peak Jijiao Peak, 2,212 m, belongs to Luanchuan County, Luoyang (separated by one mountain from Laojun Mountain).

Sawtooth Ridge, Arrowhead Peak.

Glass walkway (30 yuan).

The mountain path is gentle and easy to hike.

Watershed platform with a midline marked; standing on one side the wind is strong, on the other side no wind. Strange!

Azaleas blooming in the valley.

April 20: After the one-day tour, returned to Nanyang. Early next morning, took a train to Neixiang. What I couldn't forget was the so-called "No. 1 County Government Office in China"—Neixiang County Government Office (4A). After visiting, had a bowl of lamb soup noodles on the street in front of the office. Full, walked to the Tuan River to see Neixiang's mother river, then calmly boarded a train to Shangnan to prepare for tomorrow's Jinsi Gorge.

Neixiang County Government Office was first built in the eighth year of Dade in the Yuan Dynasty. In the early Qing, Magistrate Zhang Bingtao worked tirelessly for eight years to build it to standard scale: 15 courtyards, 280 rooms, the largest in the country. Now it has multiple exhibition areas. If you want to know the inner workings of a government office, come here.

Even the back garden and such are arranged according to the Qing Hui Dian (Legal Code), so there is a saying: "The dragon's head is in Beijing's Forbidden City; the dragon's tail is in Neixiang County Government Office."

April 20: Jinsi Gorge is located in the hinterland of the Qinling Mountains, more than 30 km from Shangnan. It is the source of the Danjiang River, named for the golden monkeys. It features unique canyon landscapes, dynamic water landscapes, and pristine ecology, making it a 5A scenic area.

At 7:40 a.m., there is a direct bus from the county bus station to the scenic area. At 3 p.m., I took the same bus back to Shangnan. My train to Shangluo was at 5:45 p.m. Unfortunately, the bus didn't pass the train station. I got off midway, quickly hailed a taxi, and together with three other young people, sprinted 100 meters to the station—just in time, but thrilling.

Walkway in the canyon.

The typical route for Jinsi Gorge is: arrive at the scenic area, take the scenic bus from the periphery to the top of the mountain, then enter the gorge and walk downhill along the stream all the way, a total of 10 km. Because it's downhill, it's not too tiring.

The cable car goes to the main peak.

Walked for over 3 hours in the rain, covering 10 km; shoes and socks were soaked.

April 21: Stayed one night in Shangluo. The next day, I spent 28.50 yuan to take a train at noon to Xi'an. I arranged accommodation near Xi'an North Station to catch an early train the next morning. I've been to Xi'an many times; this time I mainly wanted to climb the city wall and visit the newly popular Tang Paradise. The subway and shared bikes helped me move underground, and I finished my tasks quickly. I rewarded myself with lamb paomo.

Tang Paradise is a large amusement park built on the site of the Tang Dynasty Furong Garden, constructed in the style of imperial gardens, covering 1,000 mu (about 66.7 hectares), with 300 mu of water surface. The large-scale water light show at night is very beautiful.

The Xi'an Ming City Wall was built in the third year of Hongwu in the Ming Dynasty. It is the best-preserved and oldest ancient city wall in China, with a total length of 13.7 km. In past years I only saw it from afar; this time I finally climbed it—wish fulfilled.

April 22: Early high-speed train to Luoyang Longmen Station. Stored my luggage, took a taxi directly to Longmen Scenic Area. I skipped the scenic bus and walked while taking photos all the way to the site. I had been here forty years ago; now I'm already over seventy, but the landscape remains the same, only the Yi River seems fuller. Visiting Longmen was just a quick stop. Returned to the station, picked up luggage, first sorted out accommodation. Then leisurely rode a bike to the National Peony Garden, Luoyi Ancient Town, and Lijing Gate, checking them off one by one.

Smooth and detailed lines, lifelike figures.

Longmen Grottoes were first built during the Northern Wei Dynasty, construction lasted over 400 years, with 2,300 caves and 110,000 statues. Together with Dunhuang and Yungang Grottoes, they are known as the three major grotto sites in China.

Vairocana Buddha, 17.14 meters tall, with a plump face and beautiful eyes, is a masterpiece of Tang Dynasty Buddhist sculpture. It was carved in the early years of Emperor Gaozong of Tang, taking 4 years to complete (Empress Wu Zetian donated 20,000 strings of cash from her cosmetics allowance).

Luoyang peonies are world-famous, generating economic benefits of up to 20 billion yuan. But the season had passed; during Guyu (Grain Rain) period, the peonies had already faded. At the most famous Chinese National Garden, I could no longer see the bustling crowds and blooming peonies.

Specially cultivated ones still remain.

Luoyi Ancient Town is a leisure and entertainment attraction built on the ruins of the Jin and Yuan dynasties' old city. The pond in front is said to have been an ancient water and land dock. The standing Wenfeng (Literary) Pagoda is an old artifact. What impressed me most was that everyone was wearing Hanfu, thoroughly enjoying it.

Lijing Gate was first built in the first year of Xingding in the Jin Dynasty, serving as the west gate of Luoyang during the Jin, Yuan, Ming, and Qing dynasties. The current gate was rebuilt on the original site in 2002. Entering the gate, you enter the old street, which is very lively.

The old street has many local specialty snacks.

It introduces characters related to Luoyang in detail.

The exhibition of ancient weapons on the gate tower was also impressive, enriching my knowledge.

April 23: Participated in the local "Laojun Mountain One-Day Tour." Laojun Mountain was the highlight of this trip; I booked tickets early on Ctrip. Unfortunately, the weather was not ideal; it rained halfway up the mountain, but Laojun Mountain in the rain and fog was still beautiful.

Cable car to Zhongtianmen, then walked up the main peak of Funiu Mountain, passed Nantianmen, and finally reached the Golden Summit.

Laojun Mountain is in Luanchuan County, Luoyang. Legend has it that Laozi once cultivated here. During the Northern Wei Dynasty, a Taoist temple was built to commemorate the founder of Taoism. In the Tang Dynasty, Emperor Taizong decreed its expansion and honored Laozi as Taishang Laojun. Since then, Laojun Mountain has been called the first immortal mountain, boasting the spirit to swallow the Three Mountains and surpass the Five Sacred Mountains.

The rain grew heavier, leaving watermarks on the lens.

Due to rain, the following photos were taken with a phone.

Main peak Jijiao Peak, 2,219 meters above sea level.

In recent years, related parties have invested heavily in building magnificent Taoist complexes on the summit, adding much color to Laojun Mountain and turning it into a popular internet-famous check-in spot; the investment finally paid off.

Taoist building complex near Nantianmen.

Thus ended my 15-day spring backpacking trip. Tomorrow I will fly back to Shanghai. (End)