A Two-Day Self-Drive from Xi'an via Yanhuang Highway to Hancheng – Hukou, Longmen, Hancheng Ancient City, Sima Qian Temple, Luyang Lake

Old friends of many years invited each other to take a self-drive trip along the newly built scenic highway by the Yellow River. Then we planned to visit Hancheng to see “The iron pen records the annals, the eternal Grand Historian,” and embark on a nostalgic journey to Hancheng.

D1: Depart from Xi’an, take Yanhuang Highway, visit Hukou Waterfall on the Yellow River, Longmen in Hancheng, and Hancheng Ancient City.

D2: Visit Sima Qian Temple in Hancheng, Luyang Lake between Pucheng and Fuping, and return to Xi’an via expressway.

We agreed with friends to depart at 7 a.m., taking the expressway all the way to Yanhuang Highway, enjoying the scenery along the way. About 3.5 hours later, we arrived at the Hukou Waterfall scenic area. It is a national-level scenic spot and a 4A tourist area, as well as a national geological park. Located in Hukou Township, Yichuan County, Yan’an City, Shaanxi Province, about 350 km from Xi’an. It is the second-largest waterfall in China and the world’s largest yellow waterfall. Majestic and spectacular! At the tourist service center about 8 km from the waterfall, we parked the car and bought tickets. Parking fee, entrance ticket, and scenic area shuttle totaled 132 yuan.

After exploring the scenic area for an hour, we returned to the center to pick up the car, then continued along Yanhuang Highway towards Hancheng.

About an hour and a half later, we arrived at the Yellow River Longmen scenic area in Hancheng. Longmen is the throat of the Yellow River, located about 27 km north of Hancheng city. To the north, it is a Yellow River gorge flanked by mountains; to the south, a vast flat plain. Legend says this is where Yu the Great tamed the floods, so it is also called Yumen. Over the Yellow River at Longmen, there is the Yumenkou Bridge, a steel cable-stayed bridge serving both railway and highway, connecting Shaanxi and Shanxi with grandeur. The original steel truss bridge still stands there, bearing witness to history.

After seeing Longmen, we drove about half an hour to the center of Hancheng, and checked into a star-rated hotel for 200 yuan. In the evening, we strolled through the ancient city and sampled local delicacies. Hancheng is a sub-prefecture-level city under Shaanxi Province, located on the western bank of the Yellow River in the eastern part of the province, in the northeastern corner of the Guanzhong Basin. Covering 1,621 square kilometers with a population of about 400,000, it is over 240 km from the provincial capital Xi’an. On the recommendation of the hotel staff, we walked through Jinta Park into the ancient city, where the night market was bustling and lively. There was a wide variety of food, and the shops were charmingly decorated in an antique style. The people of Hancheng are shrewd yet warm, friendly and prosperous. We entered a small eatery and spent 100 yuan on a hearty meal. Afterward, we strolled along the ancient stone-paved streets, chatting with friends — very pleasant. Back at the hotel, we had a comfortable rest.

Morning in Chang’an, nightfall in Han,

Two ancient cities revealed in a day.

Up close the Yellow River’s scenic sights,

Youth not wasted, passing like clouds.

In a small alley across from the hotel, we found a little eatery for breakfast, and also bought some local snacks at the market to bring back to Xi’an.

After that, we drove about 15 minutes to Sima Qian Temple, where entrance was 80 yuan and parking 10 yuan.

It is perched on the cliff of Hanyi Slope in Zhichuan Town, 10 km south of Hancheng, built into the cliffs and rising in tiers. From the summit, one can gaze east at the surging Yellow River, west at the towering Liang Mountains, south at the ancient Wei Great Wall, and north at the flowing Zhi River, surrounded by mountains and waters in a magnificent panorama. Facing the Yellow River to the east and resting on the Liang Mountains to the west, with the Zhi River winding before the tomb, its commanding position and scenic beauty make it the crown jewel of Hancheng’s attractions. It is a national 4A tourist area and a key national cultural heritage site.

There were few tourists, so we took our time to savor this “eternal literary and historical sanctuary” and learn about Sima Qian’s humiliating life and brilliant work. Sima Qian Temple is built to honor the great Chinese historian. The magnificent natural setting and beautiful scenery reflect Sima Qian’s noble character and great achievements. Sima Qian, courtesy name Zichang, was born in Xiayang (modern-day Hancheng, Shaanxi) in the Western Han dynasty. He was a famous historian and literary figure. From age ten, he studied ancient texts assiduously; after twenty, he traveled to famous places in Jianghuai, investigated historical sources, and interviewed common people. Later, he succeeded his father as the Grand Historian, in charge of documents and recording history. At 42, he began writing the Records of the Grand Historian. At 48, he was implicated in the Li Ling affair and suffered the cruel punishment of castration by Emperor Wu of Han. After release, he served as the Prefect of the Grand Scribes and continued writing diligently, completing the monumental work Records of the Grand Historian after 16 years—130 chapters totaling 520,000 characters, also known as Taishi Gongshu. Sima Qian recorded the activities of minority ethnic groups and wrote biographies for lower-class figures; he dared to criticize emperors, including those of his own dynasty.

It is said that the surname “Feng” is descended from Sima Qian’s eldest son Sima Lin, and “Tong” from his second son Sima Guan. The two families are as close as kin, but they never intermarry. When Sima Qian was imprisoned and punished, to protect his children from implication, they had to change their surnames.

Visiting Sima Qian Temple

The Grand Historian of a thousand years,

With an iron pen he wrote history.

In his heart the cosmos,

Forever flowing clear.

After about an hour and a half of sightseeing, we drove about an hour to Luyang Lake scenic area, located between Weinan City and Fuping County. No entrance fee, parking 5 yuan.

Located 3 km north of Dangmu Town, Pucheng County, Weinan City (west of Weiqing Highway), it is a national wetland park built on water resources. The lake is vast by the standards of the Guanzhong region, with water and sky merging, shimmering waves, and swaying reeds—an ideal ecological environment for waterbirds to soar, dwell, and breed. It is a rare land of waters in the eight-hundred-li Qinchuan. The scenic area integrates an ecological park, a seawater bathing beach, a lakeside hotel, and waterfront residences, making it a high-tech park of regional influence and a distinctive tourist destination, a great place for rural, residential, and industrial integration. We spent 50 yuan on a speedboat ride, zipping across the lake, observing birds and shoreline scenery—a refreshing delight in summer.

After about an hour or so, we drove half an hour to a small shop specializing in braised pig trotters, and had lunch for 370 yuan. We also packed some of their specialty braised trotters, then drove over an hour back home, concluding a delightful two-day trip.

The per-person cost was about 450 yuan. Gathering with friends, seeing beautiful scenery, and tasting delicious food was well worth it!