Ancient Yehe Nara City

Ancient Yehe Nara City

Ancient Yehe Nara City is a national AAAA-level tourist attraction and a cultural tourism site.

Ancient Yehe Nara City, situated in the southeastern part of Lishu County, Siping City, is a well-known folk-custom scenic spot, celebrated for its fortress architecture embodying distinctive Jurchen features.

The Yehe tribe, meaning "sun by the river" in Manchu, is one of the important birthplaces of the Manchu people. In the late Ming and early Qing periods, after the Yehe ancestors conquered the surrounding weaker tribes, they built two fortresses atop the strategic hills along both banks of the Yehe River. Although the Yehe tribe was destroyed by Nurhaci, the founding emperor of the Qing Dynasty, in 1619, its crucial and subtle influence on the history of the Qing imperial family remains indelible: Empress Xiaoci Gonghuang, the wife of Nurhaci, and Empress Dowager Cixi from the late Qing period were both born here. Hence, the city is also known as the "hometown of two generations of empresses." To this day, the hospitable Yehe people still retain some traditional Manchu cultural traits and welcome visitors from home and abroad with unique Manchu etiquette.

The architecture of the ancient city is highly distinctive, featuring three layers of walls—wooden, earthen, and stone—for each fortress, surrounded by a moat. Climbing to the watchtowers offers sweeping views of the vast, windswept wilderness. Inside, there are octagonal pagodas that are simple yet solemn, majestic and imposing—an unusual group of ancient buildings in northern China with significant archaeological and sightseeing value. The fortress structures and internal towers are well-preserved, scattered with numerous famous historical sites from the Qing Dynasty, among which the General Platform and Beacon Tower are particularly eye-catching. Today, the Yehe Nara scenic area is divided into two parts: the "Ancient City Cultural Zone" and the "Zhuan Shan Lake Scenic Recreational Resort." The Ancient City Cultural Zone includes ruins of the eastern and western cities, ancient post stations, Qielan Temple, Niangniang Temple, and Chongwang Temple for visitors to explore. The Zhuan Shan Lake area boasts picturesque scenery, with a water surface of about 5,000 acres that recreates the poetic vision of "mountains and waters blending into one hue."

Accommodation: Visitors can stay within the scenic area at hotels such as Zhuan Shan Lake Hotel, Ethnic Mountain Villa, Resort, and Ancient City Amusement Park, or rest in Yehe Town located between the two scenic zones.

Transportation: There are very convenient routes to the ancient city. The Siye Highway leads directly to the scenic spot. From Siping City, shuttle buses are available, departing every 7 minutes.

Tickets / Opening Hours: The park entrance ticket is 20 RMB, and the combined ticket is 41 RMB.

Opening Hours: 8:00–18:00

Jilin Siping City