Heiyu Mysterious Valley

Heiyu Mysterious Valley

The Heiyu Mysterious Valley scenic area in Jixian County, Tianjin, is located in Dongguoyuan Village, 7.5 kilometers east of the county town, covering a total area of 8,000 mu, with its highest peak, Niangniangding, reaching an altitude of 540 meters. According to folklore, Dongguoyuan was once the private orchard of An Lushan during the Tang Dynasty. In the Tianbao era of the Tang Dynasty, An Lushan, who served as the military governor of the three garrisons of Pinglu, Fanyang, and Hedong, often stayed in Yuyang, where he built an official residence in the city and constructed the Xiongwu City to the east of the city to store grain and forage. He also claimed the Dongguoyuan area as his private orchard. Surrounded by mountains, dense shrubs, and a secluded environment rarely visited by people, the scenic area introduces the popular southern “Turen Show” in this uniquely natural setting, blending the ethnic charm of southern minorities with the distinctive regional culture of the north, creating a seamless fusion of northern and southern elements. It has become a rising star among tourist attractions in eastern Beijing and northern Tianjin. The name “Heiyu Mysterious Valley” comes from the fact that the rocks in the valley are all dark brown, and legend has it that black wolves and black-skinned people were often seen there, causing locals to rarely venture in. On the slopes, remnants of old house foundations and large terraced fields were unexpectedly discovered, hence the name Heiyu Mysterious Valley.

Upon entering from the entrance, the first thing you see is the embroidered building of the Zhuang ethnic group from Guangxi, with grain storage structures in the open space. Next to the embroidered building is a performance stage where singing, antiphonal singing, bamboo pole dancing, and silk ball throwing performances are held daily starting at 9:00 AM. Visitors can try on ethnic costumes for photos or take pictures with the Zhuang girls.

After watching the performances by the young Zhuang men and women, walk along the mountain stone path toward the valley entrance, and you will soon arrive at the entrance of Mysterious Valley. There you’ll see a high watchtower with Wa ethnic men and women singing at the entrance and lookout platform, as if welcoming visitors. Following the stone steps down into the valley, you’ll quickly come to a wooden suspension bridge. Crossing the bridge leads to a sentry tower, where two Wa youths sing melodiously, greeting the arrivals. After climbing for less than five minutes, you’ll reach a wooden viewing platform. Sitting here to rest, you’ll see a cliff opposite to the north, known as the “Black Fish Mouth.” On the east side of the cliff is a shrine built by the Wa people, where visitors can watch the Wa tribe perform ritual worship ceremonies.

After watching the worship performance, continue deeper into the valley, pass through the wooden trapezoidal path, cross the Aqing Bridge, and you’ll arrive at the tribal living area.

Here, there are some simple thatched huts. Visitors can observe Wa women weaving cloth and pounding rice, as well as witness them eating raw meat, raw vegetables, and even soil. Passing through the tribal area, you’ll come across a large thatched house—the Elder’s House. The elder appears to be around 30 years old, strong, rugged, and rather dignified. Beyond the Elder’s House is the mountaintop, the tribal entertainment area. Here, visitors can watch performances such as “walking on the blade mountain,” “walking through fire,” “stepping on heated boards,” group hunting dances, torch dances, and hair-swinging dances.

Both Wa men and women have dark skin, but their darkness is not unattractive—in fact, it feels quite pleasant. Their ethnic group considers darkness beautiful. A young man or woman with fair skin may find it hard to find a partner. If a young man is both dark-skinned and muscular, he is hailed as the “dark horse prince” and becomes the object of affection for the “black princesses,” eventually winning the heart of the most beautiful “black snow princess,” who may fall for him despite his fierce appearance.

On the north side of the performance area, there is a stone-built ruin of an old house. From the ruins, the exact age is unclear, but it reflects that humans once lived here communally long ago.

Climbing further up from the mountaintop, you’ll reach the summit, where signs of cultivation can be seen, allowing you to imagine that, long ago, the humans who lived here also practiced a life of men farming and women weaving.

Standing on the giant rock at the mountaintop, you can see that this mysterious valley is surrounded by mountains on three sides, with rolling peaks in the distance, truly a scene of overlapping ridges. Looking southeast, you can see the mist-covered Cuiping Lake. Take a deep breath of the fresh air in this natural oxygen bar, look up to the sky, and shout out loud to feel your body and mind completely relaxed. After playing around on the mountaintop for a while, we returned to the performance area and followed the gravel path along the mountainside, heading south toward what locals call “Niangniang Spring” near “Niangniangding.”

On the eastern and western slopes of Niangniangding’s main peak, there is a spring on each side, flowing year-round. Locals call them the “two breasts of Niangniang.” Legend has it that Emperor Qianlong of the Qing Dynasty, while visiting his ancestral tomb in Zunhua's Eastern Tombs and staying overnight in Taohua Temple Village, once visited a village girl. Later, the girl often came to the mountaintop outside the village, gazing hopefully for the emperor’s return and wishing to be taken to the palace to accompany him. But her longing eyes never saw him again, and she eventually turned into the mountain peak. Since then, the mountain has been called Niangniangding, and the two breasts of Niangniang became two springs. We visited the ancient spring on the western slope. Below the spring, water has eroded a small pool over time, with crystal-clear, sweet, and cool water. It is said that drinking this spring water can also relieve internal heat and cure ailments. In 2003, reeds grew in this small pool—a rare sight at this altitude—perhaps brought here by seeds carried by kingfishers, forming this unique and rare scenery.

Visiting Heiyu Mysterious Valley allows tourists to experience the lifestyle and charm of the Zhuang and Wa ethnic minorities from Guangxi and Yunnan, appreciate the beautiful natural scenery of the valley, cultivate their temperament, and relax both body and mind. Heiyu Mysterious Valley enjoys very convenient transportation and communication. Dozens of farmhouses built against the mountain can accommodate up to 2,000 guests at the same time. While enjoying the unique customs of Heiyu Mysterious Valley, visitors can also experience the honest, kind, and hospitable traditional folkways of the mountain people—making it a truly worthwhile trip.

Address: Dongguoyuan Village, Yuyang Town, Jixian County, Tianjin City