Mengquan Ecotourism Area

Mengquan Ecotourism Area

Mengquan Ecotourism Area is a national AAA-level tourist attraction.

Covering an area of over 10,000 mu, Mengquan Ecotourism Scenic Area is located at the very top of Xingfuliu in Zichuan Town, Zichuan District. The village that the entire scenic area is built around is Shuangquan Village, formerly known as Mengquan Village, which is a well-known longevity village. Surrounded by mountains on three sides and situated at an altitude of 510 meters, the village has a history of over 300 years. To this day, it still preserves a village stele from the Kangxi era. The entire scenic area is divided into five major sections: the Leisure & Ecology Zone, the Historical Exploration Zone, the High-altitude Adventure Zone, the Longevity Culture Zone, and the Folk Tourism Zone.

The Leisure & Ecology Zone features ten sightseeing and fruit-picking areas, including peach orchards, date orchards, Chinese prickly ash gardens, crabapple gardens, apricot orchards, pear orchards, persimmon orchards, and hawthorn orchards. In this area, visitors can freely pick and taste fruits, fully experiencing the joy of reaping the rewards of their labor. Each of the ten gardens has its own unique characteristics yet are naturally interconnected, allowing visitors to enjoy different kinds of fun across various zones—whether it's admiring flowers in spring, seeking shade in the peak of summer, picking fruits in golden autumn, or enjoying ice formations in winter. Mengquan Mountain Villa consists of 40 uniquely styled small villas. Built along the mountain contours, the villas are layered and staggered, some hidden deep within apricot groves, others embraced by date orchards, or beneath century-old pear trees. They offer visitors a serene and elegant retreat away from the hustle and bustle of the city—an ideal destination for vacationing.

The Historical Exploration Zone centers around the legend of “Sun Bin’s Dream Spring,” featuring numerous attractions such as the statue of Sun Bin, the Dream Spring Pool, the actual Dream Spring, the Dream Spring Pavilion, Yanma Liu (Horse-Training Stream), and Locust Flower Valley. Legend has it that in the spring of 341 BC, after winning the Battle of Maling, Sun Bin led his troops through this area, exhausted and weary. Sun Bin lay on a huge rock and dreamed of an immortal riding a golden elephant who descended from the south. The immortal introduced himself as Bodhidharma, a disciple of the Tathagata from the Western Paradise, and revealed that there was a divine spring here whose water could quench the soldiers’ thirst and, if consumed regularly, even grant them longevity. After saying this, the immortal vanished. Upon waking, Sun Bin immediately ordered his soldiers to dig at the spot indicated by the immortal. Soon enough, a clear spring gushed out. Upon tasting it, they found the water sweet and refreshing. Sun Bin hastily led his soldiers in prayer toward the sky and carved the characters “梦泉” (Dream Spring) with his sword. He stayed here for over three months afterward and wrote the world-renowned “Sun Bin’s Art of War.” To the west of the Dream Spring site lies a large valley known as Yanma Liu, where it is said that Sun Bin once trained his troops. In 1956, bronze arrowheads and swords from the Warring States period were unearthed here. In this zone, visitors can taste the freshness of mountain spring water, discuss the changes of ancient and modern times, and fully immerse themselves in the ambiance of Sun Bin’s Dream Spring.

The High-altitude Adventure Zone includes attractions such as the Qi Great Wall ruins, the Millennium Stone Gate, ancient water cellars, the Heaven’s Crack (Yixiantian), Yangshi (Male Rock), Yinshi (Female Rock), Dushan Fortress, Camel Peak, the Natural Bar Counter, the Heroes’ Platform, the Evening Maple Pavilion, and the Dragon King’s Nose. Dushan Fortress, with an altitude of 712 meters, is the highest point in the entire scenic area. It preserves the original state of cultural relics such as the Qi Great Wall ruins, the Millennium Stone Gate, and ancient water cellars, representing the humanistic charm of the whole area. The Yinshi and Yangshi rocks are marvels of nature, embodying reverence for the origins of life.

The Longevity Culture Zone mainly includes two attractions: the Birthday-Wishing Platform and the Blessing-Seeking Platform. This area also features other sights such as Golden Elephant Mountain and Bodhidharma Mountain. The Birthday-Wishing Platform stands at an altitude of 677 meters, while the Blessing-Seeking Platform is at 681 meters. They are inscribed with the largest “寿” (longevity) and “福” (blessing) characters in China, respectively. The “寿” character is 13.8 meters long, and the “福” character is 12 meters long. Each of these characters contains 99 smaller “福” or “寿” characters. This area fully satisfies visitors’ wishes to pray for blessings and longevity. As the local sayings go, “Count the Myriad Longevity Symbols, and you’ll live to ninety-nine,” and “Carry a longevity-blessing stone, and you’ll live past a hundred in peace”—these proverbs are believed to bring fortune and longevity to every visitor.

The Folk Tourism Zone is based around the village’s ancient siheyuan (courtyard) houses. It displays traditional farming tools such as old stone mills, stone mortars, spinning wheels, plows, and rakes, and also features folk-life demonstrations like making pancakes and flatbread. Visitors can personally grind grain and make pancakes here, fully immersing themselves in the local customs and culture. Within the scenic area, guests can also sample “Chengtuo” liquor brewed with Mengquan spring water and pure sorghum, drink high-quality mineral water from the “Mengquan” brand sourced from 270 meters underground, eat wild vegetables, cook farmhouse meals, and purchase green foods such as dried and fresh fruits and mountain eggs.

Taihe Town: Taihe Town was formed on November 6, 2010, through the merger of the former Taihe Township, Ezhua Township, and Zichuan Town. It is the largest town in terms of area and number of villages in Zichuan District, Zibo City, Shandong Province.

Taihe Town covers an area of 268.7 square kilometers and governs ninety-five administrative villages with a population of 59,000. It has 125 Party branches and 2,830 Party members, and 36,721 mu of arable land. It takes over an hour to drive from the town government to the most remote village, and visiting all 95 villages by car takes a full two days.

Taihe Town is located in the southeastern part of Zichuan District, on the banks of the Zi River, bordering Qingzhou, Yiyuan... More details about Taihe Town++