Niulang-Zhinü Scenic Area

Niulang-Zhinü Scenic Area

The beautiful Niulang-Zhinü Scenic Area is located in Yanya Town, southeastern Yiyuan County, Shandong Province, about 15 kilometers from the county seat. The area primarily consists of Da Xian Mountain, which stands at an elevation of 532 meters, and the Yi River, covering an area of approximately 4.5 square kilometers with a forest coverage rate of 92.7%. It is a National Water Conservancy Scenic Area, a Provincial-level Scenic Spot, a National Geological Park, a Provincial Forest Park, and a Cultural Industry Demonstration Base of Zibo City. The renowned Chinese love legend of Niulang and Zhinü, widely told across the country, is said to have taken place here.

The Niulang-Zhinü Scenic Area boasts rich cultural heritage. It is home to China’s only ancient architectural ruins themed around the folk legend of Niulang and Zhinü. The landscape vividly reflects the “Milky Way in the sky” and the “Yi River on the ground,” with “Niulang and Zhinü stars” above and the “Zhinü Cave and Niulang Palace” below, creating the spectacular phenomena of “the Milky Way in the sky and the Yi River on the earth” and “reflections in the sky mirrored on the land.” It is the only existing cultural relic in China that corresponds directly to the real landscape of the Niulang-Zhinü legend. Regarded as a breathtaking gem among China’s tourism resources, this site is known as the “Birthplace of Chinese Love Culture.”

The park has an abundance of ancient and rare trees, featuring one of the province’s rarest groves of ancient oriental arborvitae. The arborvitae cluster on Da Xian Mountain was planted during the Tang Dynasty, with over 1,000 ancient cypresses aged more than 300 years, including over 1,000 officially registered ancient and rare trees in Zibo City. Highlights include the “Leaf-seeded Ginkgo,” standing 25.3 meters tall with a trunk diameter of 1.02 meters and over 1,000 years old—unique in China for having about 30% of its fruits growing on leaves—and a thousand-year-old tiger-striped pine, 16 meters tall with a girth of 3.2 meters, providing shade over an area of 314 square meters. The park also hosts the province’s largest Chinese sumac and euonymus fortunei trees (commonly known as “money trees”).

The park features the “Da Xian Mountain Angular Unconformity,” a globally rare “world-class geological relic.” The upper layer consists of Cambrian limestone formed 530 million years ago, while the lower bed is composed of yellowish gneiss dating back 2.28 billion years. These two layers intersect at a distinct angle, forming a classic angular unconformity—an extremely rare geological formation of great value for conservation and scientific research.

The Shenqing Palace, known for its “seven towers, eight pavilions, and thirteen arches,” along with “thirty-six courtyards and seventy-two gates, all interconnected,” is honored as one of Shandong Province’s three major Taoist sacred sites. Other cultural attractions include the Jade Emperor Temple, the Silent Hall, Zhinü Spring, the Sister Springs, and various stone inscriptions and stele forests.

The Niulang-Zhinü Scenic Area features cultural landmarks such as Zhinü Cave, Niulang Temple, the Niulang-Zhinü Folk Custom Exhibition Hall, the World Love Stamps Museum, Lovers' Valley, Zhinü Spring, the Leaf-seeded Ginkgo, the Wish Pavilion, the Nine-Tiered Pagoda, the Silent Hall, and the ruins of an Eighth Route Army munitions factory, along with various stone carvings and steles. In 2006, Zhinü Cave was designated as a Provincial-Level Key Cultural Relics Protection Unit by the People’s Government of Shandong Province. In August 2007, the first National Academic Symposium on the “Legend of Niulang and Zhinü” was held in Yiyuan, where Yiyuan was awarded the title “Hometown of the Niulang-Zhinü Legend” by the China Folklore Society. In June 2008, the Niulang-Zhinü Legend of Yiyuan was included in the National Intangible Cultural Heritage List. In August 2008, the second academic symposium on the legend was held in Beijing, where Yiyuan was officially acknowledged by academia as the “Source of Chinese Love Culture.” In April 2009, CCTV’s documentary series “Exploration & Discovery” aired a special feature titled “In Search of the Niulang-Zhinü Legend in Yiyuan,” which garnered widespread international attention. The World Love Stamps Museum was recognized by the Shanghai Guinness World Records Center in 2010 as the museum with the world’s largest collection of stamps on a single theme—love. In 2010, it received the “Brand Shandong” award for Most Competitive Tourist Attraction, and in 2011, it was honored as one of the “Top Ten Most Culturally Distinctive Scenic Spots in Beautiful China (Shandong).”

The Niulang-Zhinü Scenic Area represents a perfect fusion of natural and cultural elements, embodying the harmony between heaven and earth and the wondrous unity of the cosmos. With its layered mountains, sheer cliffs, the Yi River meandering like a ribbon, and towering ancient trees, the area offers pleasant scenery where mountains and water blend seamlessly. Natural beauty and cultural heritage complement each other, creating a fairyland-like realm that feels both mystical and earthly. It is a comprehensive tourist destination offering sightseeing, leisure, vacationing, and entertainment. With its unique mythological charm, breathtaking natural landscapes, and abundant natural resources, it attracts visitors from all over and shines as another dazzling pearl of tourism in the land of Qilu.

Address: Niulang-Zhinü Scenic Area, Yiyuan County, Shandong Province (Yanya Town)

Tel: 0533-3440137

Fax: 0533-3440137

Email: znd3440137@163.com

Ticket:

Ticket: 50 RMB

Yanya Town: Located 9 km south of the county seat, Yanya Township is under the jurisdiction of Yiyuan County, Zibo City, Shandong Province. It governs 46 administrative villages and 83 natural villages, covering a total area of 122 square kilometers, including 31,000 mu of arable land and a population of 30,000. Since the reform and opening-up, the hardworking people of Yanya, guided by the Party’s policies, have used their diligence and wisdom to develop this treasured land. All social sectors have flourished, presenting a new scene of prosperity, beauty, and picturesque scenery.

I. Industrial Development Status

In recent years, Yanya Township has based its efforts on local realities and actively embraced reform... More details on Yanya Town++