Zhaohe Scenic Area

Zhaohe Scenic Area

Zhaohe Natural Scenic Area is located around Zhaohe Village in Majia Township, about 50 kilometers southwest of Anyang City, covering a total area of 22 square kilometers. It lies at the junction of Anyang County, Linzhou City, and Hebi City. This is the grand canyon where the Huan River enters Anyang County from Linzhou City. With its picturesque mountains, clear waters, elegant environment, and enchanting scenery, it still retains many pristine natural landscapes, making it an ideal destination for tourism, vacationing, and reconnecting with nature. This scenic area boasts four major features:

Unique Mountains: Layered peaks rise steeply, with grotesque rocks resembling elders, jade monkeys, sea snails, castles, and more... “Stone Grandpa” and “Stone Grandma” face each other across the mountain, giving rise to many local legends.

Beautiful Waters: The Huan River flows gently from west to east like a jade ribbon through the canyon, with crystal-clear water. Backwater bends form dozens of large pools, known as Black Dragon Pool, Big Jar Pool, Goldfish Pool, Silk Thread Pool, and Shuttle Pool, varying in depth. Ancient fishing boats use traditional methods to catch fish, shrimp, and crabs. Beside the Five Dragons Cave Temple, natural mineral water gushes out, pure and refreshing, cool and sweet, invigorating to the senses. Washing your hands or face with it leaves your skin smooth and radiant. Provincial tests confirm that the water contains various minerals, making it high-quality natural mineral water. According to local folklore and customs, the annual temple fair on the 23rd day of the seventh lunar month commemorates the return of the Black Dragon—who flew to and settled in the Heilongjiang region—to worship ancestors. The fair attracts lively crowds.

Mysterious Caves: This area features unique natural karst caves. On the cliffs of Henan Mountain east of Zhaojiahe Village, there is a large cave with interconnected chambers. The extraordinary karst landforms display a variety of stalactites in diverse shapes, forming stone dragons, stone lions, stone monkeys, stone bamboo shoots, and more—each with its own distinctive charm.

Breathtaking Scenery: Along both banks of the river valley, the mountains are lush and green, covered with pines and cypresses, and dotted with green grass. The thousand-year-old Chinese honey locust tree in Zhaojiahe Village, along with its ancient stone mill and stone windmill, and the ancient maple and locust trees in Longdong Village, all exude a rustic, natural beauty, with fragrant wildflowers filling the air. On the sheer cliffs above the southern bank of the Huan River, there is an ancient plank road dating back a thousand years. Walking along this ancient path, you look up at towering cliffs and down at steep precipices, surrounded by overlapping green mountains and striking peaks. Climbing to the mountaintop and taking in the panoramic view, the breathtaking scenery feels like stepping into a fairyland. — *Annals of Anyang*