Pingshun Jingdi

Pingshun Jingdi

Pingshun Jingdi is located 45 km southeast of the county town, bordering Wangxiangyan Scenic Area in Linzhou, Henan to the north and adjacent to the Huguan Grand Canyon Scenic Area to the east. The area features over 30 main attractions, including Xiangyun Lake, Shuiliandong (Water Curtain Cave), and Laowanggou, with perilous peaks, peculiar rocks, lush forests, and crystal-clear waters. In the folk village, elements such as flagstone streets, stone houses, stone tables, benches, stone mills, and stone rollers blend seamlessly with the stunning natural scenery, forming a unique natural-cultural landscape.

Attraction Information

Attraction Type: Eco-Folk Village

Address: Jingdi Village, Shiyaotan Township, Pingshun County, Shanxi Province

Admission: Free

Opening Hours: All day

Transportation: Changzhi Bus Station has buses to Pingshun County every half hour from 7:00 AM to 6:00 PM, with a ticket price of 1 yuan and a travel time of about 30 minutes. Contact Changzhi Bus Station at 0355-6063886.

Pingshun County has some buses to Jingdi Village, but they are infrequent. It’s advisable to hire a private car, which allows for a same-day round trip.

Contact Number: 0355-8925293 8981209 (Pingshun County Cultural Relics and Tourism Development Center)

Complaint Hotline: 0355-8925293

Official Website: www.psly.cn (Pingshun Tourism Website)

Related Facilities: Jingdi Village offers farmhouse stays with meals. For services like banks, gas stations, post offices, and hospitals, you’ll need to go back to the county town.

Accommodation: You can stay at local farmhouses in Jingdi Village or find lodging in Pingshun County.

Jingdi Village Farmhouse, Phone: 13623555877 (Mr. Zhou)

Pingshun County Hotel Address: No. 045, Fuxi Street. Standard room: 140 yuan/room/day. Phone: 0355-8922707

Nearby Attractions: Tianji Mountain, Bei Quan, Jindeng Temple, Hongni Grand Canyon, Pingshun Xigou, Wulong Cave

Jingdi Village got its name because it is surrounded by steep cliffs on all sides, making the shape of the land resemble a well, with the village situated at the bottom of the valley. It is also known as Baiyun Valley (White Cloud Valley). The terrain here is not very ventilated—when there's fog outside the mountains, it's foggy here too; when the sky is clear outside, white clouds linger in the valley. When rain is coming, mist rises from caves and crevices, gathering between the cliffs to form long cloud ribbons, veiling the spectacular mountains and waters. From a high vantage point, the view of dark green mountains rising from the sea of white clouds is breathtaking. It’s no wonder that after the suppression of the Chen Qing rebellion during the Ming Dynasty, imperial officials, passing through three times and seeing the valley filled with white clouds, named it "Baiyun Valley."

“Climb up Shennan Hill, and you’ll see Jingdi Village; at the east end is the Grandma Temple, at the west the Guanyin Hall; two streams flow from either end, and the official house stands in the middle.” This is a folk rhyme from travelers on the ancient Jin-Yu Road. Here, you’ll find stone steps, flagstone streets, stone walls, stone houses, stone mortars, stone mills, stone rollers, stone tables, benches, stone stoves, and stone water jars. “Breakfast is dumplings mixed with fried noodles, lunch is rice with pumpkin soup, dinner is porridge with ‘ginseng’ (carrots); spicy oil pancakes that fragrance the air for miles, steamed yellow pears and fried persimmons, hawthorn boiled with sugar.” Just hearing it makes your mouth water.

The villagers love riding in sedan chairs. Several ornately decorated chairs are shared around—today I marry and you carry me, tomorrow you marry and I carry you. Grandparents ride first, then parents, then children. For thousands of years, this custom has been passed down through generations, preserving an enduring tradition in this remote mountain town, earning it the nickname “Folk Village.”

There are many amazing sights in Jingdi Village. For example, in the valley stands a solitary redwood tree that has existed for over 2,300 years. Even experts are puzzled as to why this southern tree species appears here—and only one of it.

Pingshun is known for its prickly ash, and there are quite a few prickly ash trees in Jingdi Village. The trees aren’t tall, and when you walk through the grove and stand beneath them, the scent clears your mind and refreshes your eyes, filling the air with fragrance.

According to research, the prickly ash is native to China and is a uniquely Chinese spice; Western cuisine still doesn’t use it. The Book of Songs · Zhou Song states: “The fragrant prickly ash brings peace, ensuring the elders’ longevity,” meaning the scent of the pepper can bring peace and long life to people.