Lidu Park in Zhangzi County

Lidu Park in Zhangzi County

Lidu–Yangtou Ridge, also known as Lihou Ridge, covers an area of approximately 6 square kilometers, with its highest point at an elevation of 1,047 meters. The 1875 edition of the *Zhangzi County Annals* records: “Lihou Ridge is located thirty li southwest of the county, where the Li Spring originates, and there is a Lihou Pavilion; all the surrounding mountains are rocky, but this one is an earthen hill.”

In ancient times, the legendary Yan Emperor, an ancestor of the Chinese nation, led his tribe down the river to the east, ascended the Taihang Mountains, and entered what is now Zhangzi County. The area featured crisscrossing rivers and marshes, lush forests, abundant grass, and dense wildlife—conditions highly suitable for the cave-dwelling, fishing, and hunting lifestyle of primitive humans. As a result, they established their capital at present-day Yangtou Ridge and founded the ancient Qí State. With this as their center, within Zhangzi County, they tasted hundreds of herbs, identified the five grains, spread agricultural knowledge, and were the first to achieve the great social transformation from nomadic life to settled living, and from fishing and hunting to farming. They pioneered the practice of crop cultivation and were revered as the “Divine Farmer,” earning the eternal respect of generations of Chinese descendants.

For thousands of years, locals have built numerous temples dedicated to the Yan Emperor around Yangtou Ridge and in nearby villages to commemorate their ancestor. Among them, the Yangtou Ridge Yan Emperor Temple is the largest. This temple has three courtyards in a row, with a theater stage opposite the main gate. The main entrance features a roofed stage that spans the gateway. Upon entering the gate, there are east and west wing rooms, and stone steps lead up to the Shuilong Hall, which houses the Five Grains God, with murals on the walls depicting the arduous pioneering efforts of the Yan Emperor, Shennong, an ancestor of the Chinese people. North of the main hall is the Yan Emperor Hall, where a statue of the Yan Emperor is enshrined, showing Shennong holding an ear of grain, looking spirited. Most of the Yan Emperor temples in the villages around Yangtou Ridge were destroyed during the War of Resistance against Japan. To this day, the ancient Sannong Festival temple fair is still held on the eighth day of the fourth lunar month in Likeng Village at the foot of Yangtou Ridge, and celebratory activities also take place in front of the Yan Emperor Temple in Beihé Village.

Yangtou Ridge is surrounded by gullies, with nine ridge crests resembling nine giant dragons. To the south of the ridge are the Huanglong Spring and Heilong Spring; the Huanglong Spring still exists today, with sweet-tasting water. On the ridge lies a raised earthen mound, which, according to legend, conceals a golden goat’s head—hence the name Yangtou Ridge (Goat’s Head Ridge).

Suggested Duration

2 hours

Location

No. 6, Fangyuan West Road, Chaoyang District, Zhangzi County, Changzhi City, Shanxi Province (near Xiaoyun Bridge)