Wanjiazhai Water Recreation Center

Wanjiazhai Water Recreation Center

Wanjiazhai Water Recreation Center

The Yellow River Gorge is situated in Longkou Town, Jungar Banner, Inner Mongolia, at the convergence of Inner Mongolia, Shanxi, and Shaanxi. The scenic area of the Yellow River Grand Canyon features over 70 kilometers of waterways, presenting a distinctive canyon landscape in the Yellow River basin. The Wanjiazhai Dam restrains the rushing Yellow River, turning high gorges into flat lakes and deep valleys into ethereal realms. Towering pines and cypresses hug the rugged terrain on both banks, while peculiar peaks and bizarre rocks take on diverse forms—resembling tigers, dogs, humans, or even immortals—shifting shapes with the viewer’s imagination. The canyon is deep and winding, alternating between broad and narrow stretches, twisting like a meandering intestine, with mirror-like calm waters. In this setting, one forgets all worldly glory and disgrace.

Chengpo Ancient City stands atop steep cliffs and precipitous fortifications. Built during the Western Xia Dynasty, Chengpo Ancient City is inferred from its geographical location to have been a military stronghold of Jin’s Suzhou region. The site features perilous terrain and abundant relics, including remnants of city walls that are relatively easy to restore. Not far from the fortress lies the Western Xia ancient tomb cluster at Dashata, adorned with murals—unique mural tombs of the Western Xia in the Yellow River basin, boasting immense historical and artistic value.

Baozita is thrillingly rugged and majestic. This ancient stone fortress, Baozita, is located at the center of the Wanjiazhai Reservoir area, surrounded by water on four sides with only a narrow land connection. The Yellow River winds around it in an egg-shaped curve, forming an almost 360-degree loop—the Leopard Tower section of the river is hailed as the most breathtaking bend of the entire Yellow River. The mountain path up Leopard Tower is extremely treacherous, snaking along the ridge amid towering boulders and steep cliffs. It also features the ancient military outpost Cuicheng Fort, with well-preserved fortress walls and gates. Inside the old fort are stone huts exuding a unique charm, adding to its allure. Dan Pile, the most renowned Mongolian anti-Japanese hero in modern Inner Mongolian history, once fought valiantly here, staging one of the most tragic and heroic episodes in the region’s recent past. After his entire family was executed, he sacrificed himself for the land.

The Wanjiazhai Dam: A Single Barrier Taming the River. The Wanjiazhai Hydraulic Engineering Project is a national key project in water conservancy and hydropower construction, situated between Longkou Town in Jungar Banner, Inner Mongolia, and Pianguan County in Shanxi Province. The Xuewei Highway provides direct access to the reservoir area, ensuring convenient transportation. The project officially began water storage and power generation in October 1998. The Wanjiazhai Reservoir area in the Yellow River boasts vast waters, suitable for developing various water recreation activities. The majestic Wanjiazhai hydraulic engineering complex, the iron suspension bridge, and the limestone peak forests and bizarre rock formations along the reservoir banks create a highly scenic and visually captivating landscape.

In recent years, the Yellow River Grand Canyon tourist area has invested nearly 2 million yuan to establish the Yellow River Water Recreation Center. The center can accommodate 100 diners and 40 overnight guests, with one large tour boat, five small tour boats, and ten motorboats and speedboats. Each year, the Wanjiazhai Reservoir area attracts no fewer than 30,000 visitors for sightseeing, vacationing, and leisure, generating 600,000 yuan in tourism revenue. The Yellow River Grand Canyon scenic area is a key development project for Jungar Banner. In 2005, the Jungar Banner Tourism Bureau invited Beijing DAVOS Peak Tourism Planning and Design Institute to conduct project planning for the Yellow River Grand Canyon tourism zone.