Baotou Shimen Scenic Area

Baotou Shimen Scenic Area

Baotou Shimen Scenic Area is a national AAA-level tourist attraction.

Shimen Scenic Area, a national AAA-level tourist attraction, was formerly known as the Kundulun Reservoir Scenic Area. It is located in a valley where the Daqing Mountain and Wula Mountain of the Yinshan Mountain Range meet, ten kilometers northwest of Baotou City, the largest city in the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. It gets its name from the Kundulun River that flows through the area, which was historically called “Shimen Water” (“Stone Gate Water”), and the river earned that name because the gorge entrance features two towering mountains facing each other like a gate.

Baotou’s Shimen Scenic Area is divided into four sections: the sightseeing zone, the holiday villa zone, the East Mountain landscape zone, and the islet culture zone. It boasts two major types of tourism resources: historical architecture and biological landscapes, making it one of the most famous natural scenic areas around both Baotou City and Xilinhot City. Among them, the ruins of the Zhao State Great Wall are undoubtedly the representative highlight.

The wild and pristine Shimen Scenic Area possesses the grandeur of Mount Tai, the beauty of Mount Huang, the majesty of Mount Song, and the precipitousness of Mount Hua. Major attractions within the scenic area include the Baliugou Waterfall, the Taihang Mountain Macaque Nature Reserve, the Three Niches, the Three Pools, Shimen Lake, Laoye Ding (Old Master Peak), and Xilian Temple. This place brings together the essence of Taihang Mountain’s waterscapes, combining wonder, danger, steepness, beauty, and serenity all in one valley. Landscape experts have called it “a unique wonder of Asia.”

Covering an area of 16 square kilometers, Shimen Scenic Area features continuous mountain ranges and towering peaks; vast waters with flocks of water birds; a river-blocking dam stretching across to stem the flow of Shimen’s waters; high spillway gates standing tall to safeguard the peace of Deer City; stretches of ancient Great Wall winding beneath Redline Mountain; giant characters carved on stones of the South Mountain shining brilliantly; Willow-lined Yanqi Lake surrounded by green woods where birds sing in chorus, under a blue sky and fresh air — it is an outstanding destination for sightseeing, leisure, and vacation.