The Right Yu County Martyrs' Cemetery is located in Songtao Garden on Jiayayao Mountain to the north of the county town, covering an area of 18,000 square meters. Established in 2000, it consists of a martyrs' monument, memorial hall, square, and burial plots. The entire cemetery is surrounded by lush pine trees and shaded greenery, offering pleasant scenery. …
The "Xikou" (Western Pass) in the folk song "Going West" is located here. The northwestern and northern parts of Youyu County are bordered by the ancient Great Wall, adjacent to Liangcheng and Linhe Counties in Inner Mongolia. Since ancient times, it has been a strategic stronghold in northern China, serving as the main gateway and customs checkpoint between the Central Plains and Mongolia. Before the Spring and Autumn Period, this area was continuously occupied by northern ethnic minorities. Ancient castles can be seen everywhere within the county...
Thirty-Two Great Wall is located on Hualin Mountain, about ten kilometers southwest of Youwei Town, Youyu County, Shanxi Province. It gets its name from the nearby Thirty-Two Village, which in turn is named after the 32nd watchtower of the Ming Great Wall as it enters Youyu. This section of the Ming Great Wall features relatively well-preserved ramparts and beacon towers, making it one of the notable ruins of the Ming-era Great Wall in Shanxi.
The Site of Wanquan Bridge is located about 1 kilometer west of Shahu Kou Village, Youwei Town, Youyu County, dating back to the Ming and Qing dynasties. On March 21, 2011, it was designated as one of the first municipal-level cultural heritage protection units in Shuozhou City. …
The Site of Shahu Fort is located in Shahu Kou Village, Youwei Town, Youyu County. It dates back to the 22nd year of the Jiajing reign during the Qing Dynasty (1573). The site includes the Yongji Bridge, which is situated 100 meters south of the Shahu Kou Fort. On March 21, 2011, the Site of Shahu Fort was designated as one of the first municipal-level cultural heritage protection units in Shuozhou City. …
The Western City Site of Gucheng Village is located 100 meters west of Gucheng Village in Weiyuan Town, Youyu County, and dates back to the Liao and Jin dynasties. On March 21, 2011, it was designated as one of the first municipal-level cultural heritage protection units in Shuozhou City. …
The Youyu Mosque is located on the north side of Guanting Street within the ancient city of Youyu, at the jurisdiction of One Street Neighborhood Committee, Youwei Town, Youyu County, and dates back to the Qing Dynasty. On March 21, 2011, it was designated as one of the first municipal-level cultural heritage protection units in Shuozhou City. …
The Laoyao Temple Stage is located in Mayinghe Village, Youwei Town, Youyu County, and dates back to the Ming Dynasty. On March 21, 2011, it was designated as one of the first municipal-level cultural heritage protection units in Shuozhou City. …
The Youyu County Bus Station is located on the east side of Nanguan Road, Youyu County South Gate, in the Erjie Neighborhood Committee of Youwei Town, Youyu County, built in 1958. It is a historical site. On March 21, 2011, the Youyu County Bus Station was designated as one of the first municipal-level cultural heritage protection units in Shuozhou City. …
Guide: Many renowned military generals, such as Li Mu of the Zhao State, Meng Tian of the Qin Dynasty, Wei Qing, Li Guang, and Huo Qubing of the Han Dynasty, Yang Ye of the Song Dynasty, and Yu Qian of the Ming Dynasty, once stationed their troops here and achieved surprising victories over the enemy. Therefore, it can be said that the Guangwu Garrisons Fort holds great historical and military value. Int…
Introduction: Ruiyun Temple is located in Shajiasi Village, Shanyin County. The pagoda features an upper base adorned with engraved upward-facing lotus petals, topped by a spire. This simple and ancient stupa serves as an important example for studying Yuan Dynasty tomb stupas. Built in the fifth year of the Wanli era during the Ming Dynasty (1577), the brick pagoda stands approximately 11 meters tall and exhibits a pavilion-style exterior. Its architectural style, form, and structure...
The Guanghan Han Tombs Cluster is located to the south of the Old and New Guangwu cities in Shanyin County, Shuozhou City. There are a total of 288 tombs. The entire cluster lies against the mountains to the south and connects to the Shuozhou plain to the north. Viewed from south to north, the burial mounds of varying sizes are scattered densely across the landscape, descending gradually in height. The tallest mound is over ten meters high, while the shortest is also more than three meters. Its massive scale and the sheer number of…
Introduction: The exact construction date of the ancient city’s walls is not recorded in historical texts. Based on supporting literature and studies of the existing architecture, the city was initially built during the Liao Dynasty, when the walls were rammed earth structures. In the seventh year of the Hongwu reign of the Ming Dynasty (1374), the walls were bricked over, and maintenance and repairs were carried out during the Qing Dynasty. The existing walls, apart from their exterior features reflecting the Ming style, largely retain the layout and structure dating back to the Liao Dynasty. The ancient city wall is 1,652 meters in circumference, covering a total area of 16,296 square meters, and has a rectangular layout. The wall is 8.3 meters high, 5 meters wide at the base, and 3.4 meters wide at the top. Its exterior is entirely brick-clad with stone foundations. The top parapet is equipped with battlements, observation holes, and shooting loopholes. There are 16 barbicans (including those at the gates) along the walls, closely integrated with the main structure—majestic and sturdy, varying in size. The city has gates on the east, south, and west sides, but no gate on the north. Originally, the gates had gate towers, which were destroyed before the liberation and during the Cultural Revolution. The layout of streets and buildings within the city has largely retained its original form. The Old Guangwu Ancient City is an important physical resource for studying cities from the Liao, Jin, and Ming periods. It features a unique design with distinct character. In recent years, the Shanxi Provincial Bureau of Cultural Relics has allocated funds for dedicated protection and management, and carried out renovations on the city walls, the northwest corner barbican, and the southern wall barbican in 1984 and 1991, making the site even more magnificent.
Introduction: The Ancient City of Shuozhou from the Northern Qi Dynasty and the city from the late Yuan and early Ming Dynasties are located in present-day Shuocheng District, Shuozhou City. They are among the earlier preserved ancient cities in Shanxi Province with relatively intact ruins. Strategically situated between the inner and outer sections of the Great Wall beyond Yanmen Pass, it connects to Inner Mongolia to the north and guards the three passes of Yanmen, Pianguan, and Ningwu to the south. With access routes to counties such as Xinzhou, Dai, and Yuanping, it served as a vital frontier stronghold in ancient times, capable of supporting Datong and defending against threats across Shanxi. Historically, it was a key military battleground.
The Tomb of Wang JiaPing is located south of Heyangbao Village, Naihe Township, 15 kilometers southwest of Shanyin County. It is the burial site of Wang JiaPing, a renowned statesman of the Ming Dynasty, and is designated as a provincial-level key cultural relic protection unit. Covering an area of 10,168 square meters, the tomb complex is grand in scale. The above-ground memorial hall still stands, along with ceremonial stone figures such as stone humans, stone sheep, and stone horses, as well as ten steles. Most of the inscriptions on the stelae...
Yangmoling Forest Park is located in Zhuang Township, Shanyin County, Shuozhou City, Shanxi Province. Situated in the southeastern part of Shanyin County, it borders Ying County to the east, Housuo Township of the same county to the west, Gucheng Town of the same county to the north, and Dai County of Xinzhou City to the south. It is 50 kilometers from Shuozhou City, 80 kilometers from Datong City, 200 kilometers from Taiyuan City, and 400 kilometers from the capital city of Beijing. Yangmoling...
The Old City of Guangwu The Old City of Guangwu (Sixth Batch National Heritage Site) Era: Ming Dynasty Location: Jiuguangwu Village, Zhangjiazhuang Township, Shanyin County The Old City of Guangwu is located in Shanyin County, about 5 kilometers from Yanmenguan Pass. It was originally built in the first year of the Qianxiang era of the Liao Dynasty (917 AD) and was reconstructed during the Hongwu and Wanli periods of the Ming Dynasty (1374–1619). The original walls were made of rammed earth, and were later rebuilt and encased in bricks during the Ming Dynasty. The ancient city is 338 meters wide from east to west, 498 meters long from north to south, with a total perimeter of 1,654.94 meters. The city walls are 8 meters high and 3.4 meters wide at the top, featuring 12 barbicans, 4 watchtowers, and 3 gate towers on the east, south, and west sides. Except for significant damage to the crenellations, the city walls are relatively well-preserved. Inside the city, there are four streets and eight alleys, one beacon tower, one theater stage, and remnants of ancient courtyard homes that still retain a sense of historic charm. Two ancient cypress trees—one male and one female—have thrived for a thousand years and remain lush and vibrant.
The Great Wall follows the contours of the Yin Mountains, Heng Mountains, Taihang Mountains, and Lüliang Mountains, and is divided into two branches: the Inner Wall and the Outer Wall. The Inner Wall was built on the northern side of the Heng Mountains, while the Outer Wall was constructed on the southern side of the Yin Mountains. The section within Shan Yin County belongs to the Inner Wall and is one of the better-preserved parts in Shanxi Province. It starts in the east at Xin Guangwu and extends west to Fen Hong Ridge in Dai County, following...
Huabei Rock Temple, also known as Biyuan Chan Temple or Huabei Temple, and commonly referred to as Sheep-Carrying Temple, is located 3 kilometers southwest of Xinli Village in Housuo Township, Shanyin County, about 35 kilometers from the county seat. Originally built during the Northern Wei Dynasty, it has endured many trials and undergone several restorations over the centuries, leaving this magical land rich in cultural heritage. Almost every kind of folk deity statue can be found here…
Located in Yangzhizhuang Village, Heshengpu Township, Shanyin County, the temple faces south with a width of 31.5 meters from east to west and a length of 35 meters from north to south, covering an area of 1,102.5 square meters. The exact date of its initial construction is unknown, but the existing structure dates back to the Qing Dynasty. Current surviving buildings include the main hall, performance stage (le lou), mountain gate, and a drum tower built atop the mountain gate, while the bell tower is now ruined. The main hall features five bays in width, …