The pagoda is located on the mountaintop about 1,500 meters south of Niujiacun Village, Lanyi Town, Kelan County. Its construction date is unknown, but the existing structure features Ming Dynasty architectural style. It is an octagonal, five-story brick pagoda in pavilion style, standing 18 meters tall with a footprint of 20.3 square meters. The pagoda has an octagonal plan, is solid inside, and has a plain surface. The stone base measures 2.05 meters on each side at the bottom, with a…
The Yanghetao Site is located about 1,000 meters southeast of Yanghetao Village, Lan Yi Town, Kelan County. It spans approximately 400 meters from east to west and 300 meters from north to south, covering a total area of about 12 square meters. The site sits on a terrace where the Lan Yi River meets the Nanchuan River. The terrain slopes from high in the east to low in the west, featuring a terraced distribution, with a gully to the south. The cultural layer is 0.4 to...
The Qiaojiawan Site is located approximately 200 meters south of Qiaojiawan in Lan Yi Town, Kelan County. It spans about 600 meters from east to west and 500 meters from north to south, covering a total area of around 300,000 square meters. The site is situated on a terrace on the southern bank at the confluence of the Lan Yi River and a seasonal stream. The terrain is higher in the south and lower in the north, featuring a terraced landscape. In May 2009, an excavation area of 3,500…
Located in Pianguan County, Shanxi Province. Together with Ningwu and Yanmen, it is known as one of the Three Passes. It borders the Guancen Mountain to the east and the Pianguan River to the west. Due to its terrain—rising sharply to the east and sloping gently to the west—it is also called Pianguan. From the Five Dynasties to the Song Dynasty, it was referred to as Piuzhai, and was renamed a pass during the Yuan Dynasty. The current pass city was reconstructed in the 23rd year of the Hongwu reign of the Ming Dynasty (1390), and Piantou Subprefecture was established here, with the Taiyuan Town Regional Commander stationed at this location. During the Qing Dynasty, it was reorganized into a county under the Ningxia Government,...
Over the more than two thousand years from the Warring States period to the Ming and Qing dynasties, successive dynasties built over 7,000 li of the Great Wall in Shanxi. Today, more than 3,000 li of remnants are still identifiable. The Great Wall within Shanxi consists of both earthen and brick structures. Some sections remain well-preserved to this day and have unique features. For instance, while most parts of the Great Wall in other regions generally...
The Yellow River winds through nine bends and eighteen curves; a divine ox carved the river to Pianguan. A lantern flashed in fright, turning the plow to shape Old Ox Bay. After parting with the Yalu River in Liaoning, the Great Wall traversed countless mountains and ridges until it finally met the surging southward-flowing Yellow River at Pianguan for the first time. The Great Wall and the Yellow River are two of China’s greatest wonders—one is a majestic and awe-inspiring dragon forged by human diligence and wisdom, while the other is a jade-like ribbon shaped by nature’s miraculous power, twisting and tumbling with muddy waves. From Pianguan westward all the way to Lanzhou in Gansu, the Great Wall and the Yellow River eventually part ways. Along this stretch, they meet four times and travel side by side over many sections, complementing each other's grandeur. Across China, the Great Wall and the Yellow River brave mountains, deserts, and every obstacle, moving forward with unyielding determination.
The Yellow River Tourism Area includes three administrative counties: Pianguan, Hequ, and Baode. After passing through Hekou Town in Togtoh County, Inner Mongolia, the Yellow River enters the approximately 180-kilometer-long Jin-Shaan Gorge, where it roars and surges. The river width varies, the valley is deep-cut, the mountains are steep and rugged, and the waters run swift, creating a majestic spectacle. Especially within the turbulent Yellow River...
It is located in Shidongwa, northeast of Yixi Village, about 35 kilometers southeast of Pianguan County. Inside the stone cave area, there are three caves— one to the south and two to the north, separated by a gully. The southern one, facing south and shaded, is called the “Yin Cave.” Legend has it that it is perilous, so only the entrance remains while the interior has been sealed off. The northern cave has a narrow opening and an extremely shallow interior; the other cave, facing north and bathed in sunlight,…
On the northern mountain opposite the Lao Ying Fort in Pian Guan, there stands a collapsed beacon tower—traces left behind by millennia of wind and rain. It’s unclear whether this is the arrangement of fate or the random carving of time. This was once an ancient battlefield where the neighing of nomadic horses and the billowing of war smoke filled the air. These remnants seem to hint at something to the world, but perhaps only heaven knows…
The Wucheng Site (listed in the second batch of provincial-level protection) Era: Neolithic Age to Han Dynasty Location: Wucheng Village, Nanlougou Township, Pianguan County Also known as "Wangcheng" (King’s City), its cultural layers include the Miaodigou Phase II, Late Longshan, Eastern Zhou, Qin, and Western Han periods. The city wall stretches 1,000 meters from north to south and 500 meters from east to west, with remaining heights of 3.5 meters and rammed earth layers 9–…
Huning Temple (Huning Temple) (Fourth Batch Provincial-Level Protected Site) Era: Yuan, Ming, Qing Dynasties Address: Sigou Village, Tianfengping Town, Pianguan County The founding date is unknown. The temple faces south with its back to the north, higher in the north and lower in the south, and was built along the terrain. Its main structures include the Main Hall, South Hall, East and West Side Halls, Smallpox Goddess Temple, Mountain God Temple, Wenchang Pavilion, Guan Yu Temple, Kṣitigarbha Hall, Arhat Hall, and more…
The Wanjiazhai Water Control Hub is located in the Tuoketuo to Longkou Gorge section of the northern main stream of the Yellow River. It is the first project among the eight planned cascades for development in the middle reaches of the Yellow River, and also the leading project of Shanxi Province’s “Yellow River Diversion to Shanxi” initiative. Primarily designed for water supply and power generation, it also serves flood control, ice jam prevention, and tourism functions. Today’s...
Qiankun Bay can be described as the first bay of the Yellow River as it enters Shanxi Province, named for its resemblance to the Taiji (Yin-Yang) symbol. It is a natural wonder that aligns perfectly with the principles of nature, making it truly unique. Every traveler and cultural scholar who sees this bay is left in awe: as the Yellow River surges southward, although blocked by towering mountains, it does not rage or crash violently against the shore. Instead, it chooses to retreat before advancing — a wise turn northward before flowing calmly south.
White Robe Hall is located at Baipingdi, Xiguan Village, Xinguang Town, Pianguan County. It faces south and measures 49.2 meters in length from north to south and 36.5 meters in width from east to west, covering an area of 1,795.8 square meters. According to the inscriptions preserved in the temple, it was first built in the seventh year of the Chenghua reign of the Ming Dynasty (1471), and underwent multiple renovations during the 23rd year of the Daoguang reign (1843) and the 6th year of the Guangxu reign (18…)
Longgang Temple (Fifth Batch of Provincial-Level Protected Sites) Era: Ming Dynasty Address: Temple Street, Pianguan County, Xinzhou City According to the 1730 Pianguan Annals from the eighth year of the Yongzheng reign in the Qing Dynasty: “Longgang Temple is located southeast of the city. Its former name was Longgang Chan Monastery. With time passed, the inscribed steles have been eroded by wind and rain, leaving only ten characters inscribed by ‘Xue Gao, Tang Dynasty Governor of Longmen Commandery, Jiangzhou.’ The temple was built during the Tang Dynasty, and was renovated in the first year of the Huangtong era of the Jin Dynasty…” Longgang Temple was established in the Tang Dynasty, renovated in the first year of the Huangtong era of the Jin Dynasty (1141), rebuilt in the third year of the Xuande era of the Ming Dynasty (1428), and underwent another renovation in the eighteenth year of the Kangxi era (1679). In the early 1950s, the temple was taken over by the Pianguan County Grain Bureau and has been used as such ever since. The main hall and the bell and drum towers serve as grain storage, while the Heavenly King Hall functions as an office.
Longkou Waterfall Located over 30 li northeast of Hequ County. The banks of the Yellow River on both sides feature steep cliffs with overhanging rocks, as the river is confined between them. After reaching Liangjiaqi, the landscape suddenly opens up to a river valley plain, where the water flow abruptly widens and slows. Its shape resembles a dragon’s mouth, hence the name. Moreover, due to the rugged riverbed and significant elevation changes in the water flow, the sound of the rushing water resembles thunder…
The Yellow River Dyke In the old society, the Yellow River often breached its banks, flooding and destroying houses along the shore. After the founding of the People's Republic of China, the county government built a roughly 500-meter-long dyke outside the city protection tower. The outer bank of the dyke is constructed from blue stone, covered with wire mesh, and the inner part is an earthen embankment. …
Bianjiagou Stage, located in Bianjiagou Village, Lugu Township, Hequ County. The year of its construction and renovations is unknown, but the existing structure features Qing Dynasty architectural style. It measures 8 meters in length from east to west and 6 meters in width from north to south, covering an area of 48 square meters. The stage faces north and sits on a stone foundation. It has three bays in width and four rafters in depth, with a single-eave roll-roof canopy. The timber frame follows a five-rafter system, featuring carved stone couplets and stone carvings…
The Site Ruins are located approximately 200 meters southwest of Pugou Village, Jiuxian Township, Hequ County. They stretch about 100 meters from east to west and around 60 meters from north to south, covering a total area of about 6,000 square meters. The site has an oval layout, slightly higher in the east and gently sloping toward the west. Surface collections include fragments of gray pottery from the Neolithic period, decorated with basket patterns. In 1984…
The Yujia Shapo Site is located about 1 kilometer south of Shuangmiao Village, Xunzhen Town, Hequ County. It stretches approximately 500 meters from east to west and around 200 meters from north to south, covering a total area of about 100,000 square meters. The site sits on a riverside terrace, sloping from north to south. Artifacts collected from the surface include fragments of Neolithic-era gray pottery with fine clay and gray pottery mixed with sand, adorned with cord and spiral patterns...