Located on a western earthen ridge in Xiachiyu Village, 4 kilometers northwest of Haijingshan Reservoir in Yushe County, Zifu Temple stands against a mountain ridge with a small river in front. The earthen cliff is steep, about 15 meters high, and the temple is built on this perilous site, presenting a spectacular sight. The entire structure follows a traditional courtyard layout, with the main hall, the Mahavira Hall, being a three-bay building with a single-eave hip-and-gable roof and a depth of three bays. Constructed in the 10th year of the Zhiyuan era during the Yuan Dynasty, it is a typical...
Miaoling Mountain Grottoes Miaoling Mountain Grottoes (First Batch of Provincial-Level Protected Sites) Period: Northern Dynasties to Tang Dynasty Address: 5 km southwest of Yushe County, in the Sigu Valley on Miaoling Mountain. The Thousand Buddha Cave, also known as the Stone Chamber Abbot’s Room, faces west and is carved into the cliff. It has a square shape with an inverted-bowl ceiling. It is 2.4 meters wide and 2.55 meters deep. The cave houses six larger sculptures, surrounded by 1,090…
The Stone Pagoda (Second Batch of Provincial-Level Protected Sites) Era: Northern Qi Dynasty Location: On Guolao Peak, west of Yangjiagou Village, 40 kilometers northwest of Yusu County. According to legend, this is the place where the Taoist immortal Zhang Guolao attained enlightenment, hence the name Guolao Peak. At the peak there is a stone trough, and halfway up the mountain there is a depression about 10 meters in diameter, known as "Donkey Rolling." The stone pagoda is built atop the peak. The body of the pagoda is square-shaped, with a total height...
Stone Pagoda Statues of Dengyu Village Stone Pagoda Statues of Dengyu Village (First Batch of Provincial-Level Protected Heritage) Era: Tang Dynasty Address: Dengyu Village, 9 kilometers south of Yushe County The statues were carved in the eighth year of the Kaiyuan era of the Tang Dynasty (720 AD). It is a single-story pavilion-style structure, 3 meters high, square in plan, with a perimeter of 3.65 meters. The base is octagonal, surrounded by carvings of lotus flowers and other patterns. The middle section of the pagoda body...
Nancun Statues (First Batch of Provincial-Level Protected Cultural Relics) Era: Tang Dynasty Location: 100 meters west of Nancun Village, Fangzhu Town, 15 kilometers west of Yushe County The temple was built during the Tang Dynasty but was destroyed during the War of Resistance against Japan. Only two sandstone Buddhist statues remain. The standing statue is missing its hands, stands 4.6 meters tall, and features a round face with large ears. The seated statue is 1.3 meters tall, headless, and intricately carved...
Chongsheng Temple (Listed in the Sixth Batch of National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units) Era: Yuan to Qing Dynasties Address: Located in a mountain valley 30 kilometers west of Yushe County, originally named Chongyan Temple, also known as Chanshan Temple. Established during the Tang Dynasty, it was renamed Chongsheng Temple during the Jiayou era of the Song Dynasty. It was destroyed during warfare in the Southern Song Dynasty, then rebuilt between 1175 and 1186 (the 15th to 26th years of the Dading reign in the Jin Dynasty),...
The Yusu Fossil Museum is located on Yingchun South Road in the county town and was established in July 1983. Yusu is internationally renowned as the “Hometown of Fossils,” home to a vast number of ancient vertebrate fossils. It is particularly famous for its abundant Neogene mammal fossils, which are the most numerous, diverse, and have the longest continuous stratigraphic record in the world,...
The Yushe County Martyrs' Cemetery was first built in 1946 at its original site outside the north gate of the county town, covering an area of 4.5 mu at that time. Its main structures included a hexagonal pavilion and a square. Inside the pavilion stood a hexagonal stone stele on a base with an ornamental top, featuring a rather unique design. The stele engraved the names of over 130 martyrs and served as a landmark revolutionary memorial in the county.
The Yushe County area is home to a vast number of paleontological fossils, earning it the world-renowned title of "Hometown of Fossils." In addition, the unique loess stone forest and the "Yushe Group" standard stratigraphic section have become important bases for studying the Cenozoic geographical environment, climate change, and biological evolution. With the establishment and operation of five science education bases in the Shanxi Yushe Provincial Geopark of Paleontological Fossils, including the “Four Scenic Spots and One Museum”...
Longquan National Forest Park is located within the four townships of Baoze, Tongyu, Matian, and Zecheng, situated 10–35 kilometers southeast of Zuoquan County. Stretching 5.4 kilometers from east to west and 45 kilometers from north to south, the park covers a total area of 360,000 acres. It features 87 scenic spots including mountains, water bodies, forests, springs, caves, rocks, temples, and shrines. The Qingzhang River and National Highway 207...
Sun Moon Star Eco Manor is located in the eastern part of Zuoquan and the southwest of Xingtai, at the strategic pass between Shanxi and Hebei. The “Heihu Pass” at the foot of the mountain is known as the “key to Shanxi’s border and the shield of the province.” Situated on the edge of a fault line in the middle section of the Taihang Mountains, the manor marks the natural boundary and watershed between the Shanxi Plateau and the North China Plain. The Shanxi side of the watershed features relatively gentle terrain...
General Zuo Quan Martyrs' Cemetery, located in Beijie Hutong within Zuoquan County, faces south and is a highly educational revolutionary memorial site. General Zuo Quan, originally from Liling, Hunan, joined the Chinese revolution at an early age and went to the Soviet Union to study military affairs. After returning to China, he served as the Deputy Chief of Staff of the Eighth Route Army and sacrificed his life in the battlefields around Mazhan, Zuoquan, during the War of Resistance against Japan…
The Memorial Hall of the Eighth Route Army Headquarters in Matai Scenic Area is located in Matai Town, Zuoquan County, a revolutionary base area. It is 45 kilometers from Zuoquan County and 195 kilometers from Taiyuan, the capital city of Shanxi Province. It is one of China’s 100 Classic Red Tourism Attractions, a National Key Cultural Relics Protection Unit, a National Patriotic Education Base, and a National AAAA-level Tourist Attraction. Currently, the site...
Site of General Zuo Quan’s MartyrdomSite of General Zuo Quan’s Martyrdom (First Batch of Provincial-Level Protected Sites)Era: 1942Address: Summit of Shizi Ridge, Nanhuizhuang Village, Beiaipu Township, over 60 kilometers south of Zuoquan CountyGeneral Zuo (1905–1942), originally named Zuo Jiquan and styled Shuren, was born on March 15, 1905, into a…
Former Site of the Eighth Route Army Front Headquarters (Former Site of the Eighth Route Army Front Headquarters (Fourth Batch of National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units)) Era: 1937 Address: Matian Village, Matian Town, 45 kilometers southeast of Zuoquan County From July 1941 to August 1945, for a full four years, the Eighth Route Army Front Headquarters and the 0 Central Committee’s Northern Bureau, among other agencies, were stationed here. They commanded the anti-Japanese military and civilians in North China and even across the nation to persist in resistance behind enemy lines. It was one of the key bases where the Chinese nation’s war of liberation transitioned from extreme hardship to comprehensive development, growth, and ultimately to total victory.
(Incorporated into the Former Site of the Eighth Route Army Front Headquarters) Former Site of the Headquarters of the 129th Division of the Eighth Route Army (Incorporated into the Former Site of the Eighth Route Army Front Headquarters) (Sixth Batch of National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units) Era: 1937 Address: Xihetou Village, 1 km west of Zuoquan County The site was built in the 1930s and consists of two parts—the main courtyard and the stable. The main courtyard is...
Dacheng Hall of the Left Quan Confucius Temple (Sixth Batch of National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units) Era: Yuan Dynasty Address: Liaoyang Street, Left Quan County The construction date is unknown, but it is said to have been built during the Jin Dynasty. According to the "Liaozhou Annals" in the Ming Dynasty's Yongle Encyclopedia, it already existed in the eighth year of the Song Dynasty’s Zhenghe era (1118 AD). Yuan Dynasty stone inscriptions record that the hall was rebuilt in the first year of the Yuandade era (12…
Left Quan Miaotian Scenic Area is located over a hundred kilometers southeast of Yuci City and is a renowned revolutionary memorial site where the headquarters of the Eighth Route Army was once stationed. The people of Left Quan, as an old revolutionary base area, have always upheld diligence and frugality, striving to build their lives, achieving remarkable results in various aspects of construction. In particular, the development of the tertiary industry has been relatively rapid. Though the county or city may not compare in scale or grandeur to major metropolises…
Zhurong Park is the first public welfare park in Zuoyi County. It is a people's project invested heavily by the county Party committee and government to enhance the city’s cultural taste and reshape the image of Zuoyi, and it also represents a significant embodiment of the core ideology. Zhurong Park is a multi-themed park with high cultural value. The reconstruction of the Zhurong Temple not only allows visitors to pay homage to the dignity of their ancestors but also infuses new cultural meaning into the county town. With its unique geographical location and elegant ecological environment, it has become the top choice for leisure and entertainment among local residents. Located on Huoshen Mountain in the northern part of the county town, the park covers a total area of over 1,400 acres, with the first phase spanning 165 acres. The park features an elegant design and rational layout. Centered around the Zhurong Temple as the main axis, it is divided into eastern and western sections. The entire scenic area can also be divided into dynamic and static zones: the dynamic zone centers around flowing water, connecting a high-platform waterfall, artificial lake, suspension bridge, rockery, and jade belt bridge into one cohesive landscape; the static zone uses lawns and green spaces as the foundation, with winding paths as the connective thread, integrating a 100-meter-long corridor, Lanshijing Tower, cultural square, and fitness garden organically. During the day, the park presents pavilions and waterside structures amid lush greenery; at night, it glows under lights like a fairyland. The completion of the park has not only improved the urban environment and expanded leisure space, enhancing the image of Zuoyi, but also created a beautiful landmark within the county town.
After two years of development, Lianhua Rock Ecological Manor in Zuoquan County has taken initial shape. Integrating eco-tourism experiences with cliffside dwelling life, the manor is set to open to the public soon and will become another major attraction in Zuoquan’s tourism scene. The photo shows some visitors experiencing cliffside living at Lianhua Rock. …