Guanting Lake is the first large reservoir built after the founding of the People's Republic of China. With its picturesque mountains and lucid waters, shimmering golden ripples, still reflections like sunk mirrors, undulating azure waves, and breathtaking views of sky and water, the area offers expansive vistas and an abundance of resources — truly earning its reputation as the “Pearl Beyond the Great Wall.” The great literary master Guo Moruo once praised it with the verse: “Three-foot fish in Guanting Reservoir, green hills along both banks all around…”
The Nihewan Site Cluster is located in the central and eastern parts of the Nihewan Basin in Yangyuan County, Zhangjiakou City, Hebei Province, and consists of Paleolithic-era sites. The eastern part of the Nihewan Site Cluster centers around the Donggutuo Site and is a group of early Paleolithic sites, where 24 Paleolithic locations have been discovered. Over ten thousand stone artifacts have been found here, along with a large number of mammal…
Thirty kilometers southwest of Yangyuan County lies Yufeng Mountain, also known as Three Peaks Mountain. It consists of three peaks, with the middle one higher than the two on the sides, resembling a brush stand. Legend has it that this was the brush stand used by Cangjie when he created Chinese characters, and locals call it "Brush Stand Mountain." Standing over 2,000 meters above sea level, Brush Stand Mountain preserves its pristine vegetation, mainly consisting of primitive secondary forests, shrubs, and...
The Dongcheng Jade Emperor Pavilion is located on Beijie Street in Dongcheng and is one of the best-preserved ancient buildings in Yangyuan County. According to Zhao Kehua’s "Record of the Construction of the Jade Emperor Pavilion in Dongcheng," the pavilion was built in the 41st year of the Jiajing reign during the Ming Dynasty (1562). On the 15th day of the first lunar month in the 7th year of the Xianfeng reign during the Qing Dynasty (1857), a fire accidentally caused by a Taoist priest burning incense destroyed all three levels of the pavilion. The copper...
The Sanggan River flows from west to east, cutting across the entire territory of Yangyuan. With a long history, its waters have caused tremendous damage to the people on both banks over the centuries. To change this situation, ancestors once established ferries at major crossings, built bridges, and erected beams. Today, many of the ancient bridges have long collapsed, leaving only ancient steles that evoke sighs from later literati. Since the reform and opening-up…
The Xiaochangliang Site was excavated and discovered in 1978. It consists of early Pleistocene strata dating back 1.36 million years and ancient human remains, which shocked the world. Over 1,000 stone tools were unearthed at the site, making it of great significance for the study of early Paleolithic culture in North China and the exploration of the origins of the small tool tradition in the region...
Hutouliang is located in Yangyuan County, Hebei Province. Its shape resembles a crouching tiger, overlooking the Sanggan River flowing beneath it. In 1965, an ancient human cultural site was discovered here, yielding over 50,000 stone artifacts, ornaments, and other items. This site marks the earliest beginning of the Neolithic Age in North China and holds significant importance in the study of microlithic culture in the region.
Kaiyang Ancient Fortress was historically part of Anyang Yi, Dai Commandery of the Zhao State during the Warring States period, while the current Kaiyang Fortress was built during the Tang Dynasty. The entire fortress is now laid out on a turtle-shaped terrain resembling a "spirit turtle probing the water," with streets inside the fortress designed according to the principles of the "Nine Palaces and Eight Trigrams." The current city walls, gates, and streets are largely well-preserved, but the buildings are mostly dilapidated. Only the smooth, mirror-like stone slabs on the ground inside the gate tunnel and the two worn ruts left by carts hint at the once bustling scene of a thriving commercial hub with constant traffic and numerous merchants.
Shuangshu Fort was constructed with a rational and scientific layout, featuring a unique design. The entire fortress is laid out in the shape of a “丰” (abundance) character. It is located in the river valley area of Baijiaquan Township, Yangyuan County. According to the *Gazetteer of Chahar Province*, Shuangshu Fort was “built during the Ming Dynasty and renovated in the fifth year of the Qianlong reign of the Qing Dynasty (1740).” Local elders have orally passed down that it was built during the Jiajing era (1522–1566) of the Ming Dynasty and was named after two large mulberry trees. The fort gate is situated on the northern side, with a stone-carved plaque above the gateway, consisting of two pieces inscribed respectively with “Yizi Tunbao” (易字屯堡) and “Shuangshu Fort.” The existing fort walls were built during the Ming Dynasty using rammed earth, measuring 171 meters from east to west and 231 meters from north to south, forming a regular rectangle.
Yangyuan's Dongcheng and Xicheng, historically known as the eastern and western cities of Shunshengchuan, share similar city layouts and specifications. They are only about 60 li apart, like twin brothers, both located in the central-western part of Yangyuan County on the north bank of the Sanggan River. During the Han Dynasty, Xicheng was part of Yangyuan County under Dai Commandery; during the Northern Wei, it became Changning County; during the Northern Qi, it housed the Qide and Changning commanderies. In the Tang Dynasty...
Shujiu Temple derived its name from being located on Jiu Peak Ridge, and is still commonly referred to as Jiu Peak Temple today. It is situated on a hillside 1,000 meters southwest of Yaogou Village in Dongbaijiaquan Township, about 20 kilometers southwest of Yangyuan County’s county town. The site still preserves a well-maintained Buddhist pagoda, known as Shujiu Temple Pagoda, which is a key cultural relic protection unit of Hebei Province. According to the *Tianzhen County Annals*...
The Nihewan Museum is located in the Nihewan Cultural Square of the new urban area of Yangyuan County. Covering an area of 20 mu (approximately 1.3 hectares), the main building has two floors with partial three-story sections, measuring 91 meters in length, 53 meters in width, and 17 meters in height, with a total construction area of 4,623 square meters. The total investment was 41 million yuan. As a national mid-sized exhibition venue, it is currently the only one of its kind in the province and the largest in the country…
Yangyuan Sanggan River Wetland Park The Sanggan River, the upper reaches of the Yongding River and an important tributary of the Haihe River, is located in the southern bay area of Shuozhou, Shuozhou District, in the northwest of Hebei Province and the north of Shanxi Province. Legend has it that the river dries up when mulberries ripen each year, hence the name. The Hebei Yangyuan Sanggan River National Wetland Park (pilot) is situated in Yangyuan County, Hebei Province,…
Nihewan National Nature Reserve in Hebei Province is located within the territories of Yangyuan County and Yu County, covering an actual protected area of 1,015 hectares between 113°45′–114°45′ east longitude and 40°00′–40°20′ north latitude. It is divided into four sub-areas: Xiashagou, Haojiatai, Hongya, and Dongyaozitou. The reserve features…
The Houjiayao Site is located 1,000 meters southwest of Houjiayao Village, Dongjingji Town, Yangyuan County. It was discovered in 1973 by Jia Lanpo, Wei Qi, and others from the Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, and was officially excavated in 1976. Sixteen pieces of human fossils were found, along with a large number of vertebrate fossils. Fourteen...
The Donggutuo Site is an early Paleolithic site located on Xujia Slope in Donggutuo Village, Yangyuan County, Hebei Province. Based on paleomagnetic dating, it is estimated to be around 1 million years old, dating to the late Early Pleistocene or early Middle Pleistocene. Situated on the eastern edge of the Nihewan Basin, the Donggutuo Site is one of the most extensively excavated areas in the region...
The site of Zhulin Temple is located on Qingyuan Mountain, north of Shuiyukou Village, Dongcheng Town, Yangyuan County. The entire complex faces south. The temple was demolished in 1970, and currently only part of the ground-level buildings and the building foundations remain. Existing structures include the mountain gate, east and west corner gates, the passing hall, the eastern abbot’s quarters, the eastern accounting room, the Fire Spirit Chariot Palace, the Yuewang Hall, the Yaowang Hall, the Dajingzhi Hall…
Kaiyang Fort is an ancient Ming and Qing dynasty architectural complex, located in Kaiyangbao Village, Futujiang Township, Yangyuan County, Zhangjiakou City. On October 20, 2008, it was designated as part of the fifth batch of Provincial-Level Cultural Heritage Protection Units by the People's Government of Hebei Province. …
The Yellow Emperor City Cultural Tourism Area is located 2 kilometers west of Fanshan Town in Zhuolu County. It lies 120 kilometers east of Beijing and 80 kilometers west of Zhangjiakou. “The eternal civilization began in Zhuolu.” Five thousand years ago, the three great cultural ancestors of the Chinese nation — the Yellow Emperor, the Yan Emperor, and Chiyou — lived and labored here, waged wars and forged alliances, established capitals, and laid the foundations for China’s 5,000-year…
The Chinese Unity Altar is located in the Yellow Emperor City Cultural Tourism Area of Fanshan Town, Zhuolu County, covering a total area of 500 acres. It consists of China’s largest single-piece dragon sculpture, Nine Dragons Soaring, 56 ethnic totem poles, the Unity Stone Carving, the Bridge of the Three Ancestors, the Dragon-Phoenix Pillars, and the Chinese Unification Square. In the center of the altar, 56 ethnic totem stone pillars, each 9.9 meters tall, are arranged concentrically...