Xiyagou

　　Xiyagou is situated at the easternmost edge of Lingchuan County and the border between Shanxi and Henan provinces. The village’s 217 households and more than 840 people are scattered across a 11.5-square-kilometer mountain valley. Surrounded by towering peaks and deep gorges, the villagers have lived here for generations in near-total isolation from the outside world. Daily life involved climbing perilous cliffs, costing many lives and leaving countless agricultural products to go to waste.

　　In the autumn of 1962, when county officials visited the valley, their horse was so frightened that it died. The Party and government allocated 3,000 yuan for road construction. Yang Wenliang, the deputy party branch secretary and a demobilized soldier, was tasked with the mission. He blasted an opening at Longkou, finally creating a donkey path that connected Xiyagou to the outside world. In the mid-1970s, the villagers planned to build a proper road. Two attempts were made but both failed. The "Wolf Path" and "Sheep Tunnel" stand as historical testaments to those efforts. Undeterred and unyielding, on November 1, 1982, the village party branch secretary Zhao Quanniu led over 100 young and middle-aged villagers, holding bright red chicken-blood wine, and once again fired the blast that signaled war against the treacherous terrain. On February 4, 1984, China Youth Daily dedicated a full page to covering Xiyagou’s mountain-blasting road construction. In January 1986, during a critical phase of the project, Song Zhilong, a demobilized soldier, took over as party branch secretary. He and the task force spent years working inside the tunnel, tackling dangers and overcoming obstacles. On June 28, 1991, the 7.5-kilometer-long Xiyagou Road was triumphantly completed. To build this road, the villagers contributed 123,000 voluntary labor days, moved 230,000 cubic meters of earth and stone, and excavated a 1,200-meter tunnel. The former party branch secretary Dong Huaiyue and villager Song Shuangbao lost their lives during the construction.

　　Xiyagou boasts beautiful mountains, clear waters, and enchanting scenery, with numerous natural caves. Some praise it as the “Guilin Waters of the Taihang Mountains,” the “Huangshan Clouds of the North,” the “Sunshine More Brilliant Than Mount Tai,” or the “Scenery Rivaling Zhangjiajie.” The area is rich in tourism resources, and its mineral water awaits development by visionary entrepreneurs.

　　The people of Xiyagou have finally emerged from the mountains. Full of spirit, they are now welcoming a bright future with open arms.