Lidu Park

　　In ancient times, the Yan Emperor, an ancestor of the Chinese nation, led his tribe downstream along the river, ascended the Taihang Mountains, and entered what is now the territory of Changzhi County. This area featured crisscrossing rivers and marshes, lush forests, abundant grass, and dense wildlife—conditions highly suitable for the cave-dwelling, fishing, and hunting life of primitive humans. As a result, they established their capital at present-day Yangtou Ridge and founded the ancient Qiguo Kingdom. Centered here within Changzhi County, they tasted hundreds of herbs, identified the five grains, and spread agricultural knowledge, thereby achieving the great social transformation from nomadic to settled life, and from fishing and hunting to farming. They pioneered crop cultivation and were honored as the “Divine Farmer,” revered by generations of Chinese descendants.

　　For thousands of years, locals have built numerous temples dedicated to the Yan Emperor on Yangtou Ridge and in surrounding villages to commemorate their ancestor. Among them, the Yangtou Ridge Yan Emperor Temple is the largest. This temple has three courtyards in a row, with a theater stage opposite the main gate. The main entrance features a roofed stage spanning the gateway. Upon entering the gate, there are east and west wing rooms, and stone steps lead up to the Shuilong Hall, which houses the deities of the Five Grains. The walls are adorned with murals depicting the arduous pioneering efforts of the Yan Emperor, Shennong, an ancestor of the Chinese people. Exiting the main hall to the north leads to the Yan Emperor Hall, where a statue of the Yan Emperor is enshrined—the Divine Farmer holding a bundle of grain, looking spirited. Most of the Yan Emperor temples in the villages around Yangtou Ridge were destroyed during the War of Resistance against Japan. To this day, the ancient Sannong Festival temple fair is still held on the eighth day of the fourth lunar month in Liling Village at the foot of Yangtou Ridge, and celebratory activities continue in front of the Yan Emperor Temple in Beihé Village.

　　Yangtou Ridge is surrounded by gullies, with nine ridge crests resembling nine giant dragons. To the south of the ridge lie the Huanglong Spring and Heilong Spring; the Huanglong Spring still exists today, with sweet-tasting water. On the ridge stands a prominent earthen mound, which, according to legend, conceals a golden ram’s head—hence the name Yangtou Ridge (Ram’s Head Ridge).