6 | DISCOVER SHANXI Friday, June 19, 2020 CHINA DAILY

The cliffs rising perpendicularly from the valleys are called “iron walls of Taihang”. The term is also a tribute to the heroes who protected the nation by fighting the Japanese invaders seven decades ago. QIN HONGYU / FOR CHINA DAILY

Mountains promoted as major attraction

many sightseers as a destination that bines natural wonders and human many self­driving tourists. can be visited many times. efforts is the Wangmangling Scenic “I was told the cliff­hanging road Serving as the natural border of Area. in Wangmangling is among the the Loess Plateau in the west and The core of the scenic area is the most attractive roads in the world, the North China Plain in the east, Wangmangling main peak. Stand­ so I planned a tour of the road dur­ Taihang also held a strategic posi­ ing 1,665 meters above sea level, it is ing Dragon Boat Festival at the end tion in ancient China in times of the highest peak in the southern of June,” said Gao Yuan, a resident in conflicts. The relics and legends left part of the Taihang Mountains. Taiyuan, capital city of Shanxi prov­ Sightseers praise by past­day battles make it a favorite The peak’s top is flat, with four ince. wealth of natural for tourists with special interest in watchtowers on it, showing it had There are six other similar cliff­ China’s history and culture. been a strategic place in ancient hanging roads in the Taihang Moun­ beauty, history, culture Zuoquan county in the east of times. tains region. Shanxi is known for its Taihong val­ However, the most impressive Seeing the Taihang Mountains’ By YUAN SHENGGAO leys which are called the “50­km gal­ part of the scenic area is a road in great potential on the tourist mar­ lery of picturesque landscape” by Tourists take in a view of the Taihang Mountains on top of the main the middle of the cliffs. ket, the authorities of Shanxi have Extending more than 400 kilome­ tourism industry insiders. peak of Wangmangling. WANG ZHUANGFEI / CHINA DAILY The road was built by local con­ rolled out a plan to develop Taihang ters from north to south, the Tai­ One of the most imposing sights struction workers two decades ago into one of China’s top three touring hang Mountains are one of the in the area are the cliffs rising per­ by cutting into the cliffs inch by routes along with the Great Wall largest mountain ranges in North pendicularly from the valleys. base for the Eighth Route Army led the local people changed the name inch, aiming to offer a passage for and the Yellow River. China and is where the name of The cliffs are often called the “iron by the Communist Party of China. of the county to Zuoquan from its the residents at the heart of Taihang In the plan, Taihang is positioned Shanxi province comes from. walls of Taihang”. When the nation and the people original name of Liaoxian in the to reach the outside and for tourists as an international destination for Shanxi — which means “to the In the eyes of the locals, the term were at their most critical moment, same year of his death. to get in. mountain sightseeing and recrea­ west of the mountains” — is so “iron walls of Taihang” is not only the warriors of the army pledged to “You can understand the true After a riding tour of the road, Ste­ tion, as well as a destination for his­ called because it located to the west a description of the landscape, but “build a new Great Wall with their meaning of ‘iron walls of Taihang’ fano Cappello, an Italian tourist, torical and cultural tours. of Taihang. also a tribute to the heroes who very flesh and blood”. only after you have toured Zuoquan said: “The road is definitely one of A new sightseeing highway The mountains constitute the protected the nation by fighting General Zuo Quan (1905­42), dep­ and learned about the stories of the the miracles in modern civil engi­ extending from north to south is border among Shanxi, Hebei and the Japanese invaders seven dec­ uty chief of staff of the army, hon­ heroes who contributed their lives neering, considering it was built now under construction, which is Henan provinces. ades ago. ored the promise by sacrificing his to protecting the nation,” said mostly by manpower. Now I under­ expected to link hundreds of scenic Because of its precipitous peaks, During the War of Resistance life during a battle in the county in Chang Jinmin, a local tourism offi­ stand how the Great Wall was built spots in and around the mountains. steep cliffs, strange rocks, lush forests Against Japanese Agression, the Tai­ 1942. cial. in ancient times.” and clean waters, Taihang is seen by hang Mountains were an important To pay homage to this great hero, Another site that perfectly com­ The hanging road is a favorite of Li Yali contributed to this story. Famous scenic spots in Taihang

By YUAN SHENGGAO

Baquan Valley Located in Huguan county in the southern part of the Taihang Mountains, Baquan Valley became a 5A scenic area — the highest­rank destination rating by the national tourism authority — on Jan 8. Baquan, which means eight springs, is so called because of eight springs that formed a torren­ tial brook in the valley. With a length of 13 kilometers and a width ranging from 3 to 20 meters, the narrow valley is sur­ rounded by peaks rising up to 1,100 m from the valley floor. In addition to dozens of water­ falls and several karst caves, the most impressive sight is the area called Yixiantian — which literally The Taihang No 1 Highway, which links the major destinations and villages in and near the Taihang means one­line sky — in the nar­ Mountains, is expected to offer convenience to tourists and boost local growth. CAO YANG / XINHUA rowest part of the valley. It is so called because the sky is narrowed to a line seen from the bottom of nations in 29 counties and districts the valley. Highway provides more in six cities in Shanxi, according to Yan. Niangziguan Great Wall “Shanxi boasts nearly 60 percent Niangziguan, which means travel routes for visitors of the total area of Taihang, with “female general’s pass”, is located in hundreds of scenic spots scattered Pingding county in the central part around like pearls,” Yan said. of Taihang. It is one of the strategic By YUAN SHENGGAO The renowned “Eight Paths of He added that “Taihang No 1 will fortresses along the Great Wall. Taihang” in history are the ancient serve as a chain linking the pearls The fortress is so called because When mentioning a road that can roads built along the valleys, offer­ together, offering better access for it is said to have been built by Prin­ provide self­driving tourists with a ing passage for travelers to and tourists and bringing new opportu­ cess Pingyang during the early A heart­shaped sky is viewed from the bottom of Baquan Valley. sightseeing experience of a long from Shanxi. nities for locals to get richer”. Tang Dynasty (618­907). Legends SANG XIAO / FOR CHINA DAILY range of spectacular mountains, In modern times, highways and The Qinshui county section of the also have it that the first military one may easily think of the Blue railways have been built on the Taihang No 1 became operational in force stationed there were an army Ridge Parkway in the Appalachian ancient passageways, further facili­ October 2019. And the ease of traffic of female warriors led by the prin­ Chen was the teacher of Emper­ The cultural landscape is home Mountains in the United States, tating the flow of people and com­ brought by the highway was imme­ cess. or Kangxi and was the country’s to 41 Buddhist temples. which inspired John Denver to modities. diately felt by the locals and tour­ The existing fortress and the prime minister for about half a cen­ Among them is the Foguang write his famous song Take Me But the east­west roads are still ists. Great Wall were built during the tury. Temple, with its eastern main hall Home, Country Road. not enough for travelers who want The Residence of the Liu Family Ming Dynasty (1368­1644), with As it offered accommodation to being the longest surviving wood­ And now, Shanxi province in to have in­depth tours of the moun­ in Xiwenxing village, an ancient two gate towers and a 500­m wall Kangxi when he visited Shanxi, the en structure in China. The hall was North China is expected to have a tains that extend more than 400 building complex with more than still kept intact. scale of the residence is among the built during the late Tang Dynasty, similar road in the near future in its kilometers from north to south. 100 rooms, is a renowned attraction The Niangziguan Pass, control­ largest of all officials’ residences in with life­size clay statues. Taihang Mountains region. To meet the new demands of tour­ in the county. ling one of the important passage­ China. Mount Wutai also features the Taihang, rising up to 3,000 ists, authorities of Shanxi decided to However, travel from the village ways between Hebei and Shanxi Covering 36,580 square meters, Ming Dynasty Shuxiang Temple meters above the adjacent North build a special road to the Taihang to the county seat used to require a provinces, was a strategic strong­ the complex has 16 courtyards and with a huge complex of 500 statues China Plain and serving as the natu­ Mountains in 2018. drive of 1.5 hours on rugged roads, hold in times of conflict and thus is 640 rooms. representing Buddhist stories ral border among Shanxi, Hebei and Yan Chenxi, head of the Shanxi according to Hou Jie, chief of the a silent witness to many wars in Impressive monuments and sce­ woven into three­dimensional pic­ Henan provinces, is an obstacle to Department of Transportation, said county’s culture and tourism history. nic spots in this tourist destination tures. the east­west transport in the the road, which is called “Taihang bureau. include an imposing stone arch­ Wutai is the holy mountain spe­ region. No 1 Highway”, is designed to offer a Hou said it now takes half an Huangcheng Xiangfu way with exquisite engravings, cially dedicated to Manjusri — the However, travels to both sides of slow­paced and in­depth travel hour to reach the residence thanks Huangcheng Xiangfu, which lit­ well­decorated rooms, classical Bodhisattva of Wisdom. With tem­ the mountains have never been hin­ experience of the mountains to to the completion of the local erally means “imperial prime min­ gardens, an ancestral temple and a ples built from the 1st century AD dered throughout thousands of tourists. stretch of Taihang No 1. ister’s residence”, is located in private school. to the early 20th century, it has a years thanks to the river valleys in The 1,257­km main stretch of the The entire artery of Taihang No 1 Huangcheng village of Yangcheng far­reaching influence on China’s the mountains. highway runs from Xinzhou in the is scheduled to be completed within county. Mount Wutai Buddhism. Taihang is the watershed for north to Jincheng in the south. this year, according to the provincial It was the residence of Chen With its five flat­top peaks, Mount Wutai is also the highest streams running to the Yellow River The main road, together with plan for the road. Tingjing, a renowned prime minis­ Mount Wutai is a sacred Buddhist mountain in North China with its in the west and streams flowing into about 3,500 km of branch roads, ter during the Qing Dynasty (1644­ mountain located in Xinzhou city main peak standing 3,061 m above the Bohai Bay in the east. will link hundreds of tourist desti­ Guo Yanjie contributed to this story. 1911). in northern Shanxi. sea level.

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