Huixian
The heart of the Southern Taihang: the world-famous Guoliang cliff-hanging road, plus the gorges and waterfalls of Baligou, Baoquan, Tianjie Mountain and Guanshan, alongside the historic sites of Baiquan.
Huixian is a county-level city under Xinxiang in Henan, bordering Lingchuan and Huguan in Shanxi to the northwest. Its stretch of the Southern Taihang Mountains, with layered cliffs and deeply cut gorges, is the core of "Southern Taihang" tourism. The mountain sights run roughly along the foot of the Taihang range: furthest north are Wanxian Mountain (Guoliang and Nanping), Qiwangzhai and Qiugou; in the middle is the Shangbali cluster of Baligou, Tianjie Mountain, Jiulian Mountain and Guanshan; in the southwest is the Baoquan Grand Canyon; and around the city are cultural sites such as Baiquan and Baiyun Temple. To the east, Weihui's Bigan Temple and the Tomb of Prince Lujian make easy side trips. The most famous sight is the Guoliang cliff-hanging road, a tunnel road carved into a sheer rock face by villagers in the 1970s and now a magnet for road-trippers and sketching artists.
The climate is warm-temperate continental monsoonal. Apr–May brings mountain flowers and fresh greenery; in Jul–Aug the gorge waterfalls are at their fullest and cool mornings and evenings make it a summer retreat; mid-Oct to early Nov is the Taihang autumn-foliage season. In winter some waterfalls freeze, and mountain roads may be temporarily closed for ice and snow.
Getting there: the Beijing–Hong Kong–Macau and Zhengzhou–Jiaozuo–Jincheng expressways reach the area. Xinxiang East (high-speed rail) is about 40 minutes' drive from central Huixian, and from there most scenic areas require a chartered car or self-drive, with direct shuttle buses on public holidays. Wanxian Mountain, Baligou and other areas run internal sightseeing buses, which also connect Guoliang and Nanping. Allow 3–4 days: one for Baligou and Guanshan, one for Tianjie Mountain/Jiulian Mountain, one for Wanxian Mountain (ideally staying a night in Guoliang Village for sunrise and stargazing), and another for Baoquan and Baiquan.
Note: mountain roads have many hairpin bends and tunnels, so drive carefully; entrance tickets and sightseeing buses are usually priced separately; peak-season weekends are crowded, so set off early; watch for rockfall after rain.
Top sights
- Guoliang Tunnel Road – A 1.2 km tunnel road carved by hand by villagers into the cliffs of Taihang Mountain. Beyond the windows lies a deep valley, and it is know…
- Guoliang Village – A stone village on top of the Taihang cliffs, with stone houses and alleys linked to the Danfen Gorge. It is a sketching base and a film lo…
- Wanxian Mountain Nanping Area – The other major scenic area of Wanxian Mountain, featuring a concentration of canyon waterfall landscapes, including the Red Rock Cliff Gra…
- Baligou Scenic Area – A national 5A scenic area known for the Tianhe Waterfall, which drops more than 180 meters, along with Peach Blossom Valley and the Red Roc…
- Tianjie Mountain (Huilong) – The main peak, Laoye Peak, rises to about 1,500 meters. Features include the Huilong Cliffside Road, a glass skywalk, and cliff-edge viewin…
- Jiulian Mountain – Known for its cliffside 'Sky Ladder,' the Jiulian Waterfall, and the Xilian Temple, an ancient temple on the cliff top. Visitors can ride a…
- Guanshan National Geopark – A national geopark known for the Taihang Stone Pillar Forest, the Red Stone Gorge, the One Line Sky, and remnants of ancient strata about 2…
- Baiquan Springs – A garden lake area at the foot of Sumen Mountain, just north of Huixian city, with a thousand-year history. It is home to the Baiquan Acade…
- Baiyun Temple (Huixian) – A thousand-year-old temple in the Taihang Mountains of western Huixian, with brick pagoda groups dating back to the Tang dynasty. The setti…
- Qiwangzhai – A natural mountain stronghold in the northern part of the South Taihang region. Said to be where the King of Qi once stationed troops, it f…
- Qiugou Scenic Area – A lesser-known canyon waterfall scenic area in the northern South Taihang region, known for its multi-tier waterfalls, deep pools, and rust…
- Paomaling – A highland meadow and lake scenic area in the Taihang Mountains north of Weihui, known as the 'Cloud Grassland.' It is a good place to esca…
- Temple and Tomb of Bi Gan – A temple and cemetery honoring Bi Gan, a loyal minister of the Shang dynasty. It is a national ancestral site for the Lin family, and it ho…
- Mausoleum of Prince Jian of Lu – The tomb of Zhu Yiliu, Prince Jian of Lu, the younger brother of the Wanli Emperor of the Ming dynasty. Its avenue of stone statues and und…
Itineraries
- South Taihang Canyons & Guoliang Cliff Road Self-Drive – A self-drive loop from Zhengzhou, covering Mount Yuntai, the Guoliang Cliff Road, Taihang Grand Canyon, Red Flag Canal…