Tongchuan

A mountain city in northern Guanzhong, each part with its own character: Yuhua Palace, a Tang imperial retreat where Xuanzang translated scriptures; Zhaojin's revolutionary base and Danxia cliffs; Yaowang Mountain, home of Sun Simiao; and the pottery town of Chenlu.

Tongchuan lies on the northern edge of Shaanxi's Guanzhong Plain, in the southern part of the Weibei Loess Plateau, bordering Yan'an to the north and about 70 km from Xi'an to the south. It administers Wangyi, Yintai and Yaozhou districts and Yijun County, and is a mountain city that grew up on coal and is now turning to culture and tourism. Its attractions fall into several areas. In the north, Yuhua Palace was a retreat palace of Emperor Taizong of Tang and the place where Xuanzang translated scriptures in his later years and passed away; its valleys are densely forested, best in summer for escaping the heat and in autumn for red leaves, and in winter the adjacent Yuhua Palace Ski Resort is one of Guanzhong's most popular. In the west, Zhaojin is the former site of the Shaanxi–Gansu Border Revolutionary Base, with the Zhaojin Memorial Hall, Xuejiazhai and expanses of Danxia landforms; nearby Great Xiangshan Temple on Xiangshan is a famous Guanyin pilgrimage site in Northwest China. In the south, Yaozhou District has Yaowang Mountain, where Sun Simiao lived in seclusion, and the Northern Song Shende Temple Pagoda. In the east, the kilns of Chenlu Ancient Town have burned for a thousand years, and its lanes lined with walls of stacked pottery jars are full of character, while the Yaozhou Kiln Museum in Huangbao displays Song-dynasty carved celadon. The climate is warm-temperate and semi-humid with four distinct seasons; Apr–Oct is the best time to visit, and winters are dry and cold. Getting there: Tongchuan Station on the Xi'an–Yan'an high-speed railway and the Xi'an–Tongchuan Expressway link it to Xi'an, about 1 hour by car; from the city to the scenic areas it's mostly 20–60 km of mountain roads with little public transport, so self-driving or hiring a car is recommended. Allow 2 days: one for Yuhua Palace (or Zhaojin and Xiangshan), and one for Yaowang Mountain + the Yaozhou Kiln Museum + Chenlu Ancient Town.

Top sights

• Yuhua Palace – A summer retreat built by Emperor Taizong of the Tang, and the place where the monk Xuanzang translated scriptures and passed away in his l…
• Zhaojin Revolutionary Base Memorial – The heart of the Zhaojin red tourism area, presenting the history of how Liu Zhidan, Xie Zichang, and Xi Zhongxun founded the Shaanxi-Gansu…
• Yaowang Mountain – Where Sun Simiao, the “King of Medicine,” lived in seclusion and practised medicine in his later years. The mountain has a Yaowang Shrine…
• Chenlu Ancient Town – The “Oriental Capital of Ancient Ceramics,” where kilns have never gone cold for a thousand years. Hillside cave dwellings are built with d…
• Zhaojin Danxia Landform (Xuejiazhai) – Red sandstone Danxia peaks and pillars north of Zhaojin Town. Xuejiazhai, on the cliff face, was a rear base of the Red Army, making this a…
• Xiangshan Mountain (Daxiangshan Temple) – A famous Buddhist mountain northwest of Yaozhou District. Daxiangshan Temple is traditionally regarded as a sacred site of Guanyin, and its…
• Yaozhou Kiln Museum – A specialist museum built on the Yaozhou Kiln site, a nationally protected heritage site. It displays Tang and Song kiln remains and the ce…
• Shende Temple Pagoda – A Northern Song octagonal nine-storey brick pagoda on the northern plateau of old Yaozhou. Hundreds of Buddhist scriptures from the Tang to…
• Wangshiao Coal Mine Heritage Park – A large coal mine built with Soviet aid in the 1950s. After closure it was converted into an industrial heritage park, and its Soviet-style…
• Yuhua Palace Ski Resort – A large ski resort next to Yuhua Palace scenic area. It is a popular winter destination for skiing in the Guanzhong region and suits beginn…

Where to eat

• Gou'er Salty Soup Noodles (Yaowang Road Original Branch) – The best-known salty soup noodle shop in Yaozhou, run for over thirty years by an intangible heritage inheritor; it has…
• Yaozhou First Bowl – One of Tongchuan's best-reviewed snack and stir-fry restaurants, where you can eat all three Yaozhou noodles and local…

Itineraries

• Northern Shaanxi Yellow River & Loess Plateau 10-Day Grand Loop – Drive north along the Yellow River on the eastern route, head west at Yulin to see the Danxia landforms, and travel sou…