Yan'an & Hukou Waterfall

A cradle of the Chinese revolution, with Pagoda Hill, Zaoyuan and the live-action show The Battle to Defend Yan'an, plus the Yellow River's Hukou Waterfall and the scenery of the Loess Plateau.

Yan'an sits in the middle of the Loess Plateau in northern Shaanxi, with the Yan River running through the city. From 1937 to 1947 it was the seat of the CPC Central Committee, earning it the name "holy land of the revolution", and the city is dotted with revolutionary sites housed in cave dwellings (yaodong). To the south, Huangling County is home to the Mausoleum of the Yellow Emperor, the legendary ancestor of the Chinese people; to the east, Yanchuan and Yichuan line the Qin–Jin Grand Canyon of the Yellow River, with natural wonders such as Hukou Waterfall and Qiankun Bend.

The best time to visit is April–October: the hills and tablelands turn green in May–June; September–October brings crisp, clear weather and high water at Hukou, when rainbows are common. In January–February Hukou freezes into an ice waterfall, but it is cold and the roads are slippery. July–August is busy with study-tour groups and afternoon thunderstorms are frequent; Ganquan Grand Canyon may close during the rainy season.

Areas to explore: ① The city – Pagoda Hill, Qingliang Hill, Fenghuang Hill, Zaoyuan, Yangjialing, Wangjiaping, the former Shaanxi–Gansu–Ningxia Border Region Government site, the Lu Xun Academy of Arts and the Yan'an Revolutionary Memorial Hall; allow 1–2 days, and in the evening head to Yan'an Red Street for shows such as Thirteen Years in Yan'an (check current schedules). ② The eastern route – Liangjiahe in Yanchuan, Qiankun Bend and Hukou Waterfall in Yichuan; 1–2 days. ③ The southern route – Nanniwan, Ganquan Grand Canyon, and the Mausoleum of the Yellow Emperor on the way toward Xi'an.

Getting there: Yan'an Nanniwan Airport has flights to many cities; the Baotou–Xi'an Railway links the city with Xi'an, and once the Xi'an–Yan'an high-speed railway opens the journey should drop to about 1.5 hours (subject to the actual opening). Within the city, taxis or buses are fine; outlying sights require self-driving, a chartered car or tourist shuttle buses. Allow 3–4 days.

Tips: Most revolutionary sites are free but require ID (passport for foreign visitors); go early on public holidays. Don't miss northern Shaanxi specialties such as mutton hele noodles, yangyu caca (steamed shredded potato) and youmomo (fried dough cakes), and look out for Ansai waist-drum performances.

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