Yangquan

The Shanxi–Hebei gateway known as the “Ninth Pass Under Heaven”: waterfalls run through the village at Niangzi Pass, with the stone Guguan Great Wall, Cangshan of the Orphan of Zhao legend, and the ancient villages of Dawang and Xiaohe scattered across the Taihang Mountains.

Yangquan lies in eastern Shanxi on the western slopes of the Taihang Mountains, bordering Shijiazhuang in Hebei to the east. It has long been the gateway between Shanxi and Hebei, and both the Shijiazhuang–Taiyuan Railway and the Taiyuan–Jiuguan Expressway pass through it. The city stretches along the Tao River valley and grew up as a coal-mining industrial city. The tourist highlights are concentrated in three areas. In Pingding County to the east, around Niangzi Pass, are the pass fortress dubbed the “Ninth Pass Under Heaven,” the “Water Village” with spring water flowing right through it, and the Shuilian Cave waterfall, plus the stone-built Guguan Great Wall 8 km away. In and around the city are the Hundred Regiments Offensive Memorial Hall (on Shinao Mountain), Dayangquan and Xiaohe – both designated Famous Historical and Cultural Villages of China – the Song-dynasty timber Guan Yu Temple at Linli, Guanshan Academy, and the Yangquan Memory·1947 Cultural Park. In Yu County to the north are Cangshan, the setting of the Orphan of Zhao legend, and Dawang Ancient Village, layered like a castle; to the southwest is the Cuifeng Mountain forest scenic area. The best time is May–Oct: in summer the springs at Niangzi Pass are at their fullest and the mountains are cool; in October Cangshan and Cuifeng Mountain have the best autumn foliage. Winters are cold and dry, and some mountain scenic areas may close. Getting there: Yangquan North on the Shijiazhuang–Taiyuan high-speed railway is about 30 km from the city center, and high-speed trains from Taiyuan or Shijiazhuang take about half an hour. Niangzi Pass has a conventional railway station and is about 50 km from the city. Allow 2–3 days: one for Niangzi Pass and the Guguan Great Wall, one for the city's ancient villages and the Hundred Regiments Offensive Memorial Hall, and one for Cangshan and Dawang Ancient Village in Yu County. Recommended foods include Pingding clay-pot stew, Yangquan pressed flatbread, Yu County mutton soup and Niangzi Pass fish. Check scenic-area notices for tickets and opening hours.

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