Northern Shaanxi

Yan'an and Yulin, with the revolutionary holy land of Yan'an, the Yellow Emperor's Mausoleum, Hukou Waterfall, and Great Wall fortresses and Danxia landforms on the edge of the Mu Us Sandy Land.

Northern Shaanxi is one of the three official regions of Shaanxi. It covers two prefecture-level cities, Yan'an and Yulin, lying in the heart of the Loess Plateau, bordering Ordos in Inner Mongolia to the north and facing Shanxi across the Yellow River to the east. Yan'an is a famous destination for red tourism; Pagoda Hill, Zaoyuan, Yangjialing and the Yan'an Revolution Memorial Hall are the main sights, while Liangjiahe in Yanchuan and folk traditions such as Ansai waist drumming and paper-cutting are also quite charming. The Yellow Emperor's Mausoleum in Huangling County is a sacred site for honoring the ancestor of the Chinese people, and Hukou Waterfall can be viewed from the Yichuan side. Yulin lies on the southern edge of the Mu Us Sandy Land; Zhenbeitai is an important fortress on the Ming Great Wall, and the streets of Yulin's old town are well preserved. The Tongwan City ruins in Jingbian were the capital of the Xiongnu state of Daxia, and the Longzhou Danxia landform (Wave Valley) is strikingly colored. Hongjiannao in Shenmu is a lake in the desert, the Baiyunshan Taoist temple complex in Jiaxian County is built beside the Yellow River, and the Jiang Family Manor in Mizhi is a representative cave-dwelling complex. A classic route is two days in Yan'an city, one day each at the Yellow Emperor's Mausoleum and Hukou, then two to three days north in Yulin, for a total of six to eight days; self-driving offers the best experience. For transport, Yan'an Nanniwan Airport and Yulin Yuyang Airport have flights to Xi'an, Beijing and other cities, the Baotou–Maoming Expressway runs the length of the region from north to south, and there is also a railway from Xi'an to Yan'an. The climate in Northern Shaanxi is dry with big day-to-night temperature swings, so drink plenty of water and wear sun protection; roads in loess areas become muddy after rain, so confirm road conditions in advance for some rural sights.

Destinations

• Yan'an & Hukou Waterfall
• Yulin (Shaanxi)
• Jingbian

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…
• Yellow River No. 1 Highway: Shanxi-Shaanxi Riverfront Route – Travel south along the Shanxi-Shaanxi Gorges from Laoniuwan and Qikou to Hukou, crossing the river to finish in Yan'an.