Ten highlights along China's Yellow River
21.07.2023 - 08:03
/ roughguides.com
From its source in the mountains of Qinghai province, the famed Yellow River flows for over 5,400km before emptying itself into the Yellow Sea. As one might expect from the sixth longest river in the world, it passes a number of jaw-dropping sights. Here are ten of my favourite spots along its meandering course.
You'd have to be pretty dedicated to head to the upper reaches of the Yellow River, which flow through remote territory in mountainous Qinghai Province, but it's worth the effort. By the time it passes through Lanzhou, a major city in Gansu province, the river has already assumed the yellow colour from which it takes its name — and this is before reaching the Loess Plateau, where it picks up most of its silt.
As the river enters tiny Ningxia Province, it skirts alongside the Tengger Desert. Firing past sand dunes, the mighty river is quite a sight to behold at this point, particularly at the miniature resort of Shapotou, where you'll be able to go sand-skiing, or fly over the river on a zip line.
Inner Mongolia is next on the river's lengthy course, and you'll be able to stroll its banks just south of Baotou, a scruffy city famed for its gigantic metal furnaces — and the resultant green (and sometimes purple) sunsets. It's also home to Wudangzhao, one of China's most important Lamaist monasteries.
Wudangzhao Lamasery. Baotou, Inner Mongolia, China © terimma/Shutterstock
After Boutou, the Yellow River banks sharply to the south, forming a border between the provinces of Shanxi and Shaanxi. Just east of the curve is the city of Datong, which has two major draws on its periphery — the gravity-defying Hanging Temple, which clings precariously onto a cliff; and the UNESCO-listed Yungang Caves, which feature spectacular examples of Buddhist painting dating back as far as the mid-fifth century.
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South of Datong, and 150km east of the river, lies Pingyao, a delightful place that's tiny as far as Chinese cities go. Its quiet, historic core is surrounded by an enchanting Ming-dynasty city wall, and filled with restaurants selling quirky local delicacies.
On the Shanxi-Shaanxi border, the 400m-wide Yellow River finds itself squeezed through a 20m-wide gap. The end result is the Hukou Waterfalls, a truly spectacular sight — and sound.
© HelloRF Zcool/Shutterstock
Okay, so this pick is 100km west of the river but it's nevertheless a must-see. Xi'an served as a capital city for no fewer than eleven dynasties between 1000 BC and 1000 AD so naturally the various historical sights in the area could take weeks. Do try and make time to drop by the world-famous Terracotta Army.
The river then banks sharply to the east, sliding into Henan Province as it does so. The first major city you'll encounter here is