Yellow River Scenic Area
The splendid Yellow River, the mother river of China, with a length of 5464 km (about 3400 miles) is the second longest river in China to the Yangtze River. Therefore, in the vast scenic spots like this, every single scene is amazingly attractive, and the members in this scenic spot are the Five Dragons Peak, the Camel Mountain Range, the Yueshan Temple, the Stone Figures of Yandi and Huangdi, and the Ancient City of Liu Bang and Xiang Yu.
The headwaters of this mighty river lie in Kunlun Mountains in northwestern Qinghai Province. It runs through nine provinces and autonomous regions on its way to the Bohai Sea. It is not exaggerating to say that Yellow River is a melting port, because there are more than 30 branches and countless streams feeding it through its course. The vigorous upper reaches of the Yellow River starts in Qinghai Province to Hekouzhen in Inner Mongolia. This magnificent river flows quietly, like a shy girl in this section, irrigating the farmlands and nurturing the people. Its middle reaches ends at Taohuayu in Zhengzhou City, Henan Province. Here the Yellow River splits the Loess Plateau in half, forming the longest continuous gorge in the whole drainage area of the river. The Yellow River's lower reaches ends in a delta on the Bohai Sea.
The Yellow River is regarded as the source of Chinese civilization, the spiritual home of the Chinese people. It has nourished millions of people since Chinese civilization emerged from the river's central basin thousands of years ago. It is the waters of the Yellow River and its spirit that nurture the whole Chinese nation. For thousands of years, the Yellow River has been admiring by literary giants, artists, as well as by the common people. The Yellow River is not just several letters, nor is it just the name of a yellow-ochre-colored river. It bears special significance: the symbol of the Chinese nation, the spirit of the Chinese people and more importantly, civilization itself.
Five Dragons Peak is named after a range of five mountains. From a distance, you see ancient pavilions, both large and small, of many designs scattered on the mountains among ancient pines and cypresses. To catch a broad view of the Yellow River, come to Jimu Pavilion on the top of the Five Dragons Peak, from where you can see the mighty river, which has nourished Chinese for thousands of years. Here you see a sculpture of a mother's figure named 'Nourishing'. This benevolent mother in ancient costume is happily holding her baby in her arms.
Yueshan Temple is 1.5 kilometers (about 0.93 miles) to the east of Five Dragons Peak. There are several featured spots, such as the Purple Golden Pavilion (Zijin Pavilion) and the Peony Garden. During festivals, a deafening bell reverberates from a distance to catch your attention. The bell is on the top of the Golden Pavilion and its deep heavy sounds mixing with the Yellow River's rumble create enormous reverberations. In the wilderness, the reverberation rises and falls in waves.
The Camel Mountain Range is 2 kilometers (about 1.24 miles) to the west of Yueshan Temple. A figure of Yu the Great (2,070 B.C. - 2,061 B.C.) is a highlight on the main peak of the Camel Mountain Range. Yu the Great, a beloved and legendary ruler in China's prehistoric times, was the first King of the Xia Dynasty (21st centuries B.C. - 16th centuries B.C.). The sculpture of Yu the Great is very striking in this area.
The Yellow River has become a major tourist attraction enticing thousands of Chinese and overseas tourists every year. As seen from a high point in this scenic area, the mighty Yellow River rushes by and demonstrates tremendous force with rolling and falling of the river's torrents. Sometimes in its thousands of miles, the river reaches wide endless plains where currents flow smoothly, and sometimes it meets precipitous mountains where it has to zigzag its way.
Opening Hours: 08:00 -- 18:00
Ticket Price: 30 CNY
Location: 30 km away from the city center of Zhengzhou
Transportation: Bus No. 16 and 18 or the shuttle buses from Zhengzhou Railway Station will bring you here.
