Ancient Villages Below the Horizon, White Swans Dotting Emerald Waves: Spring Road Trip Day 20

Departing from Langzhong Ancient Town, our vehicle headed north along the Lanhai Expressway through the Daba Mountains. The winding mountain roads and deep valleys formed a natural painting, with lush vegetation contrasting against steep cliffs. Upon entering Guangyuan, the tunnel clusters and bridge complexes along the Jingkun Expressway showcased modern engineering brilliance, while the viewing platform at Qinling Service Area offered panoramic views of the majestic layered peaks. Deep in the Qinling Mountains, the expressway bridges and tunnels carved through steep slopes created the wondrous spectacle of "driving through a landscape painting." Approaching Sanmenxia in Henan, the terrain abruptly transformed from delicate beauty to vast wilderness, with the folded loess plateaus stretching like earth's wrinkles toward the horizon.

Sanmenxia, located in western Henan at the golden triangle where Henan, Shanxi, and Shaanxi meet along the Yellow River, boasts profound historical significance as one of the cradles of Chinese civilization. Its distinctive "five mountains, four ridges, and one-tenth plains" topography has shaped the city's character - resilient as mountains, inclusive as rivers.

The cave dwellings (Yaodong) represent a unique traditional residential form on China's Loess Plateau, celebrated as "ancient villages below the horizon, living fossils of residential history." These structures involve excavating 6-7 meter deep square or rectangular pits (10-12 meters per side) in flat loess terrain, with 8-12 cave rooms dug into the walls. One corner features a sloped tunnel to ground level as an entrance, surrounded by low retaining walls to prevent flooding and falls. Built on thick, stable loess with excellent compressive strength, these dwellings have stood for centuries. The caves serve as natural thermoregulators, maintaining temperatures above 10°C in winter and around 20°C in summer - earning the nickname "natural air conditioning, temperature-constant homes." The landscape reveals trees but no village, entering reveals no houses, and voices echo without visible sources.

The Shanzhou Cave Dwelling Folk Culture Park in Beiying Village showcases 22 interconnected cave dwellings with different themes, comprehensively presenting their historical evolution and local lifestyles. The park features over ten intangible cultural heritage displays including grass-pounded dyeing, Shanzhou paper-cutting, drum storytelling, and Chengni inkstone making. Here, architecture is frozen folklore, and folklore is flowing history. Climbing the earthen steps back to surface level and looking back at the flat plateau, one suddenly understands: true wonder never lies in superficial glimpses.

Sanmenxia Swan Lake National Urban Wetland Park resembles Jiangnan water towns with its willow-lined banks. From November to March annually, tens of thousands of migrating swans from Siberia winter here, earning Sanmenxia its "City of Swans" title. The park features complete tourist facilities like wooden walkways and observation decks. Visiting in late April, I found only three resident swans who became the water's sole protagonists. With great effort and handfuls of corn, I managed to attract two swans - their wings lightly raised, powerful webbed feet paddling rapidly, leaving long wakes as their snake-like necks darted precisely to snatch kernels, chewing contentedly. This harmonious human-nature interaction warms every observer's heart.

The 1,310-meter Sanmenxia Yellow River Highway Bridge stands on 28 massive piers anchored deep in the riverbed, supporting four traffic lanes. Its majestic design creates a "time-travel gateway" visual effect from certain angles, attracting photographers. Sunset photos of the bridge with the Yellow River and setting sun go viral online, especially the golden light on steel trusses - a "100% photogenic" hotspot. Free riverside access with parking lowers the threshold for visitors.

Sanmenxia cuisine blends Yellow River boldness with Central Plains refinement: Lingbao roujiamo (crispy buns with juicy braised meat), broad-knife-cut noodles with springy texture in fragrant broth - millennia of riverside stories rolling on the tongue! This captivating city engraves historical warmth in every landscape and innovative vitality in every experience. Entering Sanmenxia means stepping into a colorful world that nourishes the soul and sets dreams aloft.

Post by SolarNomad33dac | Aug 11, 2025