Hukou Waterfall is the second largest waterfall in China and the largest yellow waterfall in the world[3-7]。The Yellow River flows here, with steep cliffs on both sides and narrow mouth like Hukou, so it is called Hukou Waterfall.The water surface of the Yellow River at the upstream of the waterfall is 300 meters wide, which is compressed to 20-30 meters in a distance of less than 500 meters.1000 cubic meters/second of river water poured down from a steep cliff more than 20 meters high, forming the spirit of "closing the Yellow River in a pot for thousands of miles".[2]
In December 2013, the "Yellow River Hukou Water Conservancy Scenic Spot in Yichuan County" wasMinistry of Water Resources of the People's Republic of ChinaThe leading group for construction and management of water conservancy scenic spots was rated as one of the "13th batch of national water conservancy scenic spots".The award of the honor of the National Yellow River Hukou Water Conservancy Scenic Spot has become the fourth national card of Hukou Scenic Spot after the National Geopark and Geological Heritage Protection Area, the National Key Scenic Spot, and the National 4A Scenic Spot, and it is the National Water Conservancy Scenic Spot of Yan'an City.2018 China Yellow River Tourism Conference was rated as "China's 50 Yellow River Scenic Spots".[8-11]
August 2024On the 8th,Hukou Waterfall of the Yellow River ushered in the flood with the largest flow since 2024,The maximum flow exceeds 1500 m3/s.[41]
Chinese name
Hukou Waterfall
Foreign name
The Hukou Waterfalls of Yellow River
geographical position
Yichuan County, Shaanxi Province and Jixian County, Shanxi Province
"Hukou", first seen inthe warring statesEpochal《Shang Shu, Yu Gong》For example, "both carrying Hukou, harnessing the beam and Qi", "Hukou, Lei Shou, as for Taiyue", are all related to the route and strategy of Dayu's flood control.Hukou is mentioned here, but waterfall is not mentioned here.
"Mengmen Mountain", first seen in the Zhou and Qin Dynasties《shanhaiching》It is recorded in the book that "it is three hundred and twenty miles to the southeast, which is called the mountain of Mengmen. There are many Cangyu on the mountain and yellow chalk and Donite on the bottom".
Li DaoyuanIn the book Shuijingzhu, the Meng Gate and the waterfall are deeply described: "Huainanzi said: the Dragon Gate was not opened, the Lvliang was not chiseled, and the river flowed out of the Meng Gate. There was no hill, and Gao Fu destroyed it. It was called Flood, and the Dayu Dredged it, so it was called the Meng Gate《Biography of Emperor Mu》It said: When you climb north, you can step on the nine rivers of Mengmen. Mengmen, the upper mouth of the Longmen, is actually the giant water of the Yellow River and also the name of Mengjin.This stone scripture was first chiseled by Yu. The river is wide, the bank is deep, the cliff is steep, and the boulder is in danger, like falling and reclining.It was said in ancient times that water is not chiseled by stone but can enter into stone.Among them, the water flow is balanced, the pure gas is floating, and the remote visitors come and go, often like fog and dew touching people, looking at the deep throbbing soul.The water is still collapsing, and the river is hanging for thousands of feet. The torrent is raging, the drum mountain is rising, and the waves are sinking. At the end of the mouth, it is known that Shenzi is not chasing after four horses when he goes down to Longmen to flow bamboo. "As recorded here, it points out that the waterfall is at Mengmen, not the Hukou where the Yellow River flows.
《County Annals of Yuanhe County》It also describes the spout, which is called the stone trough.One said, "There are mountains in the river, and the chisel is like a trough, and the beam of current is hanging more than 70 feet." Another said, "The stone trough is a thousand steps long and thirty steps wide." This is obviously different from what Li Daoyuan said, indicating that Hukou Waterfall has moved upstream.The Annals of Yuanhe County was written in the eighth year of Yuanhe (813) of the Emperor Xianzong of the Tang Dynasty, 286 years after the death of Emperor Xiaoming of the Northern Wei Dynasty (527 years).It shows that in the 286 years after Li Daoyuan, Hukou Waterfall pushed a thousand steps upstream from Mengmen, and a deep groove about a thousand steps long and 30 steps wide was rushed out on the riverbed. Now it has moved up to the Dragon King's Crater, which is about 5 kilometers away from Mengmen, and is known as the Ten Mile Dragon Crater.The above is the history of Hukou evolution in the past 1500 years.
There are 4 known places named after Hukou in Shanxi today.The Hukou recorded in Shuijingzhu Fenshui Zhu is not the Hukou on the main stream of the Yellow River.In addition, the ancient transportation was inconvenient, and there were not many scholars who could visit Hukou Waterfall for sightseeing. Therefore, in some ancient documents, Hukou in other places was regarded as the Hukou of the Yellow River;The Hukou and Longmen are regarded as one place;In terms of position, it is even more true to pass on false information, which inevitably leads to some mistakes.
Before liberation, Wu Bing, the editor of Yichuan County Annals in the 18th year of Qianlong's reign (1753), the earliest of the three county annals of Yichuan County, pointed out that the Hukou of the Yellow River was "wide in the upper stream, and now it has been put in its place like the mouth of a pot, hence its name".He also said that Meng Men "belongs to Pingzuoli. In the 100 mile Yellow River in the northeast of the county, the water can never disappear." His article Hukou Kao corrected some inaccuracies in the previous literature, which has important reference value in Hukou research.[14]
In Hukou area, the west bank of the Yellow River is steep at the bottom and gentle at the top. The width of the narrow valley bottom is about 400 meters. The slope from the valley bottom up to Longwang Slope is about 150 meters high. The cliff bank is very steep. The valley shape above Longwang Slope is widened, and the valley slope is gentle. The cross section of the Yellow River forms a valley in the valley. To the north of Longwang 辿辿辿辿辿, the width of the river is the same as that of the narrow valley. The river is full of narrow valleys, and the flow at normal water level is,The water surface is more than 400 meters wide. Below the Dragon King, the water flows to the Hukou and forms a deep groove at the flat bottom of the valley (a small channel is set in the big channel).The small river channel is 30-50 meters wide and about 30 meters deep.Above the pot mouth, water is popular in the wide groove. At the top of the deep groove, the 400 meter wide water will pour into the 30-50 meter wide deep groove, forming a waterfall.The riverbed here is like a huge teapot, collecting all the water from the surging Yellow River, hence the name Hukou.Hui Shiyang's poem of the Ming Dynasty, "Originating from the Kunlun Mountains, the Yuguan Pass turns nine times into a pot," is a true portrayal of the scene of Hukou.Hukou Waterfall is extremely spectacular. The yellow water pours down, the torrent surges, the turbid waves roll, the foam splashes, the smoke is blurred, the roaring waves roar, and the sound shocks for several miles. The height of the waterfall can reach 15-20 meters in the dry season, and 45 meters in summer and autumn.During the flood, the torrent billows out of the deep groove, and the waterfall becomes a torrent and disappears.Mengmen is 5 kilometers down the deep channel of the river. After going out of Mengmen, the water surface widens, the water potential slows down, and it returns to the scene above the Dragon King.[14][16]
geological structure
The bedrock exposed in Hukou area is mainly the Triassic Zhifang Formation.The upper part is purple red, purple gray and gray green fine sandstone and argillaceous rock interbedding, the lower part is deep sandstone, and the sandstone is mainly feldspathic sandstone, which is relatively hard;The argillaceous rocks are mainly shale, soft and broken, which are easily eroded by flowing water.In the steep canyon, the surging torrent encounters the geological condition of alternating soft and hard rocks when it cuts down vertically. The hard rocks form a sill or waterfall layer, and the soft rocks are eroded into steep steps. When the torrent flies over the steps, a waterfall will be formed when there is a certain drop.Of course, the soft and hard rock layers are only favorable formation conditions for the formation of waterfalls.
The favorable structural conditions are also very important for the formation and development of Hukou Waterfall.From Hukou to Mengmen, the occurrence of bedrock is nearly horizontal, with a dip angle of 3-5 degrees, slightly dipping to the northwest.In addition, the Qinjin Gorge itself is a fault, and the weak zone with relatively developed joints is vulnerable to water erosion and cutting.As a result, the Yellow River flows through here, often forming riverbed scarps, which can also develop into waterfalls.
Modern tectonic movement also has an important influence on the formation and development of Hukou Waterfall.After the Himalayan movement, the crustal movement here has been dominated by slow uplift, so the downward cutting of water flow is active, which is conducive to the formation and development of waterfalls.[14]
Stratum characteristics
Hukou area belongs to the stratigraphic division of Shaanxi Gansu Ningxia Basin in North China stratigraphic region.The bedrock exposed in the Yellow River valley is Zhifang Formation (TtwoZ）；In some tributaries on the west bank of the Yellow River, the upper Tongchuan Formation (Ttwot) It is exposed from time to time, and the bedrock is covered with middle Pleistocene and late Pleistocene loess (Qtwo+3）。According to the sequence from old to new, the exposed strata in Hukou area are as follows:
Zhifang Formation (TtwoZ）：
This group is named Zhifang Town, Tongchuan City.The lithology is mainly purple red and purple gray sandstone mudstone interbedding.It is thick in the lower part and thin in the upper part, containing vertebrates, plants, ostracods, petal gills, phyllopods and other fossils.It is hundreds of meters thick and belongs to inland river lacustrine deposits.
Upper part of middle Triassic system Tongchuan Formation (Ttwot）：
The bottom starts from massive medium coarse sandstone and ends with black and dark grayish green shale.From bottom to top, it changes from coarse to fine, forming a cycle.Tongchuan is the most complete section.Fossils are the most abundant and named.With a thickness of more than 400 meters, it is still an inland river lacustrine deposit.Tongchuan Formation and Zhifang Formation are in integrated contact.
The Middle Pleistocene Lishi loess is light grayish yellow and reddish gray loess, mixed with reddish brown paleosol layers of varying thickness, and the bottom is sandy soil or sand layer, containing abundant vertebrate fossils.
The upper Pleistocene Malan loess is the aeolian deposit of light grayish yellow loess.
The loess is in obvious unconformable contact with the underlying bedrock.[17]
Tectonics and its evolution
Hukou Waterfall is located atOrdos Basin The southeast of the Loess Plateau in northern Shaanxi in the middle.Tectonically, it belongs to Ordos platform depression, a secondary structural unit of Sino Korean paraplatform.Its basement is composed of Archean and Early Proterozoic metamorphic rock series.The caprock consists of sedimentary rock series widely developed since the late Proterozoic era, and there is an obvious angular unconformity contact between the caprock and the basement.The formation of platform basement has experienced a complex and long evolution process.In the Ordos platform depression, the basement is rarely exposed because the basement is covered with thick Paleozoic, Mesozoic and Cenozoic strata.
In the late Proterozoic era, although the platform had entered the stage of platform development, it still had some activity.At that time, the uplift and subsidence differences within the platform were relatively obvious, accompanied by fault activities.The vast area in the middle of the platform is dominated by uplift, while the marginal area has narrow and long belt depressions and uplifts.The sedimentation accepted in the depression zone becomes the first cover of the platform.In the Sinian period, most of the platform has risen to land and has been subjected to weathering and erosion.
The Mesozoic is a period of great development of the Ordos Basin. The inland river lake facies sedimentation is actively developed, and the lithofacies and thickness are quite stable.Crustal movement is dominated by overall uplift and subsidence. Only in the Yanshan movement at the end of Jurassic and Early Cretaceous, the platform cover was slightly folded, forming a wide and gentle syncline. In the late Early Cretaceous, the basin began to rise differentially, and the southeast was higher, subject to denudation;However, the northwest has declined relatively and become the sedimentary center.At that time, the surface of the earth tilted from southeast to northwest, just the opposite of today.Since the end of the Cretaceous, the whole area has risen slowly, and the surface was denuded and flattened to become a peneplain in the Miocene. Because of this, the Paleocene and Eocene are generally missing in the basin.At the end of Miocene or the beginning of Pliocene, due to the influence of tectonic movement, this peneplain rose in the north and fell in the south. The terrain of the whole area has changed to high in the northwest and low in the southeast, and the general tilt direction of the ground is consistent with modern times.
The Quaternary tectonic movement in the Ordos Basin is characterized by differential and rhythmic rise.From Pleistocene to Holocene, the crust experienced a development process from rhythmic rise to more intense rise, so on the basis of the pre Quaternary ancient landform, erosion and accumulation occurred to varying degrees. The loess accumulation and river lake facies deposition formed in the same section at different times and in different sections at the same time constitute the main content of the Quaternary in this area.In particular, the middle Pleistocene loess, which is widely distributed and thick, forms the main body of the plateau, beam and hill. The loess landform in this area evolved on this basis.
The formation of the Yellow River has gone through a long geological period.Before the Quaternary, the landform of the basin was basically similar to that of modern times, but the unified Yellow River had not yet been formed.By the early and middle Pleistocene of the Quaternary, the main lake basins in the basin included Gonghe, Yinchuan, Hetao, Fenwei (Sanmen Lake), North China, etc.Except that Huabei Lake was once connected to the sea, these lake basins are all inland and form independent water collecting systems.As a result of the headwater erosion and extension of rivers among lakes, the lake basins colluded with each other in different order, and finally formed a unified Yellow River from the end of the Late Pleistocene to the beginning of the Holocene.Therefore, the Qianli Gorge and Hukou Waterfall in the Qin and Jin Dynasties were gradually formed during the formation of the Yellow River.[17]
topographic features
Before the Yellow River formed a unified water system, most of the Qinjin Valley was an inland river flowing into Sanmen Lake.
During the formation process of Fenwei Graben, due to the decline of differences in different sections and periods, a series of lakes with different sizes, depths and divisions have been formed, such as Linfen, Yuncheng and Guanzhong areas. From the Tertiary to the early Quaternary, they are mainly lakes and marshes.Especially at the end of Pliocene, with the formation of Fenwei graben tension fracture system, the scale of lakes became larger and larger. In the early Pleistocene, at the junction of Shaanxi, Shanxi and Henan provinces, including Guanzhong region of Shaanxi.A place adjacent to the southwest of Shanxi and the west of Henan forms a lake with an area of about 23000 square kilometers - Shanmen Lake. This ancient tide is the predecessor of the Guanzhong, Linfen Yuncheng, Lingbao Sanmenxia basins. The subsidence of the Sanmenxia Lake area and the uplift of the surrounding areas accelerated the deepening and extension of the ancient rivers in the Qin and Jin dynasties.The valley of Qin Jin Yu and Hukou Waterfall are gradually formed on the basis of this ancient landform.
The formation and development of Hukou Waterfall is the result of the development and movement of the crack point on the riverbed, which is a sudden sharp slope section in the river.The most typical breaking point is the waterfall, because the waterfall is the place where the river falls vertically.Therefore, the waterfall must have a "waterfall layer" formed by a layer of hard rock to prevent it from being eroded by the river water and turning into a torrent.Below the waterfall is a deep pool formed by the waterfall.If the waterfall layer is eroded and retreated, a short canyon will be formed in front of the waterfall, indicating the result of the continuous retreat of the waterfall.The topography of Hukou Waterfall is just like this.Mengmen used to be the location of Hukou Waterfall.As a result of headwater erosion, the crack point is constantly moving upstream along the river, and the deep pool under the waterfall extends into a small river channel in the original river channel, namely "Shililong Channel".Now the break point of this section of the Yellow River has reached the Longwangyi, now known as Hukou Waterfall;Mengmen is the two stone islands left in the riverbed when the crack point retreated and the river cut down in the recent geological period.
Hukou Waterfall, Shililong Trough and even Mengmen Stone Island are all scoured out by the Yellow River. The erosion of water flow is controlled by the regional geological structure, landform, climate, hydrology and other physical and geographical factors. Due to the comprehensive influence of various natural conditions in different periods, the speed of Hukou Waterfall's source migration is different from that of the "Dragon Trough",For many years, the waterfall has been retreating upstream at a rate of 3-4 cm per year, and the dragon trough has also extended upstream at the same rate.[14]
Geomorphic characteristics
Yichuan County in Shaanxi Province and Jixian County in Shanxi Province are both located in the Loess Plateau area, and their geomorphic types are mainly broken loess tableland. Only two narrow areas in the Yellow River valley form rocky hills covered with thin layers of loess.
The broken tableland in Yichuan is mainly distributed on both sides of the Yunyan River and the Shiwang River basin. The tableland surface is 1000-1400 meters above sea level, leaning slightly from west to east. The complete tableland surface has been damaged, and has been divided into some small pieces of tableland by valleys. Among them, Niujiadian tableland, attic tableland, Gaobai tableland and other large areas correspond to Jixian broken loess tableland across the Yellow River in Shanxi Province.The underlying bedrock paleogeomorphology of the broken plateau is an intermountain basin that the main stream of the Yellow River passes through later. The Pliocene red soil and the early Pleistocene loess are mostly denuded. The thick loess of the middle Pleistocene lays the foundation of the loess plateau. Later, there is the late Pleistocene Malan loess accumulation, which gradually becomes a broken loess plateau under the effect of inherited ditches and modern gullies.The tableland surface is not only broken, but also the relative height difference from the valley edge to the central part of the tableland can reach 100-120 meters.For example, Niujiadian tableland is several kilometers wide from east to west, and tens of kilometers long from south to north. It transits from a gently inclined terrace to the main ditch, and the gradient increases from 1-3 degrees in the center of the tableland to 10-15 degrees in the edge of the tableland. Since the rivers in the tableland all converge in the Yellow River with a very low base level, all kinds of erosion are relatively active.
The narrow and long belt area on both banks of the Yellow River is a rocky hill covered with thin loess. The bedrock exposed in Hukou area is mainly Triassic sandstone and shale, which is covered with thin discontinuous loess with a thickness of 0-40 meters.It varies from place to place. The top of the hills is in the shape of beams and hills. The elevation of the top surface is generally about 1200 meters above sea level, which is similar to the elevation of the peripheral crushing tableland, and is 400-500 meters higher than the bottom of the Yellow River valley.Because it is close to the valley of the Yellow River, the strong undercutting of the Yellow River also makes its coastal exchanges strongly undercut, so the coastal surface is fragmented, forming a rocky hill covered with thin layers of loess.Beams and hills rise and fall, and valleys are deep.In addition to the exposed bedrock at the lower part of the ridge and hill, the overlying loess in some sections has been denuded, and the bedrock is directly exposed, presenting a scene of bedrock monadnock.[18]
Qin Jin Gorge
After the Yellow River flows out of the western Loess PlateauOrdos Plateau The fault basins on the west and north margins turn from south to north and then to east, turning a right angle.Because of sufferingLuliang MountainAt Hekou Town, south of Toktor, Inner Mongolia, the river suddenly turns southwardQingshuihe CountyTo the south of Lama Bay, it enters the east of the Loess Plateau.The Yellow River flows southward, separating the Shaanxi and Shanxi Loess Plateau.Near TongguanQinling MountainsThe Yellow River turns eastward, cuts through the mountains between Shaanxi, Shanxi and Henan, goes out of the Peach Blossom Valley, and entersNorth China Plain。From Lamawan to Longmen, the river is more than 700 kilometers long. Except for a few sections where the valley is relatively wide, most of the cliffs on the other banks are steep, 10 meters to 100 meters above the water surface, and the river channel is generally 200 to 400 meters wide. It is the most magnificent long gorge on the main stream of the Yellow River.The section from Hequ County to Longmen is 500 kilometers - Qinjin Valley.It is known as the Long Gorge, and there is little change along the valley.The river maintains a north-south flow direction, which is roughly parallel to the trend of the Paleozoic and Mesozoic strata on the river bank.From Fugu to Hukou Waterfall in the south, the river channel is cut into Triassic sandstone and shale, and the two banks of the river valley are also steep cliffs, with a width of about 300-400 meters.Longmen is the end of the Qinjin Gorge. The valley bottom is about 150 meters wide. The exposed strata are mainly Ordovician limestone, Carboniferous and Permian sandstone shale.The mountains on both sides of the river stretch from northeast to southwest, becoming the barrier of the Fen and Wei plains.After the Yellow River leaves the Longmen, the riverbed width suddenly expands.
Hukou Waterfall
The Qinjin gorge had taken shape long before the Pliocene, and today the Yellow River is roughly cut down along the ancient river valley developed on the erosion surface of the Tangxian period.The main reason for the downcutting of the Yellow River is the late Pliocene Shanxi Platform Uplift fault uplift. A normal fault occurred at the Longmen Mountain in Yumenkou, the northern territory rose, and the southern part fell. The Yellow River then cut down on the bedrock to form a magnificent canyon.In the process of intermittent ascending and undercutting, five distinct base terraces are formed in the canyon.Between Wubao and Yumenkou, the relative height of the highest base terrace is 230-250 meters, and the relative height of the other four terraces is 160-205 meters, 75-95 meters, 25-35 meters, and 8-12 meters respectively.The origin of these five terraces cannot be attributed to the rise of the earth's crust. At least the lowest terrace is caused by the humid climate, increased flow and enhanced downcutting of rivers after the loess accumulation in the late Pleistocene.[18]
Climatic characteristics
Hukou Waterfall is located in a warm temperate humid semi humid and semi-arid climate.The annual average temperature is 9.9 ℃, the average temperature in the hottest month (July) is 23.3 ℃, the average temperature in the coldest month (January) is - 5.7 ℃, the annual range is 29 ℃, the extreme maximum temperature is 39.9 ℃, and the minimum temperature is - 22.4 ℃.The annual precipitation is 577.2 mm, about 60% of which is concentrated in July, August and September. The rain is hot in the same season, and there are many rainstorms.The area has four distinct seasons. Summer is short and hot, winter is long and dry and cold, and spring and autumn are mild and changeable.[14]
Water system hydrology
The rainstorm in the Qinjin Gorge basin has a large area, a long duration and a large rainfall intensity. The maximum daily rainfall can reach 200-300 mm. It is one of the main sources of flood in the middle reaches of the Yellow River.The flood in the middle reaches of the Yellow River is characterized by high peak, short duration and high thin hydrograph.As this area is mainly located in the loess hilly and gully area, the surface undulates greatly and the water collection time is short. After the rainstorm, the water and sediment flow into the Yellow River, forming a flood storm with very high sediment concentration, which has a strong erosive force on the riverbed.According to observation, the maximum flow near Hukou Waterfall in flood period can reach 10500 m3/s. In addition, the sediment volume entering the Yellow River from Hekou Town to Longmen is 908 million tons on average, accounting for 55.7% of the total annual sediment transport of the Yellow River.
In July 2024, the Yellow River Hukou Waterfall ushers in the flood season.[39]AugustOn the 8th,Hukou Waterfall of the Yellow River ushered in the flood with the largest flow since 2024,The maximum flow exceeds 1500 m3/sThe main and auxiliary waterfalls are connected in a line with a width of more than 200 meters, representing the spectacular yellow waterfalls。[41]
Scenic Spot Landscape
Announce
edit
waterfall
A series of strange scenes appear along with the waterfall, mainly including 8 wonders, which are called: smoke at the bottom of the water, sailing on dry land, neon splashing in the water, mountains flying over the sea, rain in the clear sky, thunder in dry days, ice peaks hanging upside down, and ten mile dragon trough.[19]
Hukou Waterfall
Smoke from the bottom
When the Yellow River flows into the "Hukou", the turbulent flow descends rapidly, and the water mist is stirred up, and the steaming clouds rise to the sky, like billowing smoke from the bottom of the water, which can be seen ten miles away.
The size of the fog at the pot mouth is related to the season and flow.In winter, the river is frozen, and the waterfalls are mostly ice slush. The surface water is reduced, and the flow at the mouth of the kettle is reduced to 150-500 m3/s. The water flows down, the waves are not big, and the water mist flying out of the trough is very small;In summer, the flow increases greatly, the water overflows the deep trough, the drop is very small, the waterfall disappears, and it is not easy to form dense water mist rising into the sky;In spring and autumn, the flow is moderate, the temperature is not high, the fall of the waterfall is more than 20 meters, and the torrent splashes, forming a fog in the air, that is, the scene of "smoke under the water".[19]
Dry land boating
Huge drop of Hukou Waterfall, coupled with the long, narrow and deep deep grooves under the waterfall, and the rapid flow of water, make it very difficult for ships to pass on water.When going down the river from the upstream of Hukou, the ship had to stop at the Dragon King's place on the top of Hukou first to get all the goods off the ship and transport them to the downstream wharf along the river bank with people and animals.At the same time, the empty boat was pulled out of the water by manpower. A round wooden bar was laid under the boat, and the empty boat was carried to roll on the river bank. At the lower reaches of Hukou, where the water flow was slow, the boat was put into the water, loaded with goods, and continued to go down. Manpower tugging the boat on the bank was very laborious, often requiring hundreds of people to pull fiber desperately.Although there are some round wooden poles that roll under the boat, the stone river bank is still scratched by nails at the bottom of the boat.Under the conditions at that time, "dry land boat" may be the best choice for water transportation over Hukou Waterfall, which is suitable for the smooth stone river bank of Hukou Waterfall.Due to the rapid extension of roads and railways, as well as the construction of the Yellow River Bridge near Hukou, the water navigation through Hukou has been blocked for many years.The dry land boat can only see the traces left by the old boat.[19]
Neon splashing in the water
The water mist formed by repeated impacts of Hukou Waterfall rises into the air, refracting sunlight to form a rainbow.Rainbows sometimes arc into the water from the sky, like a dragon;Sometimes straight ribbons cross the water, like colorful bridges flying over the water. Sometimes flowers appear in the smoke and fog, colorful, erratic, and confusing, which is a wonder of the world.
Neon splashing in the water is the product of the joint action of "smoke under the water" and sunlight.In spring and autumn, the water bottom smokes and the fog hangs high. Every sunny day, the oblique sunlight often forms a rainbow;In summer, after rain, there will be rainbows sometimes.[19]
Neon splashing in the water
Mountain flying and sea standing
Mountain flying and sea standing is a description of the magnificent momentum of Hukou Waterfall. The Yellow River runs through a thousand mile long gorge, and the torrent rushes straight to Hukou. Suddenly, it flows back into the channel, forming a very spectacular waterfall. Looking up at the water curtain, the rolling yellow water pours down from the sky, like a thousand mountains falling down and the whole world falling down, forming the core landscape of Hukou Waterfall.[19]
Rain in the clear sky
The water mist formed by the flying waterfall floats into the sky. Although the sun is burning high, it is like a drizzle near the waterfall.This is another interesting landscape created by underwater smoke.Generally, the closer you get to the river, the more dense the water mist is. Therefore, when smoking at the bottom, it is inevitable to see the waterfall on the bank with wet clothes, such as light washing.[19]
Thunder in dry weather
The Yellow River runs through the canyon. The surging waves are like thousands of troops, roaring and shaking the valley. When the waterfall plunges and repeatedly strikes the rock and water, it makes a huge sound, which echoes in the valley, just like the sound of thousands of drums, thunder in dry days, and the sound spreads tens of miles away.Only when you are near Hukou Waterfall can you really feel "the Yellow River roaring" and "the Yellow River roaring".[19]
Ice peak hanging upside down
In the middle of winter, the dragon trough is icebound, and the water column formed by the posthumous flow on both banks is like an ice peak hanging upside down from a cliff of different sizes. Rainbows appear and disappear from time to time, and the colorful and crystal clear set off each other during the migration, making visitors sigh about the magic of nature.[19]
Shililong Trough
Hukou to Mengmen is about 5 kilometers away. At the bottom of this 400 meter wide box shaped canyon, the Yellow River flows down to form a 30-50 meter wide, 10-20 meter deep trough.After the Yellow River water poured down from the Hukou, it returned to this trough with a huge flow of thousands of cubic meters per second.It is said that it was chiseled by a dragon with a length of about 10 li, so it was named "Ten li Dragon Trench" or "Ten li Dragon Trench".It is formed by the continuous extension of the deep pool under the Hukou Waterfall as it moves up the source.This deep groove is embedded in the original bedrock riverbed at the bottom of the valley, and most of the bottom of the original riverbed near the groove becomes the river bank in non flood period. This kind of river bank is relatively wide and flat, and is composed of hard sandstone. There is almost no sand near the water. If it is flat, you can drive on it. This kind of geological and geomorphic condition is taken advantage of by "dry land sailing".
On the high bank, there is almost no "Dragon Trough" and the Yellow River water flow, only a line of rapidly rolling yellow muddy water dust in the purple brown bedrock riverbed and the roar of surging waves can be heard.The torrent in the trough is like a pot of boiling water, rushing from side to side, rushing and tumbling down rapidly, and the aroused water mist fills the dragon trough, making the Yellow River dim here.Every flood season, when the Yellow River rises, the flood overflows one end of the Hukou Dragon Trough. On the east bank of the Dragon Trough, there will be a flood curtain of one or two thousand meters long, which is very spectacular.Looking far away at the dragon trough, the stone trough in the winding gorge looks like a huge dragon shaking its head and tail. The Hukou is the dragon head, which engulfs the Yellow River in one gulp.Mengmen is the tail of a dragon, discharging the river downstream.[20]
Shililong Trough
two-flavor hot pot
When the Yunyan River, located in Yichuan County, Shaanxi Province, experienced a short-term flood process, the river water carried sediment into the Yellow River. As the junction of the Yunyan River and the Yellow River is only three or four kilometers away from Hukou Waterfall, Hukou Waterfall has a unique landscape of "mandarin duck pot", where turbid waves roll in the west and clear water flows in the east.[40]
two-flavor hot pot[40]
Mengmen Mountain
Five thousand meters from the lower reaches of Hukou Waterfall, under the "Ten Mile Dragon Trough", there are two shuttle shaped boulders in the riverbed at the bottom of the Yellow River Valley, standing majestically in the huge stream, forming two islands in the middle of the river. This is what was known in ancient times as "the pedal of nine rivers"Mengmen Mountain。It is said that the two islands were originally a mountain, blocking the river channel and causing the flood to overflow. When Dayu controlled the flood, he split the mountain into two parts to guide the flow of water.These two islands look like boats in the distance, mountains in the near view, and doors in the overlooking view.It is also said that in ancient times, the descendants of the Meng Family brothers were washed away by the river and were saved here, so the two islands are called Mengmen Mountain.
Damenmen Island is about 300 meters long, 50 meters wide and about 10 meters above the water surface.On the rock cliff to the south, there are four large characters, "Reclining Town Rush", inscribed by Xu Huanying, the governor of Jinming in the early years of the Qing and Yongzheng dynasties. The plaque is 2.5 meters long and 1 meter wide, which is a true portrayal of this landscape.Xiaomengmen Island is only five or sixty meters long at more than 10 meters upstream of Damenmen Island. The two river islands are all composed of massive grayish green sandstone produced horizontally. The rock is hard and has strong weathering resistance.
Facing the surging mud flow, Meng Men stood up with his head high, letting the water billow all the year round.Mengmen "connects Longmen in the south and Hukou in the north". Its majestic posture, together with Longmen and Hukou, forms the three wonders of the Yellow River. It is also famous for its unique style and features. The ancient poem has a beautiful line that "fog and rain confuse Hukou at four times, and waves on both sides shake Mengmen".
In historical documents, there are many records about the Mencius Gate, and there are more local folk legends about the Mencius Gate.According to Geographical Knowledge, Mengmen was originally a crack on the riverbed of the Yellow River, and Hukou Waterfall appeared here at that time.For a long time, the earth's crust has risen, the downcutting effect of the river has increased, the source tracing erosion has taken place, and the fracture point has moved up. The waterfall has moved from Mengmen to its current position. The deep pool under the waterfall has developed into a "ten mile dragon trough", and Mengmen Mountain is the rock block left over from the upward movement of the waterfall deep pool.
Although Mengmen Mountain is not called "Mountain", its unique scenery is fascinating.Nan Peng, a native of the Qing Dynasty, wrote in his poem, "When he heard that Meng Men was small, he looked like a big fist. He was born with a calligraphy scene and was intended to hang in his painting.".
Mengmen on the Yellow River is not only charming and has the beauty of "Mengmen Night Moon", but also has important scientific value in studying the development history of the Yellow River.[21]
Mengmen Mountain
Wonderful Scenery of the Yellow River
"Ice Bridge" and "Dry Thin" are two wonders of the Yellow River water surface changes in Hukou area.
In the deep winter, the water surface of the Yellow River in Hukou area is frozen. In some areas, the ice layer is thick, forming a natural bridge connecting the two banks, called the Yellow River Ice Bridge.
The freezing period starts from the formation of a stable ice sheet on the river surface to the date when the ice sheet breaks and begins to flow.The freezing period starts from December 10 to December 20 and ends on February 20 to 25 of the following year, usually 50-70 days.During the freezing period, the Shililong Trough was covered with ice and snow, and the ice layer on it was "small snow flowing and heavy snow bridging".In the cold days, the ice layer can be higher than the two banks, which is not only spectacular, but also forms an ice bridge.When the river channel was first closed, people saw the footprints of foxes and other wild animals, and knew that the ice below was thick and could pass.Therefore, there is a folk legend of "fox fairy treading the line".
Yichuan Yijindu is across the river from Fengjiaqi, Jixian County, Shanxi Province. The ice is solid in winter and the traffic is heavy. Because it is located on Hukou, this ice bridge is called "Shangqiao".When the river surface around Longwangye and Qilangwo was frozen, it was as smooth as a smooth road, with people and horses coming and going, and there was a continuous flow of people. They were called "Old Bridge" and "God Bridge".
According to records, in the third year of Chongzhen in the late Ming Dynasty (1630), when Wang Jia, the leader of Li Zicheng's Rebellion Army, led the Rebellion to take the Yellow River icebound, they crossed the "ice bridge" from Hukou and conquered Jixian County, Shanxi Province.
At the end of the Qing Dynasty, the Western Nien Army moved to northern Shaanxi. In the fifth year of Tongzhi in the Qing Dynasty (1866), Zhang Zongyu, the king of Liang, forced the Yellow River Ice Bridge at Xilong, and crossed Lvliang Mountain to rescue the Eastern Nien Army.
The Yellow River Ice Bridge has played a certain role in history in promoting economic and cultural exchanges and interpersonal exchanges between Qin and Jin dynasties.
The water volume of the Yellow River decreases sharply, the water surface narrows, the water depth becomes shallow, and sometimes the river water becomes clear or nearly dried up in a short period of time, which is called "the Yellow River is dry and thin" by local people.
"The Yellow River is dry and thin" is an abnormal phenomenon in nature, which rarely occurs, so it is a spectacle of the Yellow River.According to literature records, the Yellow River has dried up many times in Yichuan and Jixian sections.
Sui DynastyIn the 12th year of Daye (616), the river was clear.
In September of the seventh year of Emperor Gaozu's Wude of the Tang Dynasty (625), the Yellow River was clear.
From December 29 of the second year (1404) of Yongle in the Ming Dynasty to the first month of the third year (1405), the river became clear.
clearFrom December 11 of the fourth year of Yongzheng (1726) to the seventh day of the first month of the fifth year of Yongzheng (1727), the Yellow River was clarified for 27 days and nights.
On November 4, the 10th year of Tongzhi (1871), the Yellow River dried up, and the time from Qilangwo to Toad Beach (about 15 kilometers) was up at 2:00.
In November of the second year of Guangxu's reign (1876), the water above Hukou Waterfall was cut off for tens of meters, and it was connected in half a day.
From November 26 of the third year of Guangxu (1877) to the eighth day of the first month of the fourth year (1878), the river was clear for 42 days and nights.
Republic of ChinaIn six years (1917) and eighteen years (1929), the Yellow River dried up.
On May 15, 1981 (April 12 in the lunar calendar), the flow of the Yellow River gradually decreased. The river water under the original head slope in Wangjiayuan Township, Jixian County, Shanxi Province changed from 300 meters wide to more than 10 meters wide. People can reach the other bank by stepping on the stones in the river center, and the river water is nearly clear.This continued for 19 days. At about 10:00 a.m. on June 3 (May 2 in the lunar calendar), the river water gradually increased and became turbid. By June 10 (early May 9 in the lunar calendar), the flow tended to be normal.
In 1987, the Yellow River bottomed out for two months.
The sudden decrease of short-term water volume of the Yellow River is generally related to the drought climate in the middle and upper reaches of the river.
Winter is the season with the least precipitation in the middle and upper reaches of the Yellow River. The climate is cold, the river is frozen, and sometimes ice blockage can cause some river sections to dry up.
In other seasons, in case of severe drought, the river water is only recharged by the melting water of ice and snow in the upper source area and the groundwater along the way, and the water volume is greatly reduced. In addition, the irrigation water in the valley plain and the urban and rural water consumption are greatly increased, as well as the evaporation of the river surface is increased, the water volume in the Hukou area is less, the flow rate is slowed, and the carrying capacity of sediment is reduced, so the river is clear, dried up, or cut off.For example, from October 1980 to May 1981, there was little rainfall in the area above Hukou. Especially in February, no rain fell for more than 100 days. Some tributaries of the Yellow River were cut off at the same time, and groundwater recharge was also significantly reduced.[22]
The Yellow River is dry and thin
Xilongzhang tableland
Xilongzhang Plateau starts from Taoqu in the north and ends at Licorice in the south. It is bounded by the valley wall of the Qin Jin Valley in the east and Anle Mountain in the west.The landscape features typical loess plateau and plateau village scenery, with plain and open land on the plateau.[23]
Mangtou Mountain
Mangtou Mountain National Forest Park is located in the east of Yichuan County, Yan'an City, Shaanxi Province, with an altitude of 800 to 1439 meters, a total area of 2120 hectares, and a forest coverage rate of 89.1%.It is divided into three scenic spots: Notre Dame Hall, Shihua Mountain and Wangmang Village.There are more than 30 scenic spots.There are dense forests in the scenic area. The coniferous and broad-leaved mixed forest mainly includes Pinus bungeana, Platycladus orientalis and Quercus liaotungensis. There are more than 400 kinds of higher plants, including more than 100 kinds of woody plants.The largest Pinus bungeana secondary forest in China is distributed.[24]
Mangtou Mountain National Forest Park
Historical culture
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natural history
The Loess Plateau, the Yellow River Channel, the Qin Jin Gorge, Hukou Waterfall, Shililong Channel and Mengmen Mountain are all products of nature and important natural historical sites.In addition, there are the following natural historical sites near Hukou:
Yellow River High Terrace
Yellow River High Terrace
On the rock surface 100 meters above the river bed, there is a gravel layer 1-2 meters thick, which together form a high terrace of the Yellow River.This accumulation terrace is the product of the early development of the Yellow River, and is the residual part of the Yellow River bed at that time.This high terrace also exists in some sections of the Qinjin Gorge, which is of great significance for studying the development history of the Yellow River and the characteristics of the crustal movement at that time.
Origin of two toed animal fossils
Three kilometers downstream of Hukou Waterfall, two toed animal fossils were found, covering an area of about 40 square meters.The two toed beast was an animal that lived millions of years ago.The discovery of this paleontological fossil origin is of great significance to the study of the paleogeographic environment of Hukou area.
Loess landform landscape
The loess tableland, hills, beams and the gullies in between are all large loess landforms, while the loess columns, loess sinkholes, loess bridges, loess walls, and loess caves at the edge of the loess escarpment are all small landscapes of loess landforms.In Hukou area, along the broken loess tableland on both sides of the Yellow River, there are many loess landscapes.
There is a Tiansheng Bridge on the cliff on the north side of Shiwang River Valley, about 15 kilometers away from the mouth of Xianchuan River.The bridge is 6-7 meters long and 1.5-3 meters wide. The top surface of the bridge is flat and overhanging in the air, which is very dangerous.
On the south side of Jingyang Village, about 10 kilometers east of Yichuan County, there is a stone cave named Baiyun Cave on the middle of Heishan Mountain. The cave is square and only allows one person to crawl. The entrance is suddenly widened and you can walk on your feet. The stone inside is like a pagoda stalactite. It is 2-3 meters high and beautiful.
Rare plant -- purple dwarf peony
Yichuan was called Danzhou in ancient times, which is said to be named for its rich peony production.
Purple spotted dwarf peony
According to the old county annals, "the east mountain of Xingji Town (where Lin Township Government is located this autumn) in the east of the county is known as the peony plateau. In the past, peonies were rich in summer and autumn, but most of them bloomed in the wild. The flowers were all over the mountain and smelled for tens of miles. It was cultivated by no one, and the natives picked it as a salary." This is a kind of wild peony, called purple spotted dwarf peony, which belongs to a wild variety. In the past, it was widely distributed in northern Shaanxi,Nowadays, it is rare to see contiguous distribution, and it is a rare plant species that should be protected.
As early as the Tang and Song Dynasties, Yichuan was not only one of the four famous producing areas of peony, but also the "Danzhouhuang" peony variety was transplanted to Luoyang, Henan Province as a rare variety at that time.Among the 8 earliest peony gardens in Luoyang, the first is "Danzhou Garden".A famous litterateur in the Song DynastyOuyang XiuIn Luoyang Peony Story, there are descriptions of "peonies come out of the state of peony", "yellow peonies in the state of peony", and "thousand leaves of yellow lace".
Danzhou peony sprouts on its stem in February of the lunar calendar. In March, the seedlings appear as green as the autumn orchard of the goat peach. The root of the peony is thick and fleshy, and is reddish brown.In Compendium of Materia Medica, Li Shizhen praised that "the root bark of peony in Danzhou is wonderful when used as medicine".
Due to long-term logging and man-made destruction, there are only a few wild peonies scattered on some mountain ridges.[25]
Humanistic history
Ancient Wharf and Market Town
The ancient wharf and market town are located on the east bank of the river, Donglongwangyuan, and on the west bank of the river, Gezhentan.In addition, Yijindu, Xiaohekou, Guantoudu and other ferries on the west bank of the river are respectively opposite to Fengjiaqi, Ma Dun Beach and Toad Beach on the east bank of the river.Hukou Waterfall is a natural barrier to the water transportation of the Yellow River. It divides the water transportation of the Yellow River into two sections.Before arriving at Hukou, the incoming and outgoing ships will dock at the ferry to unload the cargo, pass the "dry land boat", cross the Hukou Waterfall, and then go to another ferry for shipping.In addition, there were frequent economic exchanges between Qin and Jin, and ice bridges in winter, so there were many ferries.At that time, these ferries were the distribution centers of water transport goods in the south, north, east and west of the middle reaches of the Yellow River.The Yellow River water transport in Qinjin Gorge has played a positive role in the economic development of Inner Mongolia, Central Plains, Shaanxi and Shanxi.
Former Site of Dragon King
Before the opening of the Beijing Baotou Railway, the Yellow River shipping was very developed, and Donglongwang was an important land and water wharf and one of the more prosperous market towns in this section of the Yellow River at that time.At that time, ships began to flow during the peach flood season in March every year. Except for the extreme peak in the rainy season, the cargo merchant ships never stopped going down until the light snow and heavy snow flood season every year.In order to exchange materials, people in the upper reaches cut wood and build ships every winter. After the spring, they loaded local special products such as licorice, red dates, grain, hides, animal bones, coal, porcelain, salt, and alkaline noodles, which were transported to the Fenglingdu and Mengjin areas in the lower reaches via Hukou. They sold all the goods with ships, and then returned home on foot.Except for a few official ships, most of these ships are merchant ships.In terms of grain load, large ships can load more than 9000 kilograms of grain and small ships can load more than 6000 kilograms of grain.In normal years, there are four or five thousand ships passing by the wharf.At most, there were more than 1000 ships stopped by Donglong Wang, and hundreds of people worked as ship pullers for "dry land sailing".According to various inscriptions preserved by Donglong Wang, this town flourished in the early Ming Dynasty and flourished in the Qing Dynasty, especially in the peak period from Qianlong to Daoguang, and declined before the Anti Japanese War, which lasted about 400 years.According to the inscription on the restoration of the temple burned by Nien's Dongdu in the ninth year of Tongzhi in the Qing Dynasty (1870), 63 firms donated money to build the temple at that time, including money shops, leather shops, pawnshops, salt shops, medicine shops and Beijing goods shops.Its economic activities are considerable.
The economic activities of Donglong Wangdang Wharf need not only corresponding commercial institutions, but also a corresponding huge shipping organization to speed up the "dry land shipping".As a result, in the early years of Kangxi in the Qing Dynasty, there appeared the folk transportation organization "Liugoutou", which was mainly composed of six large villages near Hukou, Jixian County: Nanyuan, Shixing, Sergeant, Liucun, Nancun, Guxian, and was responsible for distributing transportation tasks, organizing manpower and distributing remuneration, taxes, etc.This organization lasted until the 20th year of the Republic of China (1931). During its 200 year long activities, it played a positive role in prospering the local economy and carrying out cultural exchanges.
In addition, Yijindu, Fengjiaqi, Gezhentan, Xiaochuanwo, etc. are all famous ferry and shipping terminals in history.Villagers, military brigades and merchants often come and go from here.Xianggezhen Beach Ancient Ferry still retains a relatively complete style of the ancient market town. The stone holes of the cable boat on the bank and the mountain roads carved by the boatman on the stone bank remain the same.
There are also hundreds of caves of the Ming Dynasty, complete courtyards and ancient streets paved with stone slabs in Donglong Wangdang and Gezhen Beach.
Since the completion of the Beijing Baotou Railway, Inner Mongolia goods have been shipped from Baotou and are generally no longer usedQin Jin GorgeSection of the Yellow River waterway.After the completion of the Yellow River Bridge, the highways will extend in all directions, and these ferries and wharves near Hukou will lose their function.[25]
Military relics of previous dynasties
"The Qin and Jin dynasties are divided into different regions, and the magnificent pass has many ancient meanings". The Yellow River valley section from Hukou to Longmen, with towering cliffs on both sides and the Yellow River natural cutting in the middle, is a natural barrier for the Qin and Jin dynasties, and therefore is also a place of war in history.In order to consolidate the border, successive dynasties set up military and political institutions along the line, such as "General Administration Office", "Cima Shuo", "Secretary Hou", "Patrol Inspection Department".In the Qing Dynasty, the Great Wall was built on the east bank of the Yellow River to prevent the West Nien Army from crossing the river.
According to records, military activities in the Hukou area in history mainly include:
spring and autumnIn order to plotguanzhong plain , had two wars with Di people in Huanglong Mountain in the west of the river to collect mulberry (today's boat nest near Hukou).
During the Eastern Jin Dynasty, Yao Xiang, the leader of the Qiang nationality, built Yao Xiang City along the Yellow River (now the southeast village slope of the river), waiting for invasionGuanzhong。
At the end of the Northern and Southern Dynasties, Yaoxiangcheng was the beachhead of the Northern Zhou Dynasty, preventing the Northern Qi from crossing the Yellow River to the west.
Sui Dynastythe name of a kalpaIn the 13th year (617), Li Yuan, the Duke of the Tang Dynasty, led the army into Hukou, "the people of the coast are offering boats more and more", and then attackedChang'an。
Shibao Village, the first village on the Yellow River
Southern Song DynastyAt the end of the year, the Mongolian army took Fangzhou, crossed the Yellow River from Gezhentan in Yuehuanglong Mountain, and recaptured Xizhou from the Jin people.
In the 28th year of Zhizheng's reign (1368), the remnants of Emperor Huizong (Shundi) of the Yuan Dynasty withdrew from Beijing. In order to cross the river to the west, they dug stones and planted piles on both sides of the Hukou Longcao to build an iron cable bridge, known as the "Flying Bridge of the Yellow River". The ruins still exist.
In the third year of Chongzhen's reign in the Ming Dynasty (1630), when the uprising army of Li Zicheng froze on the Yellow River, it crossed the "ice bridge" from Hukou and conquered Jixian County, Shanxi Province.
At the end of the Qing Dynasty, the Western Nien Army, which moved to northern Shaanxi, was under the command of Zhang Zongyu, the king of Liang Dynasty, in the fifth year of Tongzhi (1866). It crossed the Yellow River ice bridge at Xilong Wang, crossed Luliang Mountain, and rescued the Eastern Nien Army.
During the Anti Japanese War (1937-1945), Yan Xishan, under the threat of the Japanese army, retreated from Taiyuan, Shanxi, to Nancunpo on the east bank of Hukou, Sangbai Village on the west bank, and Qiulin, Yichuan with the remnants in the 27th year of the Republic of China (1938), and built a cable bridge to ferry soldiers at the original site of the cable bridge.
The remaining military sites mainly include:
The Great Wall of Qing Dynasty.Built in the five to eleven years of Tongzhi (1866-1872), the Qing government transferred the Huai Army to build the Great Wall on the east bank of the Yellow River in order to stop the West Nian Army from crossing the Yellow River to the east and ensure the safety of Beijing and Tianjin.The Great Wall starts from Pingduguan in the north and ends at Yumenkou in the south. It is 75 kilometers long. The outer wall is more than 10 meters high and the top surface is 5 meters wide. It is equipped with a fort, and has crenels, passages, gates, etc.Donglong Wang Xuan was the location of the central command post at that time. There were command organs below the commander, with 3500 soldiers.
South Village Slope and Ma Dun Beach.Nancun Slope is located 5 kilometers east of Hukou upstream.Ma Dun Beach is at the foot of the south village slope.During the Anti Japanese War, it was the headquarters of the Second World War Area of the Kuomintang and the seat of the Shanxi Provincial Government, which had been stationed for five years.At present, there are large stone buildings such as "Martyr's Temple" and "Le Qiantang", well preserved stone cave buildings, Wanghe Pavilion and hundreds of earthen caves stationed at that time.There were more than 20000 people stationed at that time.
Shibao Stronghold.It is located at the mouth of the Yunyan River at the upstream of Hukou, facing the air on three sides, and standing on the cliff on the east side, overlooking the Yellow River.It is said that it was built in the Song and Jin Dynasties, and the West Nien Army once stood against the Qing Army.There are dozens of holes in the gate, wall and cave.
In addition, the small boat nest and Toad Beach on the east bank of the river used to have garrisons.[25]
Stone carving art
Because of the special geographical location and the importance of ancient economic and military activities in Hukou area, people carved many important activities on the stones at that time. The main preserved stone inscriptions are the Donglong King 辿辿辿辿辿辿辿辿 steles. There are more than 10 existing stone inscriptions, including:
① The Dragon King Temple is dedicated to the opera monument and rebuilt the Lelou monument.These two steles were engraved in the Jiajing period and the early Kangxi period respectively, and the inscriptions recorded the formation and economic activities of the market town of the Dragon King.
② The Temple of Niuma King rebuilt Lelou and Shanmen Stele, recording the prosperity of Donglongwang, as a flood and drought wharf and an important market town.
③ The restoration of the temple stele burned when the Nien Army crossed eastward, which was engraved in the ninth year of Tongzhi in the Qing Dynasty (1870), reflects the economic activities of Donglong Wang Xuan at that time.
④ The Monument of the fallen soldiers in the battle of the Qing army against the Nien army's forced crossing of the Yellow River provides an important clue for the study of Nien's military activities.
⑤ The official stele is inlaid on the stone cliff on the bank of the ancient ferry at Gezhentan, recording the robbing of wood during the drifting of the Yellow River. The whole stele is well preserved.
⑥ Monmen Stone Carvings.The four characters of "Reclining Town and Crazy Flow" inscribed by Xu Huanying in the Qing Dynasty were carved on the huge stone of Mengmen, which vividly summarized the natural characteristics of Mengmen Mountain.
⑦ Stone inscription in the eighth year of the Republic of China (1919).The area and land management of Hukou Waterfall on the Shaanxi side are clearly defined, which is an important historical material for the construction of Hukou Waterfall Scenic Area (the original notice is in the Cultural Relics Annals).[25]
Honorary title
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In 1988, Hukou Waterfall was listed as a national key scenic spot.[36-37]
In 2002, it was listed as a national geological park and geological relic protection area.[36-37]
In 2013, it was listed as a national water conservancy scenic spot.[36-37]
In February 2022, it won the title of Shaanxi Civilized Tourism Demonstration Unit.[28]
On July 15, 2022, Hukou Waterfall Tourist Area on the Yellow River was identified as a national 5A tourist attraction.[29-32]
In December 2022, Hukou Waterfall was included in the list of Top 100 AAAAA Scenic Spot Brands in November 2022.[33]
On March 1, 2016, Yichuan Hukou Scenic Area began to implement new ticket prices, with full price tickets of 90 yuan/person time and half price tickets of 45 yuan/person time.[13]All preferential policies shall be implemented in accordance with national regulations.
Ticket of Hukou Waterfall
Full price ticket (adult ticket)
100 yuan/person
Half price ticket (student ticket)
50 yuan/person
Preferential policies for tickets
Free ticket object
Active servicemen, disabled revolutionary servicemen, disabled people (with valid certificates such as soldier card and disability card and ID card), elderly people over 60 years old (with valid certificates such as resident ID card and passport), children under 6 years old (including 6 years old) or 1.2 meters tall (including 1.2 meters).
Preferential object (half price ticket object)
Minors aged 6 years (excluding 6 years) to 18 years (including 18 years), full-time college students with bachelor's degree or below.
First ticket free object
In accordance with the spirit of the Notice of the Development and Reform Commission of Shanxi Province of the Department of Culture and Tourism of Shanxi Province on Carrying out the Special Activity of "Visiting Shanxi and Reading History" (JWTF [2020] No. 229), tourists with identity cards of Shanghai, Zhejiang and Jiangsu Province will be exempted from the first ticket from January 1, 2021 to December 31, 2021.[27]
Traffic information
Xi'an Hukou Self service Tour
There are shuttle buses from Xi'an to Hukou at Xi'an Textile City Passenger Station. There are two buses every day, 8:00 in the morning and 13:20 in the afternoon. The whole journey is 350 kilometers, and the journey is about 4 hours.The whole fare is about 97.5 yuan.[26]
Linfen Hukou Self service Tour
Drive about 100 kilometers from Linfen City to Jixian County along Linji Expressway, and then drive 45 kilometers to Hukou Town to Hukou Waterfall Scenic Area, which takes about 1.5 hours.
Cultural Activity
1. Landscape Symphony Performance of Yellow River Cantata
Relying on the singing of the original ecological folk songs in northern Shaanxi, it consists of eight chapters, such as sacrificing the Yellow River, riding the wind and waves, boat trackers pulling fibers, looking forward to the return of the Lang, window flower love, defending the Yellow River, Hukou Dugu, and the Yellow River Cantata. There is dance in the play, song in the dance, love in the song, and scenery in the love.Each chapter expresses feelings with songs, and contains feelings in songs, covering production labor, love between men and women, folk customs, pouring out sorrows, resisting Japan and saving the nation, eulogizing the Red Army, celebrating victory and other elements, which is a visual feast of the folk customs and revolutionary salvation in northern Shaanxi.
2. Immersive roaming experience of Jiuqu Yellow River
Using four-dimensional screen, multimedia interaction, and multi-dimensional means of sound, light, and electricity, we will dig deeply into the connotation of Mother River, especially Hukou tourism, Yellow River protection, and cultural inheritance. This will not only reveal the mystery of regional characteristics from a 360 degree perspective, but also allow people to truly experience and enjoy the novelty and happiness brought by the unique charm of the Yellow River.[37]
Panorama of Hukou Waterfall
Disputed events
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In 2023, during the "May Day" holiday, the highway along the Hukou Waterfall on the Yellow River was blocked by the management of the scenic spot, which also attracted public attention and criticism.[35]
On July 2, 2023, the Yellow River Hukou Scenic Area Administration in Yichuan County, Shaanxi Province learned that the "safety wall" more than 500 meters along the Shaanxi side of Hukou Waterfall had been removed.[38]
