Explore Sanmenxia in 1 Day: Caves to Passes

The Shanzhou Cave Dwellings are located in the south of Shan County in Sanmenxia. The site is easily accessed by road or rail. The cave dwellings kept residents cool in summer and warm in winter, and provided excellent shelter from wind and earthquakes. In addition to spending the night in renovated dwellings, visitors can relax in the hot springs, taste local cuisine, and watch traditional cultural performances.

Hangu Pass Historical and Cultural Tourism Zone is a national AAAA tourism zone. It is one of the earliest forts in China. Located in the valley, visiting it is like a cave adventure. The main tourist spots include Taichu Palace, Daosheng Palace and the Taoist health preservation parks. It was a historic battlefield where war horses galloped and the place where Laozi, a thinker and philosopher in ancient China, composed Tao Te Ching. For thousands of years, Taoists from home and abroad have come here to pay tribute to Taoism and honor the forefathers of Taoism.

The Yellow River has a total length of 120 kilometers in Sanmenxia City, forming a magnificent scene of vast water, among which the Yellow River Dam is the most spectacular. The main dam of the dam is a concrete gravity dam with a length of 713.2 meters and a height of 106 meters; the auxiliary dam is a reinforced concrete core wall with a length of 144 meters and a height of 24 meters. The powerhouse of the power station is of the type behind the dam, with a total length of 223.88 meters. The ancient plank road of the Yellow River: It is located on the steep cliff on the north bank of the lower reaches of the Sanmenxia Dam, close to the Yellow River. There are two. One is higher from the river level and the other is lower from the river level. It can be seen from the relics that the ancient plank road of the Yellow River is a narrow stone road cut out at the impact of the river water on both sides of the Yellow River close to the Sanmen Canyon, and then at the road break. A row of deep square holes was chiseled, and then wooden stakes were plugged to form a trail for boatmen to pull fibers up. It is still clearly visible today. There are about 800 or 900 of these square holes scattered on the stone walls of the entire plank road. In ancient times, people drove wooden stakes into the cave to climb to the rock wall. The bull nose allows the tracker to tie a rope to climb, and when encountering wind and waves, the boat can be tied nearby. Mainstay: Located in the rapids below the Sanmenxia Dam. The scorpion on the Yellow River also called it "come to me". When the water is shallow in winter, it is about 7 meters above the water surface; in the flood season, it only shows a spire, and it looks as if it will be engulfed by the flood immediately, which is extremely dangerous. For thousands of years, regardless of the invasion of heavy rain or the scouring of stormy waves, it has been turning the tide and standing majestically in the Yellow River. It has been hailed as a symbol of the spirit of the Chinese nation since ancient times. When Emperor Taizong Li Shimin came here, he also wrote the poem "Looking up on the main pillar, looking at the Dragon Gate in the north, the vast Yuji, and the vast Changchun". In addition, there are Zhanggong Island, Dresser, Dayu Park, Yingbin Pavilion, Yellow River Sanmenxia Exhibition Hall, China-Japan Friendship Orchard and other attractions.

Swan Lake National Urban Wetland Park starts from Jinchang Overpass in the east and ends at the intersection of Shanzhou Avenue and Yanguan Road in the west. To the south, it connects to Shaanxi Avenue and it expands to the Yellow River Wetlands in the north. The scenic spot consists of three parts, including the Shuanglong Lake White Swan Watching Area, the Shaanzhou Old City and the Yellow River Ecological Forest Belt. Swan Lake is also known as Qinglong Lake. Every October, there are tens of thousands of white swans, which will remain for the winter. Canglong Lake has many aquatic plants, including reeds, cattails and lotuses. On Zhaogong Island is a colorful peony garden and various peony varietals are planted here. Yingxiang Pavilion is an imitation Tang Dynasty building erected to commemorate Heshanggong, the river god. Standing on the Yingxiang Pavilion, visitors can behold the beautiful panoramic view.