Popular Cool Water Escapes in Lvliang [2026]

The main attractions of Qikou Ancient Town include the town's charm, the river and land wharf, the Wohulong Temple, Yellow River rafting, Erqi surfing, Qilin Beach, Yellow River earth forest, jujube orchards, and a group of old Shanxi merchant residences with architectural characteristics of the Loess Plateau, represented by the Xiwang folk houses. The ancient town still retains its antique charm, with stone-paved roads underfoot, high platforms on both sides, and eaves connecting to eaves, shops side by side.

Qikou, an ancient ferry crossing in western Shanxi Province carved out by the Yellow River, hides a rare spectacle of both natural beauty and cultural significance. Here, the Yellow River makes a sharp southward turn, carving out steep cliffs of the Loess Plateau. The Lüliang Yellow River Sculpture Group, completed in 2021, stands on the viewing platform east of Qikou Ancient Town—backed by the vast Lüliang Mountains, facing the surging Yellow River, and with the millennia-old folds of loess beneath its feet. As the chill of early spring fades, mountain peach blossoms burst forth in the crevices, followed by golden forsythia, pale purple lilacs, and tender yellow apricot blossoms… The entire mountainside resembles a spilled palette of colors, while the bronze sculptures gleam with a warm luster amidst the floral shadows, a striking contrast of strength and gentleness that stirs the soul. Unmissable Travel Highlights: Wear spring as your outfit for stunning photos! Don't just treat the sculptures as a backdrop for photos! Try these zero-cost, high-quality spring composition tricks: ✅ "Holding Wildflowers + Sculpture Silhouette": Squat beside the base of the Yellow River Mother Sculpture, pick a small bunch of wild peach blossoms, and raise your hand against the light—the petals are translucent, the bronze outline is steady, and the Yellow River shimmers silver in the distance; ✅ "Strolling along the Cliffside Flower Path": Walk 300 meters north along the path outside the viewing platform. There's a dirt path surrounded by wild peach trees. Wear a light-colored long skirt or linen shirt, turn sideways and look back, with the Yellow River, sculpture, and sea of ​​flowers creating a triple sense of depth behind you; ✅ "Warm Film-like Dusk": After 5 pm, the sunlight shines obliquely on the bronze surface, giving the sculpture a golden edge. At this time, use your phone's portrait mode, focus on the wildflowers and blur the background. The Yellow River ripples, the bronze texture, and the fluffy petals all breathe within a single image. Local Culture: Romanticism in the Loess Plateau, More Moving Than Sculptures These sculptures are not merely works of art, but also a heartfelt declaration of love from the people of Lüliang to their Mother River. The creative team visited 27 villages along the Yellow River, engraving the rhythm of the old boatmen's "Yellow River Boatman's Song" into the patterns of the bronze base, and transforming the "fish playing among lotus flowers" pattern from Shanxi paper-cutting into the relief of the sculpture base. What moved me even more was a local elder pointing to the mountain peach blossoms and saying, "These flowers don't discriminate based on location; they can even thrive in cracks in rocks—we Lüliang people are tough and warm-hearted." The grandeur of the Yellow River, the weight of the loess plateau, and the tenacity of the mountain flowers are not three words here, but a single verb: growth.

We drove from Yangquan to play. The journey was quite long. We followed the navigation to get off the highway and continued to drive 60 to 70 kilometers of mountain roads. The road was quite steep. There was a section of winding mountain roads, and there was a possibility of traffic jams. We were stuck halfway up the mountain on the way back. Because there were many large trucks pulling stones in the middle of the road, they were also very dirty and dusty. It really didn't look like a tourist attraction, which gave people a bad feeling. After passing this industrial area of ​​several kilometers, we gradually entered the mountainous area. Don't think you are almost at your destination. In fact, there is still a long way to go. The road conditions are relatively dangerous, so you must be careful when driving. Of course, the scenery in the mountains is still good. There is a large reservoir on the way that is particularly spectacular. There are many small rafting on the way, but we didn't play. Our goal is to be the first rafting in North China. We continued on our way and passed a large water world, but it was not too tight and there were not too many people. I don't know if it is fun. We only stayed for a while and continued on our way. After driving for a few kilometers, we came to the lower pier (the end of the rafting). You can park your car here for 10 yuan per car, and then take a local bus to the source, 10 yuan per person. We drove to the source, and parking was also 10 yuan, but after rafting, we still had to take a wet car up the mountain and find our own car to change clothes (it was free to take the shuttle bus back). Note that you must see the archway of ~North China's No. 1 Rafting~ when driving, which is the purpose (there is a picture below). Next, let's talk about the strategy of playing. First of all, it is best to buy tickets online (to ensure that you can get in place), which is cheap. It is best to bring sunscreen when you come; a small plastic basin (water attack weapon), water is not very practical, children can bring it; a waterproof bag, put mobile phones, car keys, etc.; clothes and swimming caps for going into the water (the head must be wet, to prevent colds), you don't think about having a dry place on your body after playing. The rafting gate opens from 12:30 to 3 or 4 in the afternoon. It's best to go early, because it's fun when there are many people, attacking each other. After 3 or 4 o'clock, there are few people playing, it's boring, and the weather in the canyon is also cool! Rafting is very happy. The journey is quite long, about two hours. If you stop for a while, it will take about three hours. There are many steep slopes on the way, which is quite exciting. If you are not in a hurry, it is best to meet with the rafting team and have a water fight on the way. The only disadvantage is that there is no photography in the scenic area, and the river water is not very clean, not the kind of clear bottom. The overall feeling is OK, the only drawback is that it is far away! ! ! Finally, I wish you all safety and fun! ! !

I just typed over 300 words and the app automatically closed. I was so pissed. I don’t feel like sharing anymore.