Shanxi - a passionate journey to the Yellow River

As a geographer and in my earlier days a mountain climber, getting to the high places in China is always a joy and in Shanxi this transpired with a visit up from Zhangbi Village to Mianshan. Renowned for its Buddhist and Taoist temples the mountain is also famed for its at times unique natural scenery. However what was really fascinating about visiting was that we need not climb or walk up the mountain. A two-lane road had been incredibly engineered along at times a vertical cliff face. The road would penetrate tunnels or be carried over roadways built like shelves protruding from the sheer rock edges. From a distance the ascent looked a bit precarious but once underway it was both safe and thrilling providing increasingly scenic views over the surrounding terrain. Stops were made at scenic spots where water emerged from the rocks, where dragon statues stood guard and where temples clinging literally to the rock face could be accessed by elevators or physical climbing. At the end of the road a trail led up through an increasingly narrowing valley alongside some tranquil natural scenes of trees, water and rocks. At one point a large monkey sat alongside the trail thankfully harmlessly watching me. That evening was spent in a mountain hotel again which seemed literally built onto the vertical side of the mountain. Dawn next morning, waking up high on the hill, amidst nature was so tranquil. The descent through scenes of rock mixed with greenery and forest along with expansive views across the valley remained spectacular until reaching the base. An amazing experience of a mountain in China, unforgettable!

As we travelled, I was increasingly aware of recent infrastructure work going on in Shanxi. The onward journey from Mianshan was no exception because the route would lead gradually down from the plateau to the banks of the Yellow River. A modern, well-graded expressway descended past high-speed and conventional rail construction, a recently opened airport near Lvliang, urban and village construction until arriving at Qikou. Historically Qikou was the limit on downriver navigation for this section because of treacherous rapids ahead. With many centuries of history particularly involving river trade, the village was again like stepping back in time. It sat well above the river due to the potential of flooding. Its stone paved streets and narrow alleys made it and nearby Xiwan amongst the most scenic and indeed fascinating places I had visited on this journey through Shanxi.