Speaking of self-driving tours, the Sichuan-Tibet line is probably the most popular. In fact, there are many places in China that are suitable for self-driving tours, and the scenery along the way is also very interesting. Like the hinterland of the Taihang Mountains that I have driven by myself, I have traveled through the high mountains and ridges, and I have had close contact with the Taihang Mountains that reach the sky.
The starting point of this self-driving tour is Linzhou, Henan Province, the hometown of the famous Hongqi Canal, and the end point is Wangmangling, Lingchuan County, Jincheng City, Shanxi Province, which is close to Henan Province. The distance between the two is not too far. If you take the national highway or high speed, it is about 100 kilometers. Because I wanted to go through the Taihang Mountain Grand Canyon located in the hinterland of Taihang Mountain, I chose to go from Linzhou to Taihang Mountain Grand Canyon Forest Park, and then to Wangmang Forest. The journey is a little farther, but it is quite exciting to pass through the hinterland of Taihang Mountain.
Linzhou, Henan, located at the eastern foot of Taihang Mountain, is also the northernmost city in Henan Province. In addition to the famous Hongqi Canal in Linzhou, the whole city is not too big, but it is also very clean. At the intersection of the road, there are often female policemen directing traffic. The locals say this is the city's landscape. Although Linzhou is also located in the Taihang Mountains, there are almost no tall mountains in the urban area.
After the car left Linzhou, the mountains of the Taihang Mountains have been accompanying the car window. Nearby is the loess, and in the distance is Daishan. It is rare to see people on the roadside. Often the vehicle drove for a long time before seeing a few low brick houses at the foot of the mountain. Most of the houses here are made of red bricks or mountain stones, but the outer walls are rarely painted with white, and they are exposed, which matches the green trees in early summer and is a bit eye-catching.
The further the car drives, the more mountains there are on both sides of the road, which indicates that the self-driving car has entered the hinterland of the Taihang Mountains. Taihang Mountain, also known as "Five Elements Mountain" and "Wangmu Mountain", is located between Shanxi Province and the North China Plain, and is an important geographical dividing line in eastern my country. To the east of the mountain is the North China Plain, while to the west of the mountain is the continuous Loess Plateau.
As a geographically important mountain range, the Taihang Mountain is not only majestic, but also blocks east-west traffic. In the past, when the ancients entered and exited the Taihang Mountains, they needed to walk through the canyons among the high mountains. In the history of the Taihang Mountains, there was a saying of "Eight Xings", which means that there are only eight throat passages in the 800-mile Taihang Mountains. Xing, in the dictionary, is interpreted as a place where mountains are interrupted, or a mountain pass.
Of course, it is very convenient to get in and out of Taihang Mountain now. Even the country roads we walked through are mostly asphalt roads or concrete roads, but the roads are slightly narrower, and the two large vehicles need to be slower when they meet each other. Some road sections are still tunnels, but compared with Guoliang Village, which is also in the Taihang Mountains, or the Guabi Highway in Kunshan, it is already much easier to drive.
Not far from Taihang Mountain National Forest Park, there is a place called "Black Dragon Pool", which is called "Black Dragon Pool and Zituan Mountain Scenic Area", which is part of the forest park. This is the first stop of our road trip. Because Heilongtan Park is on the side of the road, and the road around the mountain is built on the top of the park. There is also a simple viewing platform here. Vehicles can stop, and people can go directly to the park without entering the park. Looking at the "Black Dragon Pool" from the viewing platform, it just saved 45 yuan for the entrance fee.
Heilongtan Scenic Area belongs to Huguan County, Shanxi Province. It is located in the Wuzhi Gorge of Taihang Mountain, about 50 kilometers away from Huguan County. The canyon where the Black Dragon Pool is located is very majestic with steep and towering walls and overlapping peaks. It is said that the former Heilongtan was a place where people in mountainous areas within a hundred miles prayed for water in drought years, and Heilongtan is a very magical place. It is said that its water is bottomless and will not dry up all year round. This is rare in mountainous areas where water is scarce.
Leaving Heilongtan, I planned to go to Taihang Mountain Grand Canyon Forest Park again. The partner in the same car said that there were not many mountains to see along the way? We will not go to Forest Park, we will go directly to Wangmangling in Lingchuan, Shanxi. So we still walked along the country road in order to see more of the scenery in the hinterland of Taihang Mountain along the way.
When passing through Shuzhang Town, Huguan County, our vehicle deliberately turned onto a mountain ridge on the side of the road. The mountain ridge is about 500 to 600 meters high. There are more than 70 households in this mountain village. The mountain village is surrounded by mountains on three sides and Wuzhi Canyon on one side. The scenery is extremely beautiful. To be honest, if it wasn't for self-driving, if it wasn't for driving along the country road, maybe I would never reach such an almost isolated and undeveloped mountain village in my life.
Standing at the entrance of Nanpo Nao Village and looking at the Wuzhi Canyon below the mountain, there is an unfathomable feeling. Among the strange peaks and forests, there is a large area suddenly concave and convex, and the sunken mountain is not only beautiful, but also covered with large green plants. It is said that the valley here is rich in medicinal materials. The villagers told us that summer is the most pleasant here, and there are often large groups of clouds and mists in the valley, and the scenery is particularly beautiful. It's a pity that because I had to rush to Wangmangling, I only stayed in Nanpo Nao Village for more than half an hour before waving goodbye to it.
Not long after the vehicle left Nanpo Nao Village, the road conditions began to improve. The roadside signs told us that we were still 30 kilometers away from Wangmangling. Wangmangling is the transfer station for this self-driving trip. After making some adjustments in Wangmangling, we will go around Wangmangling and go to Hongyan Grand Canyon, Kunshan Hangbi Highway, etc. by self-driving. There is only one purpose, which is to turn the hinterland of Taihang Mountain and feel the natural scenery in Taihang Mountain.
Not long after returning from the self-driving this time, a friend from Huguan sent a message saying that due to the construction of the eastern section of Huguan County on the Taihang No. Temporarily closed during the month. After November, the Taihang Mountains will gradually enter winter. This time is not considered the golden season for tourism, so we have to wait until the beginning of spring next year. If you are as interested in Taihang Mountain as I am, you might as well drive your car and go for a walk in the hinterland of Taihang Mountain. About the author: Lu Jianhua Photography (photographer, traveler, self-media person)
