The Great Wall and Yellow River Converge in Shanxi and Inner Mongolia: Authentic Shanxi Culture and Scenery
As many people see it, the final song of the Yellow River appears in the period when it is transitioning from youth to maturity, rather than in its infancy and childhood, despite the fact that the river was born in its prime and made a resounding impact on the world.
The first village where the Yellow River enters Shanxi Province is called 'Yellow River Entering Shanxi' by locals. The Yellow River flows from County, Inner Mongolia, at Laman Bay, rapidly flowing into Shanxi. Standing high and looking out, the cliffs on both sides persist, with peaks reaching ten thousand feet, and the Yellow River looks like a trembling golden ribbon, winding around a mountain resembling a bull's head.
Old Cow Bay is located at the border between Shanxi and Inner Mongolia, with the Yellow River serving as its boundary; the southern bank is County of Shanxi, and the northern bank is County of Inner Mongolia, bordering's, renowned throughout the world for the first encounter between the Great Wall and the Yellow River.
Driving along the winding canyon road, there is a certain charm—the clear Yellow River wraps around the mountains like a jade ribbon, and is also like a giant dragon appearing and disappearing in the canyons. Continuing along the winding mountain road, you can fully appreciate the characteristics of the surrounding Huangtu Plateau, after turning and turning for a long time, you finally arrive at the place where the Great Wall and the Yellow River hold hands—Old Cow Bay.
Wanyan Pass, Ningwu Pass, Pihua Pass. Since the Ming Dynasty, these three passes supported each other and formed a, serving as a vital military stronghold for defending against foreign invasions in the north of Jin. Among the three passes, Pihua Pass is the most important, and it still retains its ancient city, allowing visitors to experience the most authentic and original Shanxi folk customs and culture.
Old Cow Bay has a small stone city, known as Old Cow Bay Ancient Castle. The walls are built of stone, with four corners equipped with gun towers, and the south-facing gate opens, with an inner city. The castle is not very large, with a north-south length of about 200 meters and an east-west length of about 100 meters, the inner street is paved with stone, and there is also a barracks.
The natural scenery is more natural and wild than the human-made scenery. The Yellow River stretches for 5400 plus kilometers, originating from the Kunlun Mountains with a mere trickle, then growing into a mighty body of water by gathering countless rivers, the water is clear like indigo when it's clean, and muddy when mixed, it spans across China from east to west, flowing into the sea.
Records show that this was a garrison castle during the Ming Dynasty, built in the 3rd year of the Hongwu period (1467), on the cliff opposite the mountain, there is still a relatively well-preserved brick-built watchtower. The dry Huangtu soil, villagers planted suitable crops, and in the distance are the villagers' homes—improved pit houses. The construction materials for the pit houses and buildings were all sourced locally, with stone that is strong and durable.
A building resembling a Great Wall gatehouse stands before you, with a tall lintel inscribed with black characters on a golden background: 'The First Bay of the Yellow River in China', next to it, a faded stone slab is engraved with 'One of China's Ten Most Beautiful Canyons', and Old Cow Bay quietly lies in the deep canyon.
The Yellow River's destination is always the sea, and the riverbank is always the river's defense; although sometimes it will show its anger and flood, it will eventually choose a new bank.
With 200 years of history, it can't be called too long or too ancient, but when you stand by the Yellow River and look at this ancient town, the aroma is rich and profound, like a wine aged for a thousand years; it not only contains the flavor of time, but also the fusion and fermentation of the Yellow River water and the thick and authentic civilization of the Yellow River region.
A small mountain village is playing its own history, perhaps here there were soldiers who defended the country in the past, or perhaps the people here welcomed their own glory together with Old Cow Bay, a highway along the Yellow River is currently under construction, and its starting point is Old Cow Bay. The attractions in Old Cow Bay are not yet fully developed, and several observation towers on the mountain peaks are also under construction, and in the near future, Old Cow Bay will greet its guests with a brand new image.
