Fengling Pass: The First Ferry on the Yellow River - A Journey to Three Provinces
Here is Traveler Old Zhang's Travel and History Research Institute.
Riding a motorcycle home for the New Year, it only takes a dozen minutes to cross three provinces today, and it crossed the Yellow River, would you believe it?
Open a Chinese map, you can see the famous 65-degree bay of the Yellow River, which is the junction of Shaanxi, Shanxi and Henan provinces. The Yellow River has Shanxi and Shaanxi on its west bank, and Henan on its east bank. This place is also the demarcation line between China's Northwest, Bohai, and Central China regions. Zhao Zijing wrote in 'A Note on Fengling Pass': 'One part divides the north and south, and Zhongyuan (Central China) is self-complete. Yunshan connects the boundaries of Jin and Qin, and Yunshu enters Qin Chuan.'
The name of Fengling Pass, the Yellow River's location, is poetic. We all know it, and it appears in many literary works and film dramas. In Jin Yong's martial arts novel 'The Legend of Condor Heroes,' Chapter 13 says: 'The first time Guo Jing saw Yang Guo was at Fengling Port, and she fell in love with him.'
The legend says that the name Fengling comes from Fenghou (Wind Goddess), who was a trusted official of the Yellow Emperor. The Yellow Emperor and (Shi You) fought at the Battle of Zhuolu. Fenghou helped the Yellow Emperor defeat, but Fenghou was killed and buried here. Later, a Fenghou Temple was built. In the Tang Dynasty, in the first year of Shengli (689 AD), a pass was set up here called Fengling Pass, also known as Fengling Jin, Jin is the port, so this place was later called Fengling Pass.
Now, the Yellow River bank has Fengling Town, which belongs to Ruicheng County, Shanxi. Ancient people used boats to cross the Yellow River, so it's called a port. Now, two large bridges have been built here to connect the two banks, one railway bridge and one highway bridge. Fengling Town has also become the only town in China with two large bridges. Because of the importance of the bridges, the railway bridge is guarded by military police 24 hours a day.
The Yellow River-bank Highway Bridge is the most important crossing channel in this area, connecting trade between multiple provinces. The south end of the bridge is Lintao County, Shaanxi, which is also a famous pass in China. To the east is Zhengzhou City, Henan. The north end of the bridge is Fengling Town. It takes only ten minutes to drive across the bridge. The bridge is 1409 meters long.
During the Ming and Qing Dynasties, the government set up a Fengling Inspection Office and a Fleet Administration Office to manage defense and transportation. It has always been used to cross the Yellow River by building boats, connecting Shaanxi and Henan provinces. Now, one railway bridge connects the South Dongpu Line and the Longhai Line. The Yellow River has become a passageway from a natural barrier to a convenient way. Fengling Town has become a key channel to China's Bohai, Northwestern, and Central China regions, and is also a 'bridgehead' of the Eurasia Continental Bridge, and is regarded as a 'gold-mining place' and is highly favored, and it's a brilliant pearl of the Yellow River triangle.
In the era when travel has become an indispensable part of people's schedules, the Yellow River, as China's mother river, has been widely recognized. The unique landscape of Fengling's big curve and two bridges has become a famous tourist attraction along the Yellow River. It's also the confluence of Wei River and Luo River into the Yellow River, with a unique geographical landscape and appearance, which is the second most famous landscape after the Yellow River's Jihole Waterfall.
So, have you ever heard of Fengling Pass? Have you ever come to Fengling Port? Is the Yellow River as you imagined?
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Author Introduction Traveler Old Zhang, a travel enthusiast, a contemporary Xu Xiake, uses his feet to measure the Earth, and shares travel experiences at any time. Welcome to follow, like, comment, and give advice!
