Outside Henan’s Yuntai Mountain, There’s Also a Red Stone Gorge in Shaanxi, Claimed as ‘The First Scenic Spot of the Great Wall’
This is the travel diary of Xiao Yu, wandering and stopping, come and see Shaanxi with me.
Regarding Red Stone Gorge, perhaps many friends will think of the scenic spot in the clouds and mountains of Henan. In fact, there is also a Red Stone Gorge in Yulin, Shaanxi. Unlike the natural scenery in Yuntai Mountain, Yulin's Red Stone Gorge has a deeper cultural background, and is hailed as 'the first scenic spot of the Great Wall', a place worth visiting.
Yulin has always been a city that I have longed to visit.Located in the north of Shaanxi Province, at the junction of the Loess Plateau and the Muwu Mountain Desert, Yulin was the site of 'Yin-Tsuan Town' (also known as Yulin Town) during the Ming Dynasty, and is also a place with a heavy sense of history and strategic importance.
Red Stone Gorge is located north of Yulin City, at the foot of Hongshan, the entrance of the Great Wall, and the Yuxi River Valley. Opposite it is the magnificent Ming Great Wall of Zhenbeitai.
Red Stone Gorge is about 350 meters long, with cliffs of about 11.5 meters and 13 meters respectively, facing each other, towering and majestic. In the eight years of the Ming Chenghe, Yu Ziju was appointed as the Chief Envoy and stationed in Yulin to carve stone and build canals to connect the Yuxi River with the Undying River, naming it 'Yuxi River'. It is said that when the canal was completed, the setting sun reflected on the red stone, which was particularly dazzling. Hence the name 'Red Stone Gorge'.
Under the blue sky and white clouds, you can see red rocks facing each other, rivers flowing through the gorge, and green trees swaying gently… It's truly a beautiful gorge, full of grace and charm, with a hint of elegance like the Jiangnan in Shaanxi.
However, when visiting Red Stone Gorge, it's not just about admiring the natural scenery.The beauty of Red Stone Gorge lies in the cultural heritage accumulated over thousands of years.Numerous stone carvings and cliff inscriptions are scattered on both sides of Red Stone Gorge's stone walls, most of which were built during the Song and Yuan dynasties. The caves vary in size, with walls and ceilings carved with patterns that are now mottled and difficult to see clearly, but they are still exquisite.
And the most worth visiting in Red Stone Gorge is...Since the Ming Chenghe era, there have been 185 pieces of cliff carvings of varying sizes, from the largest reaching 6 meters to the smallest less than a square inch. The stone carvings are mainly in cursive, seal, and official scripts, and are well-preserved. The stone walls are rugged and majestic, with the characters carved deeply, strong and upright, and full of literary flair, attracting visitors to admire and study.These carvings include those praising the beauty of Red Stone Gorge, such as 'Yu Ji's Cliff', 'China's Pillar', 'Outside the Sky's Strange Peaks', 'Pleasure Palace in the Sea', and 'Panorama of the Yuan Dynasty'. Some describe the military significance of Yin-Tsuan Town, such as 'Golden Soup in the Great Desert', 'Key on the Horizon', and 'Three Qin's Strongholds', 'Yulin's Strong Mountains', and 'Nine Sides's Mighty Troops'. Others express the theme of national unity and ethnic harmony, such as 'Return My Mountains and Rivers', 'One China and Two Tongues', and 'Han and Mongolian Unite'. Each one is a treasure of calligraphy, culture, and art, worth careful contemplation.
Notably,
The 'Xingcheng' cliff carving in Xingcheng is the only one carved in Mongolian script, created during the Qing Dynasty by Yulin County Magistrate Bai De Ming, and those interested can look for it.It may wonder why there is the largest collection of cliff carvings in Shaanxi in the desert town of Yulin?In fact, 'Red Stone Sunset' has been one of the eight scenic views of Yulin since the Ming Chenghe era. Whether it's a morning or evening traveler or a common traveler, anyone who comes to 'Nine Sides's Stronghold' Yulin will often visit Red Stone Gorge. Over time, it has become a 'trend'.
People's passionate emotions were transformed into writing, or poetry, or recording achievements, or visiting, or simply depicting scenery, and were left in Red Stone Gorge. This has accumulated a profound cultural resonance, making it 'the first scenic spot of the Great Wall'.I came to Red Stone Gorge because my friend said thatIt is the filming location for the movie 'Eastern Evil Western Poison'.
I originally thought it was a red rock stream valley, but I didn't know that it was a 'first scenic spot of the Great Wall' with such a cultural heritage. Perhaps many of you were 'deceived' by its name and thought it was just a natural landscape. If you come to Yulin, you can visit Red Stone Gorge.
Finally, let me provide some tourism information:1. Red Stone Gorge is very close to Yulin City, and you can take bus 3 or bus 5 to the end station and walk for about 15 minutes. If you drive, you can directly navigate to it.2. The entrance fee to Red Stone Gorge is 30 yuan, half price for those 60 years old and above, and free for those 65 years old and above.
3. The opposite of Red Stone Gorge is Zhenbeitai, one of 'the three great wonders of the Great Wall'. It is recommended to visit together.
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