Baquan Gorge Scenic Area of Taihang Grand Canyon is located in Qiaoshang Township, Huguan County, Changzhi City, Shanxi Province. It is a national 5A-level tourist attraction and one of the core scenic areas of Taihang Grand Canyon. The scenic area is mainly characterized by canyon landscapes, integrating grandeur, uniqueness, danger, elegance, and seclusion. It gets its name because there are eight streams of spring water gushing out from the same place in the canyon. Inside the scenic area, mountains and waters are interdependent, with overlapping peaks, waterfalls, streams, karst caves, plank roads and other diverse landscapes. It enjoys the reputation of "the First Grand Gorge of Taihang" and "the Little Three Gorges of the North". The total area of the scenic area is about 24 square kilometers, the canyon is about 13 kilometers long, with a maximum drop of up to more than 300 meters, and the vegetation coverage rate is as high as over 90%. It is a tourist resort combining natural and cultural landscapes, suitable for tourists to engage in various activities such as sightseeing, exploration, and leisure.
Historical Culture
The Taihang Grand Canyon area where Baquan Gorge is located has a long history. As early as ancient times, there were traces of human activities, and it is one of the important birthplaces of Chinese civilization. According to historical records, this area belonged to the territory of the State of Zhao during the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period. After the Qin and Han Dynasties, it gradually became an important channel for exchanges between the Central Plains and northern nomadic peoples, leaving many historical relics such as ancient villages, ancient plank roads, and ancient battlefields.
The villages in the scenic area are mostly in the style of traditional Taihang dwellings, with stone walls and stone houses built against the mountains, reflecting the wisdom of the local people in adapting to and utilizing nature. In addition, there are many folk legends about Baquan Gorge, such as "the origin of the eight streams of spring water" and "the story of the Immortal Cave". These legends not only add a mysterious color to the scenic area but also reflect the local people's awe of nature and yearning for a better life. Nowadays, these historical and cultural elements are combined with the magnificent natural landscapes, making Baquan Gorge a tourist scenic area with both ornamental value and cultural connotation.
Main Attractions
Baquan Hongfen
Baquan Hongfen is the origin of the name of Baquan Gorge, located at the source of the canyon. Here, eight streams of clear spring water gush out from the cliff walls, converging into a stream with abundant water that never dries up all year round. The spring water is surrounded by jagged rocks and green trees, presenting a quiet and beautiful scenery. It is measured that the flow of each stream of spring water is about 0.5 cubic meters per second, with sweet and clear water, rich in various minerals. Tourists can watch the rushing spring water up close and feel the magical gift of nature.
High-altitude Cable Car
The high-altitude cable car in Baquan Gorge is an important transportation facility of the scenic area and also an excellent way to enjoy the panoramic view of the canyon. The cable car line is approximately 3,000 meters long, with its starting point near the scenic area entrance and the terminal directly reaching the vicinity of Yuhuangding. It has a vertical drop of about 600 meters, making it one of the single-line circulating detachable passenger ropeways with a relatively large drop in China. The cable car adopts fully enclosed transparent cabins, each capable of holding 8 people, and the running time is about 8 minutes. When taking the cable car, tourists can overlook the magnificent scenery of the entire canyon, with peaks, valleys, streams and other landscapes all within sight, experiencing the stunning feeling of "all mountains seem small when viewed from above".
Cliff Plank Road
The Cliff Plank Road is located on the steep cliffs on the west side of the canyon, with a total length of about 3,000 meters, a width of about 1.2 meters, and an altitude of about 1,200 meters. The plank road is built against the mountain, and some sections are suspended outside the cliff walls, with a vertical height of up to more than 200 meters from the bottom of the valley. The plank road is made of reinforced concrete structure, safe and stable, with viewing platforms and rest pavilions along the way. Walking on the plank road, with steep cliffs on one side and deep canyons on the other, the scenery is thrilling and spectacular. Tourists can enjoy the geological features and waterfall landscapes of the canyon up close and feel the grandeur and steepness of the Taihang Mountains.
Boat Terminal
The Boat Terminal is located in the Gaoxia Pinghu area in the middle of the canyon. The lake surface is about 1,000 meters long, 50-100 meters wide, and the deepest part is more than 60 meters. It is an artificial lake formed by damming and storing water. The terminal is equipped with more than ten sightseeing boats, each capable of carrying about 30 people. Tourists take boats to shuttle between the canyons, with high cliffs on both sides and lush green plants. Looking up, you can see the "one-line sky" landscape, and looking down, you can enjoy the clear lake water, as if you are in the "Little Three Gorges of the North". The whole journey takes about 20 minutes, experiencing water fun completely different from land sightseeing.
Yuhuangding
Yuhuangding is the highest peak of Baquan Gorge, with an altitude of about 1,700 meters, and it is the best place to overlook the scenery of the entire Taihang Grand Canyon. To reach the top, you need to climb about 1,500 meters along the hiking trail, and you can enjoy the scenery of strange pines and rocks along the way. There is a viewing platform on the top of the mountain, covering an area of about 500 square meters, with an antique viewing pavilion in the center of the platform. Standing on Yuhuangding, you can overlook the whole canyon to the east and enjoy the rolling Taihang Mountains to the west. In the early morning, you can also see the spectacular sunrise and sea of clouds, making it an ideal filming location for photographers.
Immortal Cave
The Immortal Cave is located in the cliff in the middle of the canyon, a naturally formed karst cave with an entrance about 5 meters wide, 3 meters high, and a depth of about 50 meters inside. The stalactites and stone stalagmites in the cave are well-developed, with various shapes, some like figures, some like animals, appearing colorful under the light. According to the research of geological experts, this cave was formed in the limestone stratum millions of years ago, with high geological research value. There are many local legends about the Immortal Cave, which add to its mysterious atmosphere and attract tourists to explore.
Food
Huguan Lamb Soup
Huguan Lamb Soup is a traditional famous food in Huguan County, Changzhi City, and is relatively common in restaurants around Baquan Gorge Scenic Area. It uses local goats as raw materials, and after boiling, deboning, slicing and other processes, it is matched with lamb offal, vermicelli, chopped green onions and other ingredients. The soup is milky white, with a delicious and mellow taste, and has the effect of dispelling cold and warming the body. Huguan Lamb Soup has a history of hundreds of years, with exquisite production techniques. It needs to be boiled with lamb bones and meat for a long time, with tender meat and rich soup flavor. It is a good product for tourists to replenish energy during the tour, with a price of about 25 yuan per serving.
Changzhi Cured Donkey Meat
Changzhi Cured Donkey Meat is a traditional characteristic meat product in Shanxi, which can be bought in specialty stores and restaurants near Baquan Gorge Scenic Area. It is made of high-quality donkey meat through multiple processes such as pickling, drying, and braising. It has a ruddy color, tight meat quality, mellow taste, and rich nutrition. The production history of Changzhi Cured Donkey Meat can be traced back to the Ming and Qing Dynasties. It is a good product for local people to entertain guests and give as gifts to relatives and friends. The cured donkey meat sold around the scenic area is priced by weight, about 80 yuan per catty.
Taihang Fried Millet
Taihang Fried Millet is a local characteristic farm dish, which can be tasted in farmhouses around Baquan Gorge. It is made of local millet as the main ingredient, stir-fried with eggs, chopped green onions, green peppers and other ingredients, with a crispy taste and rich millet fragrance. Millet is one of the main food crops in the Taihang Mountain area, rich in nutrition. This dish is simple to make but has a unique flavor, reflecting the local food culture. It is loved by tourists, with a price of about 15 yuan per serving.
Tickets
The ticket is 100 yuan per person (including Baquan Gorge, Hongdou Gorge, and Qinglong Gorge).
You can search for the official WeChat public account "太行山大峡谷八泉峡景区" to get the latest news or buy tickets online.
Opening Hours
The opening hours will be adjusted according to the season. From April 1 to October 31 every year, it is the peak season, and the opening hours are from 7:00 to 18:30, and the last entry time is 16:30; from November 1 to March 31 of the next year, it is the off-season, and the opening hours are from 8:00 to 17:00, and the last entry time is 15:30. In case of extreme weather or special circumstances, the scenic area may be temporarily closed. It is recommended that tourists check and confirm through official channels before traveling.
Tour Route
After entering the scenic area, tourists first take the scenic area sightseeing bus (included in the combined ticket) to Baquan Hongfen to enjoy the wonder of the eight streams of spring water; then walk along the canyon trail to visit, enjoy the streams, waterfalls and other landscapes along the way, and can visit the Immortal Cave on the way; then go to the Cliff Plank Road to experience the thrilling cliff walking and enjoy the panoramic view of the canyon; after that, you can choose to take the high-altitude cable car to Yuhuangding to watch the sunrise or sea of clouds on the top (if time permits); after coming down from Yuhuangding, you can take the elevator to the boat terminal and take a boat to visit Gaoxia Pinghu; finally, take the sightseeing bus back to the scenic area exit. The whole tour takes about 6-8 hours, and tourists can flexibly adjust the route according to their physical strength and time.
Transportation
- Bus: There are direct tourist shuttle buses from Changzhi Passenger Transport Center to Baquan Gorge Scenic Area of Taihang Grand Canyon, with one departure at 8:00 and 10:00 every day. The journey takes about 2 hours and the fare is 25 yuan per person. There are also buses to the scenic area from Huguan County Passenger Station, with one departure every hour. The journey takes about 1 hour and the fare is 10 yuan per person.
- Self-driving: Starting from Changzhi urban area, drive along Huguan Taihang Grand Canyon tourist special line, the whole journey is about 50 kilometers, and the driving time is about 1.5 hours; starting from Taiyuan, drive along Erguang Expressway and Qinglan Expressway to Huguan exit, then transfer to the tourist special line, the whole journey is about 300 kilometers, and the driving time is about 4 hours; the charging standard of the scenic area parking lot is 10 yuan per time (for small cars).
- Tourist bus: Many travel agencies have opened one-day or multi-day tour routes to Baquan Gorge. Tourists can choose to follow the tour group, and the transportation fee is included in the group fee, which is more convenient.
Must-visit Attractions
- Baquan Hongfen: The source of Baquan Gorge, with eight streams of spring water gushing out, each with a flow of about 0.5 cubic meters per second. It is the origin of the scenic area's name, with quiet and magical scenery.
- High-altitude cable car: It is about 3,000 meters long, with a drop of about 600 meters, and the running time is 8 minutes. It can overlook the panoramic view of the canyon and experience a shocking high-altitude perspective.
- Cliff Plank Road: It is about 3,000 meters long, 1.2 meters wide, and more than 200 meters high from the bottom of the valley. Walking on it, you can feel the steepness and grandeur of the canyon up close.
- Boat Terminal: Gaoxia Pinghu is about 1,000 meters long. Taking a boat can enjoy the scenery of the cliffs on both sides and experience the unique scenery of "the Little Three Gorges of the North". The boat trip is about 20 minutes.
Tour Suggestions
- It is recommended to wear comfortable sports shoes and sportswear, because the walking distance in the scenic area is long, and some sections are steep, which is convenient for walking and climbing.
- The ultraviolet rays in the scenic area are strong. In summer, you need to carry sunscreen, sun hats and other sun protection products; the weather in the mountainous area is changeable, so it is recommended to carry rain gear with you; the temperature is low in winter, so keep warm.
- Due to the long playing time, it is recommended to carry an appropriate amount of dry food and drinking water. The price of catering points in the scenic area is relatively high, and a simple meal is about 30-50 yuan.
- Tourists with poor physical strength can reasonably arrange transportation facilities, such as taking more cable cars and elevators, to reduce walking distance and save energy.
- The best travel season is April-May and September-October, when the climate is suitable and the scenery is beautiful, avoiding the heavy rain in summer and the severe cold in winter.
Matters Needing Attention
- For dangerous sections such as the Cliff Plank Road, you must abide by the regulations of the scenic area, do not leave the plank road without authorization, do not climb the guardrail, and pay attention to the safety under your feet.
- When taking facilities such as cable cars and boats, you must obey the command of the staff, abide by safety regulations, and take good care of your personal belongings.
- Smoking and littering are prohibited in the scenic area. Protect the ecological environment, do not pick plants or feed animals.
- The signal in mountainous areas may be unstable. It is recommended to download offline maps in advance, keep in touch with fellow travelers, and avoid acting alone.
- In case of thunderstorms, strong winds and other bad weather, you should immediately go to a safe area to take shelter and follow the evacuation arrangements of the scenic area staff.