Qingtian River Scenic Area is located in Bo'ai County, Jiaozuo City, Henan Province, at the southern foot of the Taihang Mountains, on the border between Shanxi and Henan Provinces. The scenic area is a national 5A-level tourist attraction, a Global Geopark, a National Key Scenic Area, and a National Water Conservancy Scenic Area. With a total area of 106 square kilometers, it consists of seven major tourist areas: the Dam, Daquan Lake, Sangu Spring, Guanyin Gorge, Fo'er Gorge, Jinjialing, and Yueshan Temple, known as the "Three Gorges of the North" and "Guilin Landscape". The forest coverage rate in the scenic area is over 95%, and the negative ion concentration reaches up to 144,000 per cubic centimeter, making it a natural forest oxygen bar.
History and Culture
Qingtian River has a long history and profound cultural heritage. As early as 7,000 years ago, there were traces of human activities here. During the Western Zhou Dynasty, King You of Zhou hunted here, leaving the record of "King You of Zhou hunted in Qingtian River". During the Northern Wei Dynasty, Buddhism was introduced to Qingtian River, and Yueshan Temple began to flourish as a Buddhist holy land, once known as one of the "Three Great Ancient Temples in the Central Plains" together with Shaolin Temple and White Horse Temple.
The Qingtian River water conservancy project is an important part of the scenic area. The dam was built in 1966, 76 meters high, 159 meters long, and 8 meters wide at the top. It is a comprehensive water conservancy hub integrating flood control, irrigation, power generation, tourism and other functions, known as "a pearl under the Taihang Mountains". In the 1990s, Qingtian River began to develop tourism and gradually became a famous tourist destination in the Central Plains.
Main Attractions
Qingtian River Dam
The dam is 76 meters high, 159 meters long, and 8 meters wide at the top, one of the landmark buildings of the scenic area. Standing on the dam top, you can overlook the magnificent scenery of Daquan Lake and feel the wonder of "high gorges out of flat lakes". The dam also has an observation deck, an excellent place to watch sunrise and sunset.
Daquan Lake
Daquan Lake is the core scenic area of Qingtian River. The lake is 7.5 kilometers long, 80-100 meters wide, and more than 60 meters deep. The lake water is clear to the bottom, and the two banks are full of mountains and beautiful scenery. There are rare natural landscapes in the lake, such as the Natural Great Wall, Sanniang Teaching Her Son, and Taibai Drunk, etc. Taking a boat tour, you feel like being in a landscape painting.
Guanyin Gorge
Guanyin Gorge is about 3 kilometers long. The water in the gorge is turbulent and waterfalls fly. There are attractions such as Guanyin Waterfall and Dripping Guanyin. Among them, Guanyin Waterfall is more than 30 meters high and 5 meters wide. The water pours down from a high place, like a white practice hanging, with great momentum.
Fo'er Gorge
Fo'er Gorge is about 2.5 kilometers long, named because the peaks on both sides of the gorge are shaped like Buddha's ears. The gorge has attractions such as Fo'er Pool, One-line Sky, and Strange Stone Beach. The rocks are jagged and strangely shaped, making it a natural geological museum.
Jinjialing
Jinjialing is the red leaf viewing area of Qingtian River, covering an area of about 5,000 mu. Every autumn, the mountains are full of red leaves, and the forests are dyed, making it a famous red leaf viewing resort in the Central Plains. There are many varieties of red leaves here, such as smoke tree, five-pointed maple, and maple tree, etc. The best viewing period is from mid-October to early November.
Yueshan Temple
Yueshan Temple was built in 1158 AD (the Dading period of the Jin Dynasty), one of the Buddhist holy lands in the Central Plains. The temple has buildings such as the Heavenly King Hall, Mahavira Hall, and Sutra Pavilion, with more than 20 existing ancient buildings and more than 40 inscriptions. Yueshan Temple is also the birthplace of Bajiquan (Eight Extremes Fist), with profound cultural heritage.
Food
Bo'ai Braised Meat
Bo'ai braised meat is a local specialty. It is made of high-quality pork with a variety of spices. The meat is tender, mellow, fat but not greasy, lean but not firewood. It is one of the must-try foods for tourists, with an average per capita consumption of about 30-50 yuan.
Qinghua Bamboo Feast
The Qinghua Bamboo Feast is a traditional banquet in Bo'ai County. It uses bamboo as raw material to make various delicacies, such as bamboo rice, bamboo fungus soup, and bamboo shoot fried meat. The dishes are light and refreshing, nutritious, and have a strong local flavor, with an average per capita consumption of about 60-80 yuan.
Mountain Leek Fried with Native Chicken Eggs
Mountain leeks grow in the mountains of Qingtian River Scenic Area, pollution-free and nutrient-rich. Native chicken eggs are eggs raised by local farmers, with a delicious taste. The two are fried together, with a fresh fragrance, a healthy and delicious home-cooked dish, priced at about 25-35 yuan per plate.
Jiang Noodles
Jiang noodles are a traditional noodle dish in Jiaozuo. They are made with fermented soybean milk as the soup base, adding noodles, vegetables, bean sprouts, etc. They are sweet and sour, appetizing and digestive, and are a good product for cooling in summer, priced at about 8-12 yuan per bowl.
Tickets
The ticket price is 70 yuan per person.
You can search for the official WeChat public account "青天河风景区" in WeChat to get the latest news or buy tickets online.
Opening Hours
The scenic area is open all year round, from 7:30 to 18:00 in summer and from 8:00 to 17:30 in winter. During the Red Leaf Festival from October 1 to November 15 every year, the opening hours are extended to 18:30, and the admission stop time is 17:30.
Tour Routes
One-day tour route recommendation: Arrive at the scenic area at about 8 am, take a sightseeing car to Daquan Lake, take a boat to tour the lake and mountain scenery, and enjoy attractions such as the Natural Great Wall and Sanniang Teaching Her Son, about 2 hours. Then go to Guanyin Gorge, hike to visit Guanyin Waterfall, Dripping Guanyin and other attractions, about 1.5 hours. Have lunch in the scenic area restaurant and taste special foods such as Bo'ai braised meat. In the afternoon, go to Fo'er Gorge, visit Fo'er Pool, One-line Sky and other attractions, about 1.5 hours. Finally, take a sightseeing car back to the scenic area gate to end the trip.
Two-day tour route recommendation: Arrive at the scenic area in the morning of the first day, visit Daquan Lake and Guanyin Gorge, go to Jinjialing to enjoy red leaves in the afternoon (autumn), and stay at the Qingtian River Hotel in the scenic area at night. The hotel is located by Daquan Lake, with beautiful environment and complete facilities. On the second day, visit Yueshan Temple in the morning to learn about Buddhist culture and the history of Bajiquan, go to Fo'er Gorge in the afternoon, and then end the trip.
Transportation
- Public transportation: Take Bus No. 3 in Jiaozuo City to Bo'ai County, and then transfer to the tourist special line from Bo'ai County to Qingtian River Scenic Area. The fare is about 15 yuan, and the journey is about 40 minutes.
- Self-driving: Start from Jiaozuo urban area, drive north along Yingbin Road, turn into Xingfu Road in Bo'ai County, and then go straight to the scenic area along Qingtian River Avenue. The whole journey is about 35 kilometers, and the driving time is about 50 minutes. From Zhengzhou, take Zheng-Yun Expressway to Jin-Xin Expressway, get off at Bo'ai Exit, and then go to the scenic area. The whole journey is about 120 kilometers, and the driving time is about 1.5 hours. The scenic area parking lot charges 10 yuan per day.
- High-speed rail: Take the Zheng-Jiao Intercity Railway to Jiaozuo Station, and then transfer to a bus or taxi to the scenic area.
Must-Visit Attractions
- Daquan Lake: The lake is 7.5 kilometers long. Take a boat to enjoy the mountains on both sides and feel the beauty of the "Three Gorges of the North". It is recommended to play for 2-3 hours.
- Jinjialing: A 5,000-mu red leaf viewing area. In autumn, the mountains are full of red leaves. The best viewing period is from mid-October to early November. It is recommended to play for 2-3 hours.
- Guanyin Gorge: About 3 kilometers long, with attractions such as Guanyin Waterfall. The waterfall is more than 30 meters high, and the water is magnificent. It is suitable for hiking and sightseeing. It is recommended to play for 1.5-2 hours.
- Yueshan Temple: Founded in the Dading period of the Jin Dynasty, a Buddhist holy land in the Central Plains, with more than 20 existing ancient buildings. Learn about Buddhist culture and the birthplace of Bajiquan. It is recommended to play for 1-2 hours.
Tour Tips
- Autumn (October-November) is the best period to enjoy red leaves. It is recommended to check the red leaf index in advance and arrange the itinerary reasonably.
- When taking a boat tour of Daquan Lake, it is recommended to choose the morning when the light is soft and the photo effect is better. You can bring a camera or mobile phone to take beautiful photos.
- The scenic area is mostly mountainous terrain. It is recommended to wear comfortable sports shoes or hiking shoes for convenient hiking.
- Pay attention to sun protection when traveling in summer. Bring sunscreen, sun hats and other items, and prepare drinking water. The price in the scenic area is high.
- If you want to visit in depth, you can choose a two-day tour and stay in the hotel in the scenic area to experience the tranquility at night and the freshness in the morning.
Notes
- Smoking and open fires are strictly prohibited in the scenic area. Please do not smoke or use open fires in the scenic area to avoid causing mountain fires.
- When taking a boat tour, follow the safety regulations on the boat, wear a life jacket, and do not walk around or play on the boat at will.
- When enjoying red leaves in Jinjialing, do not enter the unopened area at will to avoid getting lost or having an accident.
- Respect the religious beliefs and cultural customs of Yueshan Temple. Keep quiet when entering the temple, and do not make loud noises or take photos.
- Some sections in the scenic area are steep. Pay attention to safety when visiting, especially take care of the elderly and children.
- In case of bad weather (such as heavy rain, strong wind, etc.), some attractions may be closed. It is recommended to check the weather forecast and scenic area announcements before traveling.