The ancient rice terraces of Hanyin in Ankang City, Shaanxi Province not only have a long history, but also bring a strong visual impact to tourists. Here, you can feel the close and harmonious integration of nature's most mysterious atmosphere and ergonomics. The most beautiful and moving time at the turn of spring and summer is worth a visit. Here is a detailed travel guide for you.
I have long heard that there is an ancient terraced field in Hanyin, southern Shaanxi. It was not only selected as one of the "Top Ten New Discoveries of Shaanxi Cultural Relics", but was also named "China's Beautiful Garden" by the Ministry of Agriculture. So, I've always wanted to see it.
Later I read Jia Pingwa's latest book "Shanben". The place where the story "Wortex Town" takes place reminded me of the town of Whirlpool in Hanyin County. Is there any connection between the two? With this curiosity, I went to Hanyin County, Ankang City.
There is a direct train from Xi'an to Hanyin, but I prefer to travel by train. So, after get off work on Friday, I took train k1032 from Xi'an to Ankang and arrived in Ankang around 10:30 in the evening.
I found a hotel near the train station and slept for the night. Early the next morning, I took the train from Ankang to Hanyin. These two places are very close to each other. Less than ten o'clock, we arrived in Hanyin County.
Hanyin Railway Station is very small, and the square is still under construction, so it looks a bit messy. After putting down our things in the county town, we went to have breakfast and taste the local specialty Kangkang steamed buns. It still tastes very good!
At the entrance of Hanyin Bus Station, there is a shuttle bus to Whirlpool Town. After getting on the bus, I asked the driver to put me in a place where I could see the terraces.
When you get off the bus, you will see the pastoral scenery. In the distance, there are continuous mountains and terraced fields, forming a green landscape. In the middle are some residential buildings, dotting the entire picture.
After going down the mountain, I walked into the whole painting. Because during the season when I arrived, the rapeseed flowers had withered and the paddy fields had already been transplanted, so I couldn’t see the effect of the photos online. There are no tourists in sight on the road. I'm the only one walking alone.
Walking in the countryside, I can only hear the buzzing of bees and it feels very quiet. I slowly walked to the terrace and took a closer look at the rice fields. It was different from what I imagined.
After walking for more than a kilometer, I finally saw the cultural protection monument erected by the provincial government. Behind the monument is a detailed introduction to the Yanfeng ancient terraces. It was built in the 21st year of Qianlong reign of the Qing Dynasty and has a history of more than 250 years. Its builders are the Wu family from Changsha County, Hunan.
So, why did the Wu family, who originally lived in Changsha, Hunan, come to this small place in the Qinba Mountains of Shaanxi?
In fact, this is related to the immigration policy of the Qing Dynasty. At the end of the Ming Dynasty and the beginning of the Qing Dynasty, due to war, the local population in southern Shaanxi dropped sharply and the land was barren. Therefore, during the Shunzhi and Kangxi years, immigrants from the Huguang area were called to fill the area. Therefore, the Wu family came to Xuanwo Town, Hanyin County, where they built terraces and developed the economy.
The entire terraced area is very large, including Huanglong, Yanping, and Cigou villages in Whirlpool Town. I walked for more than half an hour before arriving at Wu Jia Flower House in Cigou Village. This is a residential building from the middle and late Qing Dynasty, with obvious characteristics of Jiangnan residential style.
What I am most interested in is the "Immigration Culture Exhibition" inside. Unfortunately, because it was the off-season, Kurehanaya was not open, which made me feel very regretful.
So, I bought some food at a nearby canteen and walked back. I happened to see locals plowing fields and planting rice on the roadside. There are still traditional farming methods here. Farmers rely on buffaloes to plow the fields and then plant the rice by hand. Everything works well with each other.
Walking among them, people will forget the troubles of the city and feel very quiet and comfortable.
Denglonggang Park to enjoy the night view of Hanyin
, return to the county town from the terraces, and check into the hotel to rest in the afternoon. After dinner, I went to Longgang Park in the north of the city.
There is a tributary of the Han River crossing the river in Hanyin City, dividing the county into two parts, the new city and the old city. I lived in Xincheng, crossed a bridge and came to Hanyin Old Town.
There are no high-rise buildings in the old city. t
You know, almost all the city walls in Shaanxi have been demolished, but there are very few left! So, I walked around the city wall and found another place where I could climb the city wall, so I climbed up.
But the scene on top of the city wall is a bit disappointing, overgrown with weeds, animal and human excrement everywhere, it's like a garbage dump!
In the southeast corner of the city wall, I also found a brick tower called Wenfeng Tower, which was built in the twelfth year of Tongzhi. But you can't climb this tower.
Walking under the city wall, I was curious: When was this section of the city wall built? Why did it become what it is today? Under the city wall, I found the cultural protection monument erected by the provincial government, and found the answer in the introduction on the back.
It turns out that it was built in the first year of Chenghua in the Ming Dynasty and has a history of more than 540 years. It is less than a hundred years later than the city wall in Xi'an and belongs to the same period. Unfortunately, it suffered a lot of damage during the Cultural Revolution, and only a section of the Lower South City Wall and the West City Wall were preserved. At the beginning of the 21st century, in order to widen South Street, the south gate was partially demolished, leaving only the west gate.
After reading the introduction and thinking about the current situation of the city wall I just saw, I can’t help but feel heartbroken!
If the ancient city wall of Hanyin can be completely preserved, it may be another "Pingyao Ancient City", which will be immeasurable to the development and image of the city! Unfortunately, history cannot repeat itself, and destroyed cultural relics can never be repaired. I just hope the remaining city walls can be protected!
After leaving Hanyin City Wall and continuing north, you will arrive at Longgang Park in the north of the city. Along the way up the mountain, you can see a loft, locally called Longgang Pavilion. It's a pity that I can't visit.
At this moment, it was completely dark and all the lights in the city were on. Standing on the mountain, you can overlook the entire Hanyin County, which is quite quiet.
Come down from Longgang Park, stroll along the river embankment road, listen to music, and feel the breeze from the Han River. Very comfortable.
Those bridges look ordinary during the day, but under the illumination of various lights, they show a different kind of beauty. This is probably the unique charm of the city along the Han River.
Visit the Sanshen Memorial Hall and marvel at the "three heroes of one discipline"
I woke up early the next morning and went to the Sanshen Memorial Hall in the old city. And I took a detour to the only remaining West Gate in the old city, wanting to pursue a sense of ritual.
Standing in front of the west gate of the old city gives people a sense of historical vicissitudes. And when you walk through the arched doorway, it's like traveling through history.
The Shen Memorial Hall is easy to find, just on Xin Street. Walking in, you feel a quiet atmosphere. Because there are few tourists, I will visit slowly by myself and learn about the deeds of the three characters.
Who does "Three Sins" refer to? Refers to Shen Shiyuan, Shen and Shen Jianshi. The three of them lived in Hanyin when they were young and later became professors at Peking University. They have made great achievements in their respective academic fields and are masters in the history of modern culture.
The eldest brother Shen Shiyuan not only served as a political officer in the education system many times, but also conducted in-depth research on Lao Zhuang. During the New Culture Movement, Zhong's brother Shen took the lead in setting an example and made great contributions to the rise and development of new Chinese vernacular poetry. His younger brother Shen Jianshi was not only a master of writing and exegesis, but also made great achievements in calligraphy in his later years.
In such a small county, it is a miracle that "three heroes in one discipline" can emerge!
: Travel Guide
1. Transportation
Self-driving: Shitian Expressway and 316 National Highway transit, very convenient.
Backpacking tour: You need to take a train to Ankang Railway Station first, and then transfer to Hanyin County Train; from Xi'an, you can take a bus to Chengnan Passenger Terminal.
2. Accommodation
There are many hotels in the county. It is recommended to stay near the bus station.
3. Food
Hanyin has a lot of delicious food, such as fried rice dumplings, fried fruits, Kang buns, rice cake buns, glutinous rice cakes, and jelly. It is recommended to try them all.
4. Recommend nearby attractions
If you want to take pictures of the beautiful scenery of the terraces, you can choose the season when rapeseed flowers are in full bloom or the season when the terraces are irrigated.