I am Cheng in English. Since 2014, I have used 4 years to travel through every district of Shaanxi, inspecting most of the tourism resources. Now I want to sort out the tourism resources of each district for reference by cultural and tourism enthusiasts. Today I will introduce the Zhouzhi County of Xi'an.

Zhouzhi County is located in the most western area of Xi'an City, which is the largest in terms of area among all districts, with a total area of 2974 square kilometers. Besides most of the Qinling Mountains, it also includes a significant portion of the Ganzhou Plain. It is very suitable for agricultural development, and currently Zhouzhi is the largest kiwi fruit production base in China and the largest water supply base in Xi'an, a national ecological demonstration county.

The name of Zhouzhi is quite confusing for many people at first sight. In fact, this county has a history of over 2000 years. It was originally called Xiao Jiang (or Zhouzhi), and in Tang Li Ji Fu'sYuanhe County Annals, it says: 'The curves of the mountains are called Xiao, and the curves of the water are called Jiang, so the name of the county is derived from these'. It means 'curved mountains and flowing water'. Later, the government simplified these complex names, and it became Zhouzhi.

Zhouzhi has more than half of its space belonging to Qinling Mountains, combined with over 2000 years of history, its tourism resources are relatively rich compared to other districts of Xi'an. This article mainly introduces the key tourism resources of Zhouzhi. Currently, the quality scenic spots that can be visited in Zhouzhi are mainly concentrated in the area along the north foot of Qinling Mountains and the winding road. It can be seen that the ancient pavilions, Pavilion Road Cultural Exhibition Area, Black River Tourism Scenic Area, Zhaishan Temple, Jiang River Scenic Area, Xianyuan Temple, Qinling National Botanical Garden are all in this area.

Image from Pavilion Road Cultural Exhibition Area official website

Zhouzhi's highest-level tourist attractions are 3 AAAA-level scenic areas

As a 4A-level tourist attraction, its name is Pavilion Road Cultural Exhibition Area, but the local people often call it Pavilion Gate. As everyone knows, Shaanxi is an important birthplace of Taoism in China, with many representatives of Taoist culture, such as the True Perfection Palace is the ancestral temple of the True Perfection Sect, and Longmen Cave is the ancestral temple of the Dragon Gate Sect. Pavilion Gate is where Lao Tzu lectured on the Dao and recorded five thousand words in the south of the pavilion, and built a platform to teach disciples, leaving the name of Pavilion Gate. Therefore, Pavilion Gate is an important place in the history of Taoism, known as 'the first blessed land in the world'

The status of Pavilion Gate in the Taoist community can be seen from its position as a Supervisor. From 1986 to 2014, Pavilion Gate Supervisor Lawong Daochang served as the President of Shaanxi Taoist Association and the Chairman of China Taoist Association, making Pavilion Gate a center for contemporary Taoism.

Due to the importance of Pavilion Gate culture in Xi'an tourism, Xi'an entrusted it to the Qijie Group specializing in cultural and tourism development. The Qijie Group integrated nearby tourism resources to form a tourist area with multiple attractions, exceeding the concept of a 4A scenic area, including:

Ancient Pavilion Road Cultural Exhibition Area. This is the core of the ancient pavilion in the Chinese Taoist cultural exhibition area. Going to Pavilion Gate is mainly to see this.

Ying Sheng View Scenic Area. Located 3.5 kilometers west of Pavilion Gate, it is in Yaju Mouth, and was built during the Tang Dynasty. It was formerly known as Yuzhin Temple, Yuzhin Hall, and Tian Tian Platform, which was the place where Princess Yu Zhen, the younger sister of Emperor Li Longji, built her temple.

Zhen Nu Spring Scenic Area. Located 1000 meters west of Zhen Nu Spring in the center of Zhen Nu Spring, the sacred Taoist site of Xi'an, Zhouzhi County. Legend has it that Lao Tzu once came to this place with a cane, and planted the cane on the ground, and turned it into a beautiful woman to test whether his disciple Xu Jia had a sincere heart. Afterwards, he pulled out the cane and turned it into a clear spring, so it was named Zhen Nu Spring

Zhao Gongming God of Wealth Scenic Area. Legend says that the God of Wealth Zhao Gongming was born and evolved here, which is a provincial key cultural relic protection unit, with the Zhao Temple Scenic Area built.

In addition, Qijie is also doing an agricultural exhibition garden, a Pavilion Road hot spring hotel, and a Pavilion Road Impression Hotel here

Pavilion Road Forest Park. Pavilion Gate is the Qinling shallow mountain behind the Pavilion Gate, and there is a national forest park called Pavilion Road Forest Park. Friends who like green and outdoor can visit here.

2. Black River Tourism Scenic Area (AAAA level)

Black River originates from Mount Taibai, flows through Zhouzhi and into Wei River. It is the source of drinking water for Xi'an. The Black River Tourism Scenic Area here refers to the Black River upstream about 61 kilometers south of Zhouzhi County, with a Black River National Forest Park. It is currently a national AAAA-level tourist scenic area. The scenic area's core resource is the winding Black River for more than 20 kilometers, with excellent ecological environment.

Along the way, the most beautiful Black River Reservoir should not be included in the scenic area. You can enjoy it for free along the roadside. The Black River Reservoir is the most beautiful in Xi'an in autumn.

3. Zhouzhi Water Street Sand River Scenic Area (AAAA level)

Located at the intersection of the 108 National Road and Sand River Bridge with the Sand River Bridge, only a few kilometers from the county seat, with convenient transportation. It is a rural tourism destination created in recent years. The scenic area has emphasized its 'water street' characteristic since its opening, and once boasted 'China's First Water Street' to a certain extent. In the eyes of most tourists, it is of the same nature as Yuanjia Village and Mawei Station, focusing on the characteristic catering products.

4. Qinling National Botanical Garden

Qinling is the 'dragon's veins' of China, the north-south demarcation line, and a representative region of biodiversity. The proposal to build a large comprehensive botanical garden started around 2000 and was discussed at the provincial working conference. Finally, in 2017, it was implemented. Qinling National Botanical Garden has a very high starting point. It is jointly built by the Shaanxi Provincial People's Government, the Ministry of Ecology and Environment, the Chinese Academy of Sciences, and the Xi'an Municipal Government. It is currently the largest, geographically unique and ecologically valuable, and the best-protected primitive mountain botanical garden in China. It is the only botanical garden in China with the word 'National' attached to it. Currently, it has just been open for two years, and the overall situation says that there are still many imperfections. Including me, as a reporter, I haven't been there yet. As the garden matures in the future, its tourism appeal will be greatly enhanced.

Just mentioned are the key tourist attractions with the highest level in Zhouzhi. Friends who like history and culture can visit some smaller Buddhist temples and towers.

5. Lawong Pagoda and Old County Town

Lawong Ancient Road is a Qinling ancient road that connects Xi'an and Hanzhong through Zhouzhi. It is the shortest Qinling route between Xi'an and Hanzhong, and it's the shortest route from Xi'an to Hanzhong. The ancient road ruins are still there today, but it's difficult to find.

There are some ancient cities and towns along the Lawong Ancient Road. The most well-known one in Zhouzhi is Old County Town. Old County Town was the capital site of the Qing Dynasty's Pingfo Hall. Back then, there were two county magistrates who were kidnapped by bandits and killed, so the new county magistrate gave up governing the city and moved to the current Pingfo site. Therefore, Old County Town became a village with only dozens of households. It's one of the most remote villages in Xi'an's administrative district, and still retains its original ecology.

The village has no concrete roads and no modern buildings, all made of Qinling earth houses, which are very original. It's also very difficult to enter, with a narrow dirt road with a single-car lane, which requires skillful driving. More people come here for outdoor routes, from Baoqi's Yellow Pian – Old County Town – Thick Zizhi crossing, it is one of the most beautiful autumn outdoor routes in Shaanxi.

Due to limited space, this article introduces so many places. Welcome everyone to supplement and correct the omissions.

708

7.

20,

8.

----