The First Village Where the Yellow River Enters Shanxi, Once a Wealthy Trade Hub, Now the Yellow Earth Sand Dunes
As many people see it, the Yellow River's final performance appears in the period when it transitioned from youth to maturity, rather than in its infancy and childhood, despite the fact that the river was born in those early stages, causing a resounding echo throughout the world.
The first village where the Yellow River enters Shanxi Province is called Yellow River Entering Shanxi Village by locals. The Yellow River flows from Alama Bay in Inner Mongolia,, and enters Shanxi Province. Standing high and looking out, the cliffs on both sides persisted, with peaks reaching ten thousand feet, and the Yellow River resembled a trembling golden ribbon, winding around a mountain that resembled a bull's head.
Old Cow Bay is located at the intersection of Shanxi and Inner Mongolia, with the Yellow River serving as the boundary, south of which is Shanxi's, and north of which is Inner Mongolia's, bordering's, famed throughout the world for the first encounter between the Great Wall and the Yellow River shaking hands.
Driving along the winding gorge road, one experiences a unique charm—the clear Yellow River wraps around the mountains like a jade ribbon, and appears and disappears as a giant dragon in the gorge. Continuing along the mountain road, you can fully enjoy the surrounding Yellow River Plateau landscape, turning and turning for a long time before finally reaching the place where the Great Wall and the Yellow River are connected—Old Cow Bay.
, Ningwu Pass, Pian head Pass. Since the Ming Dynasty, these three passes supported each other, forming a, serving as a key military stronghold for defending northern Jin against foreign invasions. The head of the three passes was Pian head Pass, which still retains its ancient city, along with traditional customs and the most authentic and original Shanxi folk culture.
Natural wonders are more natural and wild than human-made sights. The Yellow River stretches 5400+ kilometers, originating from a trickle in Kunlun, and transforming into a mighty body of water, plummeting in great drops to collect many rivers, with clear water like blue indigo and muddy water mixed, crisscrossing the Chinese land for countless bends and turns before flowing into the sea.
According to records, this was a garrison castle during the Ming Dynasty, built in the 3rd year of the Chenghua reign (1467), with a brick-built hollow watchtower still well-preserved on the opposite mountain cliff. The dry Yellow River soil, farmers cultivated suitable crops, and in the distance were the homes of the villagers—improved, and the stone materials used for buildings were all locally sourced, with solid and hard stone.
A building resembling a Great Wall gate stood before you, with a tall lintel inscribed with black characters on a gold background: 'Yellow River No. 1 Bay', and beside it, a faded yellow boulder was carved with 'One of China's Ten Most Beautiful Canyons', and Old Cow Bay quietly lay in the depths of the canyon.
The river's destination is always the sea, and the riverbank is always the river's barrier. Although it sometimes surges with anger, it still chooses a new riverbank.
With a history of 200 years, it cannot be considered too long or too old, but when you stand by the Yellow River and look at this ancient town, the aroma that comes to you is rich and profound, like a wine aged for a thousand years: it not only contains the taste of time, but also the fusion of the Yellow River water and the thick and rustic civilization of the Yellow River region, fermented and matured.
A small mountain village plays out its own history—perhaps here are the descendants who garrisoned and fought against the enemy, or perhaps the people of this village together with Old Cow Bay welcomed their own glory; a highway along the Yellow River is being built in earnest, and its starting point is Old Cow Bay. The Old Cow Bay scenic spot is not yet very complete, with several observation towers also under construction, and it is believed that Old Cow Bay will greet its guests with a brand new image in the near future.
