The central Chinese provinces of Shanxi , Shaanxi
, Henan and Shandong are linked and dominated by the
Yellow River (Huang He), which has played a vital role in
their history, geography and fortunes. The river is often likened
to a dragon, a reference not just to its sinuous course, but also
to its uncontrollable nature, and its behaviour, by turns benign
and malevolent. It provides much-needed irrigation to an area
otherwise arid and inhospitable, but as its popular nickname,
"China's Sorrow", hints, its floods and changes of course have
repeatedly caused devastation, and for centuries helped to keep the
delta region in Shandong one of the poorest areas in the
nation.
The river's modern name is a reference to the vast quantities of
yellow silt - loess - it carries, which has clogged and
confused its course throughout history, and which has largely
determined the region's geography. Loess is a soft soil, prone to
vertical fissuring, and in Shanxi and northern Shaanxi it has
created one of China's most distinctive landscapes, plains scarred
with deep, winding crevasses, in a restricted palette of browns. In
southern Shaanxi and Henan, closer to the river, the landscape is
flat as a pancake and about the same colour. It may look barren,
but where irrigation has been implemented the loess becomes rich
and fertile , easily tillable with the simplest of tools. It
was in this soil, on the Yellow River's flood plain, that Chinese
civilization first took root.
Sites of Neolithic habitation along the river are common,
but the first major conurbation appeared around three thousand
years ago, heralding the establishment of the Shang dynasty. For
the next few millennia, every Chinese dynasty had its capital
somewhere in the area and most of the major cities, from Datong in
the north, capital of the Northern Wei, to Kaifeng in the east,
capital of the Song, have spent some time as the centre of the
Chinese universe, however briefly. With the collapse of imperial
China the area sank into provincialism, and it was not until late
this century that it again came to prominence. The old capitals
have today found new leases of life as industrial and commercial
centres, and thus present two sides to the visitor: a static
history, preserved in the interests of tourism, and a rapidly
changing, and sometimes harsh, modernity. It is the remnants of
dynastic history that provide the most compelling reason to
visit, but the region also has much to offer in the way of scenery,
with more than its fair share of holy mountains.
Shanxi Province is the poor relation of the set, relatively
underdeveloped and with the least agreeable climate - temperatures
hit minus 15°C in winter - and geography, a swathe of mountain
plateau. But it does have some great attractions, most notably the
stunning Yungang cave temples , and one of the most
beautiful - and inaccessible - holy mountains, Wutai Shan .
Dotted around the small towns along the single rail line leading
south to the Yellow River plain, you'll find quirky temples and
villages that seem stuck in the last century. In contrast, wealthy
Xi'an , capital of low-lying, fertile Shaanxi Province, has
as many temples, museums and tombs as the rest of the province put
together, with the Terracotta Army deservedly ranking as one
of China's premier sights. It's also the home of a substantial
Muslim minority, whose cuisine is well worth sampling. Within easy
travelling distance of here, following the Yellow River east, are
two more holy mountains, Hua Shan and Song Shan (home
of the legendary Shaolin monks), and the city of Luoyang in
Henan, with the superb Longmen cave temples and Baima
Si just outside. Continuing east brings you to the
little-visited but appealing town of Kaifeng , a mellow
place that provides a refreshing change of scale. A diversion to
Anyang , capital of the Shang dynasty, or to the Linxian
Canal , a reminder of China's modern history, is possible from
here. Farther east lies Shandong, a province with less of a
distinctive identity, but home to more small and intriguing places
- Qufu , the birthplace of Confucius, with its giant temple
and mansion, Tai Shan , the most popular holy mountain in
the area, and the bizarre city of Qingdao , a replica of a
Bavarian village built by the Germans in the last century.
With generally good rail links, a well-developed tourist
industry and an agreeable climate outside the winter months,
travel in the region presents few difficulties, although the
rail network in Shanxi and northern Shaanxi is noticeably sparse
and their cities are still a decade or so behind their richer
southern neighbours. Sadly, the capricious nature of the river
makes river travel impossible in the region. Most towns and cities
now have hotels offering accommodation catering for a wide range of
budgets, with a few travellers' dormitories in the most popular
destinations. The best-value hotels, though, are in small towns,
such as Kaifeng, Qufu and Tai'an, which are anxious to attract
visitors.