The People's Government of YunCheng City
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Scenic Area of Longmen
Issue time:2021-09-07

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Scenic Area of Longmen is located in Longmen Village, Hejin City. The planned area is 3100 hectares (including water area). The planning scope is as follows: north to the Shimen Gorge of the Yellow River Gorge, south to the Qiaotou Park of the Yellow River Bridge, east to National Highway 108, and west to the middle of Yellow River. The main scenic spots are: wonders of three gorges, eight scenes of Longmen, five bridges of Longmen, monument to martyrs, cliff carvings of Longmen, etc. At present, scenic area of Longmen has the following existing resources: first, it has built a wetland park—Longmen Park; second, with the increasing prosperity of self-driving tours and country tours, Longmen Scenic Area has formed a certain scale of farmhouse entertainment, mainly engaged in special dishes-Yellow River carps.

 Longmen is located in the Yellow River Gorge, 12km northwest of Hejin City. The Yellow River passes through Mengmen Gorge, Shimen Gorge and Longmen Gorge all the way from Hukou. Along the way, the mountains and rivers are beautiful and the scenery is pleasant. There are beautiful natural landscapes, legends and stories and inscriptions, including magnificent cliff, stone city, Yellow River water transportation, mi-tang temple, Cuo-kai-he(dredge river in a wrong direction) and inscriptions carved on cliffs during the Anti-Japanese War. The legends of "Dayu controlling flood" and "Carps leaping over Longmen" are intangible cultural heritage of Shanxi Province. The story of “Carps leaping over Longmen" is also a spiritual symbol of Hejin people's striving and braveness. Dayu’s chiseling in Longmen is the first great feat of conscious and large-scale struggle with nature in the history of the Chinese nation. Therefore, Longmen is also the first gate of Chinese civilization.

Next, on the basis of the Longmen Park that has been developed, we will connect the wetland of the park with the Yellow River; build two docks on the south side of the five bridges and the boat nest respectively; build tall and magnificent Dayu statue leaning the mountain; build the theme scenic spot of "Carps leaping over Longmen"; carve the names and characteristics of the scenic spots in Longmen Gorge; and connect the scenic spots of Dayu Temple, Longmen Park, Shimen Gorge, Cuo’kai’he, Mitang Bay, Ladder Cliff and Yuwang Cave in series to form complete scenic elements. Yellow River farmhouse and Longmen Commercial Street are planned in construction to meet the tourists’ requirements of eating, living and travelling. Efforts will be made to build Longmen scenic area into a comprehensive tourist resort integrating cultural sightseeing, leisure and entertainment, and health preservation and vacation.

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[Five Bridges in Longmen]

There are a total of five bridges, four styles with four kinds of mechanical structures here. It can be called a wonder of the world that the five bridges are juxtaposed. The steel-truss bridge towered into the sky; the suspension bridge is elastic; the single-hole arch bridge is beautiful like a moon;the stone bridge rises from the ground. The five bridges not only connects transportation of Shanxi Province and Shaanxi Province, but also adds the landscape of Longmen. (The Yellow River Bridge is 4.6km long, with novel structure, complicated craft and advanced technology. It is currently the longest span cable-stayed bridge in the Yellow River. )

[Pigeon Temple]

There is a temple on the top of east Longmen Mountain. The "Stone Paths Connecting Clouds" of the Eight Scenes of Longmen refers to here. There are hundreds of spring holes on the cliff below the temple (east of Longhu Highway). The spring water makes a tinkling sound from top to bottom. Especially in summer, people who come here listen to the sound of the spring feel refreshing and pleasant. This is the "Tinkling Spring Water" of the Eight Scenes of Longmen. It is also called "Pigeon Temple" by the local people because there are a group of pigeons living here all the year round.

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[Scenery of Shimen Gorge]

Shimen Gorge is the narrowest place in the Yellow River basin. The water flow is faster than that of Longmen Gorge. Longmen Gorge, Shimen Gorge and Mengmen Gorge are called the Three Gorges of the Yellow River. This section of the river has the largest drop, the quickest water flow and is most exciting. It can be compared with the Three Gorges of the Yangtze River and can best embody the boldness and spirit of the Yellow River.

[Cuo-kai-he] (Dredge river in a wrong direction)

Cuo-kai-he is essential for Longmen scenic area. Legend has goes that when Dayu led people to dredge the river course, the workers were digging all the way to the west. Suddenly, they heard an unknown big bird above calling "dig wrong, dig wrong, dig eastward is better than westward". Then Dayu climbed up the mountain with several experienced workers to check the mountain and water. Looking west, mountains were connected with mountains. It was not only a difficult project, but also a long detour. Looking east, after ten miles they can get out to the river mouth if they just chisel Shimen Gorge. Dayu immediately ordered the workers to "dig eastward". At this moment, the big bird flew away with flickering wings. Later, people called this place “cuo-kai-he”.

[Monument to Anti-Japanese Heroes]

In 1938, the Japanese invaders occupied North China, Shanxi Province and Hejin City in an attempt to cross the Yellow River from Longmen. They wanted to occupy northwest and southwest, and then advance from the rear to the coast, thus occupy all China. In December of 1938, the Japanese troops gathered forces from eight counties in southern Shanxi to storm Yunzhong Temple in Longmen Mountain. At that time, a reinforced battalion of the new 8th Division by the National Revolutionary Army was stationed here. The two sides engaged in fierce fighting for four days and nights. The main battlegrounds were Yunzhong Temple, Pigeon Temple. We lost and regained the position of Yunzhong Temple three times. The war was horrifying enough to change colors of mountains and rivers, and make ghosts cry. The war ended with Japanese army’retreating with more than 1,000 deaths, while the Chinese army lost 290 anti-Japanese martyrs. The position of Longmen Mountain is still in the hands of the Chinese army, the Japanese army failed to step into the Yellow River, thus defending the Yellow River, the northwest and the rear area. In 1992, Hejin County government built this monument here. Bo Yibo inscribed “The anti-Japanese martyrs are immortal”.

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[Longmen Cliff Carving]

In September of the 28th year of the Republic of China (1939), in order to commemorate the thousands of soldiers from 61st Division of the National Revolutionary Army who were killed in the Anti-Japanese War, the 61st Division commander General Zhong Song ordered inscriptions to be carved on the cliffs on the east side of the Yellow River in Hejin, so that the martyrs could be remembered through the ages. On the left is "Immortal of martyrs from the 61st army division", and in the middle the carved stone inscription are “heroic spirit that conquers mountains and rivers, immortal spirit, great achievements, success and death for a righteous cause, sword sweeping fusang, and magnificent spirit in Longmen". These six lines were inscribed by then Chairman of the National Government Lin Sen, Minister of Finance Kong Xiangxi, Commander of the Second War Region Yan Xishan, Committee Member of the National Defense Commission Yu You’ren, Commander-in-Chief of the 34th Army of the National Revolutionary Army General Song Xilian, and army commander of the 90th Army of the National Revolutionary General Li Wen.

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[Carps Leaping over Longmen]

It is said that long ago, before Longmen was cut open, the water flow in Yihe River (a tributary of the Yellow River) was blocked by Longmen Mountain, and a large lake was formed in the south of the mountain. Carps living in the Yellow River all want to go sightseeing when they hear of the beautiful scenery of Longmen. They started from the Yellow River in Mengjin, passed through the Luohe River and along the Yihe River to the foot of the northern mountain of Longmen Mountain. However, there was no waterway on Longmen Mountain and they could not get up. So they gathered together to discuss, a big red carp said to everyone, "I have an idea, how about we leap over Longmen mountain?" The others said, "It is so high, how do you jump?" "If you can't jump well, you will fall to death!" They talked noisily and could not make up their minds. The red carp volunteered, "I'll jump first and give it a try." The red carp used all its strength from half a mile away, leaped into the clouds like an arrow off the string. He moved forward by driving the clouds and rain in the air. A mass of heaven fire came after him and burned his tail. Enduring the pain, he continued to leap forward and finally crossed Longmen Mountain and fell into the lake water in the south of the mountain, turning into a huge dragon in a blink of an eye. At the sight of this, the carp in the north part of the mountain were scared to shrink back one by one and did not dare to take the risk again. At this moment, suddenly a huge dragon descending from the sky said, "Don’t be afraid, I am your partner big red carp, I became a dragon because I leaped over Longmen. You have to jump bravely!" Hearing these words, the carps were encouraged and began to jump over Longmen Mountain one by one. However, most of them can't get over except for a few jumping over and turning into dragons. Anyone who cannot leap over falls from the air and takes a black scar on his forehead. Until now, this black scar still grows on the heads of Yellow River carp. Later, Li Bai, a great poet of the Tang dynasty, wrote a poem specifically on this matter: "The three-foot carp in Yellow River originally lived in Mengjin; they didn’t become dragon and took a black scar on his forehead; they returned accompanying ordinary fish.”

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Address:

Near Yumenkou Bridge, 12km northwest of Hejin City (tourists can search “Yunenkou” in the internet map because the scenic spot has not yet been completed, there are no signs of “Longmen scenic area” on Baidu and Gaud maps)

Opening hours: All-day

Ticket price: free

Traffic guide:

For bus: take bus no. 4 from the city bus station, and get off at the stop of Yumenkou Yellow River Bridge.

For self-driving route: get out from Highway Houyu west exit, turn left along National Highway 108.