Tourist highways popularize “touring to the county” (seeing vitality in new scenes)

Our reporter Zheng Yangyang

When coming to Yuncheng, Shanxi, more and more tourists like to “tour to the county”.

Yuncheng has 102 national key cultural relics protection units, ranking first among prefecture-level cities in the country. Rich cultural relics and natural landscapes are scattered along the Yellow River.

In 2024, Shanxi Yellow River Tourism Highway No. 1 will be fully connected. The main line of the Yuncheng section of the tourism highway is about 500 kilometers long, connecting 93 natural and cultural landscapes in the city, becoming the core link for the development of cultural tourism in Yuncheng.

During the National Day holiday, the reporter drove along the Yellow River Tourist Highway No. 1 and visited three counties in Yuncheng for three days. Observing along the way, the three counties gave different answers.

Yuanqu County, located at the junction of Shanxi and Henan, focuses on improving supporting service capabilities to make self-driving more comfortable and worry-free.

Looking far away from Dongzhai Pier, you can see the towering mountains and the wide water surface. Many tourists camp on the shore lawn and experience water entertainment projects. Zhou Tao, a tourist from Yuncheng City, said: “It’s so convenient! I drove all the way, with complete supporting facilities and considerate service. The whole family had a great experience.”

On the mountainside next to the pier, there are several road stations built next to the tourist highway. Zhang Baobao, deputy director of the Yuanqu County Transportation Bureau, said: “The inn has a maternal and infant room and a reading room where tourists can rest and read, making road travel more comfortable and convenient.”

Ruicheng County, at the bend of the Yellow River, is home to the simple and solemn murals of the Yongle Palace of the Yuan Dynasty. By stringing tourist destinations together and continuing to enhance tourists’ in-depth experience, Ruicheng County’s popularity has surged in the past two years.

The Guangrenwang Temple, not far from Yongle Palace, is one of the few remaining Tang Dynasty wooden buildings in the country. Many tourists drive here to listen to professional explanations and experience the long history.

At Dayu Ferry in Ruicheng, the river surged, and the setting sun shone golden light on the river. The portable holiday farm next to the ferry attracts a large number of tourists to stay by themselves. It is hard to find a room in a B&B, and the farmhouse business is booming.

Through the construction of tourist highways, Ruicheng County has connected multiple themed routes such as Yellow River ecological sightseeing and visits to ancient buildings. “On the first day of the National Day holiday, the number of tourists increased by 50% year-on-year, and the number of single-day tourists in the county exceeded 26,000.” said Hao Guoxia, director of the Ruicheng County Culture and Tourism Bureau.

The last stop of this reporter’s trip was the Stork Tower in Yongji City. “Sharing” is the key word here.

Climb the tower and look into the distance, the Yellow River is flowing, and Huashan Mountain is clearly visible in the distance. Many tourists rush here to experience for themselves the meaning of “to reach a higher level if you want to see a thousand miles further”.

Wang Hongrong, deputy director of the Propaganda Department of the Yongji Municipal Party Committee, said: “Holiday tourists mostly drive along the tourist highway and face parking problems. For this reason, we have opened the party and government compound to welcome tourists from all over the country.”

Also shared is the night. As the sun sets, the entire Stork Tower Scenic Area lights up, and fish lantern tours, lotus lantern prayers, fireworks and bonfires, and electronic music beer parties are staged in turn.

The road network extends in all directions, driving self-driving highways and niche in-depth county tourism to continue to heat up, polishing the new cultural tourism business card of “touring to the county” and activating a new engine for the development of county cultural tourism economy.