[2025 Hejin Attraction] Travel Guide for Great Ladder Cliff of The Yellow River (Updated May)

The Yellow River Ladder Cliff is located in Hejin City, Shanxi Province, between Longmen and Shimen of the Yellow River. It faces Shimen to the north, Longmen to the south, the Yellow River to the west, and Luliang to the east. The mountains and rivers are magnificent and the scenery is unique. The core landscape of the Ladder Cliff, the Ladder Cliff, is very old, dating back to the Northern Wei Dynasty, according to relevant records. Although the chisel marks on the wall have experienced wind and rain, they are still clearly visible. It is an ancient zigzag plank road artificially excavated on the edge of the cliff according to the terrain. It consists of 365 steps, with a width of four or five feet and each step is seven or eight inches high. The overall shape of the Ladder Cliff from the air is like carving 365 steps on a vertical stone. The terrain is steep, the scenery is unique, and the craftsmanship is amazing. The red past on the ladder cliff: On December 23, 1938, the Japanese army entrenched in Hejin, with the 7th and 8th regiments attached to the Tengtian Battalion as the backbone, plus puppet troops, totaling 4,000 to 5,000 people, more than 20 cannons, and the air force cooperated to attack the frontier positions of the New Eighth Division East Longmen Mountain and Yumenkou. The officers and soldiers of the New Eighth Division fought bravely and repelled the Japanese attack many times. The Japanese suffered heavy casualties, and the casualties of the officers and soldiers of the New Eighth Division’s frontier positions also reached more than 70%. Among them, a reinforced platoon guarding Yunzhong Temple all died heroically. Many frontier positions were lost for a time. On the 30th, Zhu Zhenmin, deputy commander of the New Eighth Division, ordered the 23rd Regiment to cross the mountains and ridges, cross the river from Shijiatan to reinforce, and launch an attack on the Japanese army from the side of Longmen Mountain (Datizi Cliff) to recover all the positions in Longmen Mountain. This battle dealt a heavy blow to the Japanese invaders, killing and wounding more than 200 Japanese soldiers, forcing them to retreat to Hejin and Jieshan. 271 officers and soldiers from Guizhou, including the company commander of the New Eighth Division, were buried together at the foot of Longmen Mountain at the junction of Shaanxi and Shanxi (this place belongs to Hejin County, Shanxi Province). In 1987, the Hejin County Political Consultative Conference built a monument in front of the tomb. The beautiful legend on the ladder cliff: It is said that when Dayu arrived here to control the flood, he encountered an evil dragon blocking him and could not continue the construction. So he built the stone ladder to the sky of the Yellow River ladder cliff, intending to go to heaven to complain to the Jade Emperor. As a result, after the ladder was built, he found that he still could not go to heaven. Then Guanyin Bodhisattva saw it and could not bear the suffering of the people, so he enlightened Dayu to enter heaven, and then met the Jade Emperor. The Jade Emperor sent heavenly soldiers and generals to kill the evil dragon and remove the obstacles to river control. Dayu led the people to fight day and night, and soon chiseled the dragon gate, allowing the endless flood to flow into the sea. Now there is a barefoot print on the rock wall next to the Guanyin Buddha niche on the ladder cliff. Legend has it that this is what Dayu left when he entered heaven. Peach Blossom Valley Peach Blossom Valley, as the name suggests, is named after the peach blossoms that bloom all over the mountains in early spring. The valley is quiet and elegant, with lush vegetation, gurgling streams, waterfalls, and various rock formations. The scenery of each season is unique. In spring, peach blossoms bloom all over the mountains. In summer, the scenery is lush and green, with birds singing and flowers fragrant. In autumn, the intoxicating red leaves are scattered on both sides of the valley like ribbons. In winter, everything is quiet, accumulating strength and waiting for the coming year. If you are lucky, you can catch a snowfall, which is really as if it can cleanse the beauty of the soul. Mingxiu Plank Road (Glass Plank Road) Mingxiu Plank Road: "Ming" means wisdom, "Xiu" means practice, and "Mingxiu" means practice of wisdom. The plank road is made up of 108 pieces of three-layer tempered glass, which is exactly the same as the number of 108 Buddhist beads. We integrate the meaning of 108 Buddhist beads with it, and hope that everyone can be happy and at ease in this practice of life. The glass plank road is about 230 meters long and has a vertical height difference of about 150 meters. It is the best way to reach Taohua Valley. On the way, tourists can experience the Sky Walk while enjoying the Taohua Valley Waterfall.