A stunning Grand Canyon in Shaanxi, its wild beauty is very different from the domestic style
When traveling, I always have a soft spot for places that "were once closed, but are now open again."
In my opinion, there must be a reason why it was closed, and when those reasons were posted ambiguously online, it piqued my interest.
After all, what could be more powerful than “curiosity” in motivating people to travel thousands of miles to a place to find out? If it later reopens, that would be even more proof that the hazard has completely disappeared.
For example, this is the case with a niche attraction located in Shaanxi Province that I found online. My friend and I happened to be in Shaanxi at the time. When he heard that I was going to Yan'an, he thought I was going to take him on a "red journey."
But actually, the place I want to go is Yucha Village, Ganquan County, Yan'an City. There is the destination of my trip - Ganquan Yucha Grand Canyon.
It is a niche attraction that was not discovered until 2017. At that time, a geological photography enthusiast from Beijing accidentally discovered it while taking pictures of loess landforms. He took a photo and posted the photo and location online. After the spread and fermentation of the Internet, it quickly became popular on social media at home and abroad. became famous.
This mysterious geological wonder hidden in the loess has been in a state of being "raised in a boudoir and unknown to people" for many years, and therefore remains primitive and undeveloped.
Many people who travel have this mentality. They think that pure natural and primitive things are the best, and ignore other things. The word "pure natural" can capture their souls. Gone.
As a result, this Grand Canyon has become popular in the online world. Many geological photography enthusiasts, travel enthusiasts and backpackers at home and abroad have come here.
It was also at this time that Yucha Grand Canyon got the title of "China's Antelope Canyon". Although I have always scorned the title "China's XX", I have to admit that it is this title that makes Yucha Grand Canyon spread wider.
However, just when it was at its peak, the scenic spot suddenly announced its closure due to safety hazards. This is also the reason why it is "too primitive", so primitive that even in dangerous areas there are no protective measures. Whether you can pass through that section of road safely depends solely on luck. If you are unlucky, we will see you in the next life.
But a year ago, the Yucha Grand Canyon reopened, so it became very popular on the Internet again.
Starting from Yan'an, we took a minibus all the way to Ganquan County, and then shared a car from Ganquan County to Yucha Village. After we got there, we just walked the rest of the way.
The Yucha Grand Canyon is composed of several parts. There are currently three open ditches: Mudan Valley, Yixiantian and Birch Valley. Longbagou and Baozigou are not open to the public. If you want to go there, you can ask local villagers to serve as tour guides. However, the road conditions there are more dangerous. Anyway, a timid and life-saving person like me did not go there.
Taking different roads, you can naturally experience different landscapes. The canyon is full of bright colors. Here you can immerse yourself in it and feel the miraculous craftsmanship of nature. The long and ancient history has given birth to the unique loess culture of this land. Everything in the canyon has been polished by thousands of years of wind and rain. The rock walls are concave and convex, with smooth lines, revealing nature and harmony everywhere.
We took the birch ditch, which is said to be the most beautiful of the three open ditches. It is about 800 meters long, with a narrow ravine in the middle. The rock walls on both sides have been blown by the rain and wind. Clear and smooth stripes were washed out, and walking among them was like walking among the waves, with an indescribable sense of agility, as if they were in constant motion.
When the light shines into the canyon, the rock walls show different colors. The moss-covered rock walls appear a dreamy green in the sunlight, and there are tiny particles flying up and down in the light. , it really feels like a fairyland.
The general red sandstone geology shows a calm red color under the sunlight. It is not the kind of bright red that jumps out, but a calm vermilion, as if it suddenly floats from the rock wall. A large fire cloud appeared, and its beauty was not inferior to the beautiful sunset in the sky. In some places, due to the light, the rock walls will appear lavender, orange or pink, which is very beautiful.
However, there is a lot of homework to be done before coming here. For example, as mentioned before, the roads here are rugged and there are safety hazards in some places, so you have to pay more attention.
The roads in the canyon are slippery, even on sunny days, so it is best not to go there on rainy days (not to mention the roads, the scenery is not as beautiful as on a sunny day). It is best to check the weather forecast in advance if you go. Prepare rain boots to prevent slipping.
In addition, the temperature inside the canyon is much lower than outside, so you should also pay attention to keeping warm, and it is best to bring a thin jacket.
The homework we have done before is that the scenery in the canyon is the best from 10 am to 2 pm. We arrived around eleven o'clock and left around one o'clock in the afternoon, and the light was really good at that time. A stunning Grand Canyon in Shaanxi. Its wild beauty is very different from its domestic style.
If you are a nature lover or a photography enthusiast who is interested in unique terrain, then Yucha Grand Canyon is a place you must not miss, and I can give only one piece of advice: Do a good job in safety. The Shaanxi Grand Canyon, which has been closed and opened again, is so wild and stunningly beautiful.