Exploring Shaanxi's Natural Wonders

Near the end of the Good Girl’s trip to Shaanxi, China, we stopped at two places that reminded us of National Parks in the southwestern United States: Grand Canyon, Zion, Bryce Canyon, Arches and Canyonlands. 

After our stop at Hukou Falls, we traveled to Yanchuan County, some 90 miles northwest of Xi'an, to a giant horseshoe curve in the Yellow River. Visitors stand above and gaze downward. I immediately thought back to my trip to Horseshoe Bend in Arizona, near the Grand Canyon. The Chinese have built a safe viewing platform and a nearby pagoda at the top of a hill. In Arizona, on the other hand, you have to hike about three-quarters of a mile to the overlook. 

A Horseshoe Bend in the Yellow River

The Heaven and Earth Pagoda

Unfortunately, the day we visited was cloudy, and the recent rains gave the water an unappealing muddy hue. Nonetheless, the site is one of those natural wonders that are hard to forget. Yanchuan County is off the beaten tracks, near a number of old cave homes. 

Homes built into the side of a mountain.

The second attraction was a dramatic valley situated in Jingbian County in northwest Shaanxi province. “The Wave” is a sinuous sandstone landscape similar to the Wave in Arizona or slot canyons in Utah. The Chinese refer to these undulating areas as Danxia formations. 

Entering the Wave Valley

I’ve never been to the U.S. site, but a hike through the Wave in Shaanxi province offers eye-popping views of geological wonders. First, you descend many flights of stairs and then follow walkways as you explore. The metal pathways are excellent and safely constructed. Just remember you will have climb back up all those stairs on the return.

Overlooking the canyon.

Descending many flights of stairs.

The panorama constantly changes as do the shadows and sunlight bouncing around the formations. 

Sometimes the canyon walls are close enough to touch, and other spots lie open to the sun. I let my imagination run free and saw many shapes, as the face in this photo below. To me, the profile on the right (below) looks like someone is whispering in another's ear. Do you see the man in profile? 

I call this "The Whisperer."

The sun shining down creating reflections.

If you continue to the end of the trail, you will find a surprise: a small lake and a boat dock. 

Canyon walkways

Lake and Boat Dock

I wished we’d arrived earlier or later as the sunlight was harsh for photography, and the long return became overly hot. Take water, but don’t miss China’s Wave; it’s spectacular and worth the effort. The landscape is brutally dry, but you can easily imagine how it would vibrantly change during or after a rain shower.

 

Striations of Color

One of those serendipitous travel moments occurred at the very top of the stairs on my return to the overlook area. Huffing and puffing, I spied an elderly man with the most magnificent beard and facial features. He was dressed like a character out of a period movie and smoked a long pipe. I asked if I could take his photo and he humbly obliged. Of course, I had to ask someone to take my picture with him as well. 

Me and my new friend.

China is a country where you must expect the unexpected. Each day brings new knowledge of interesting culture and its long history. While life in China’s million-plus populated cities has become westernized, the outlying regions,like those in northwestern Shaanxi province, still cling to the old ways. The area provides a delightful mix of young and old, hardworking and friendly people. 

A Chinese family exploring the Wave.

Seems trite, but China is a massive country and requires multiple trips to even to touch the highlights. An itinerary that concentrates on Shaanxi province guarantees many rewards and lasting memories. We had quite the adventure from visiting the Terracotta Warriors in Xian and the artistic production of Everlasting Regret, to hikes in towering Huashan (mountain) and the roar of Hukou Falls. We'd be thrilled to return to China again. 

Forgotten Story of Cai Lun, Creator of Paper

Scrolls of papyrus and bamboo shoots were cumbersome and heavy, silk was expensive. Cai Lun (61-121 A.D.) developed the solution, paper, and civilization has been grateful ever since.

Grateful, but forgetful. Cai Lun, ranked by experts as the seventh most influential man in history, is virtually unknown in the West. The Good Girls certainly had never heard of him and neither had our fellow writers and photographers who were along on this Shaanxi adventure. That is until we were taken to Longting Town, given to Cai Lun by the grateful emperor and where he is buried.

Officials at Longting waiting to greet us.

At the age of 15 he had been selected to work for the royal family and rose quickly in their esteem. As one of the emperor's most trusted eunuchs, he was invited to sit in on meetings and record them.

The story goes that on a rainy, muddy day, he had loaded a cart with important scrolls of bamboo strips to take home and read. En route the ox stumbled, the cart overturned and the scrolls fell out. As Cai Lun struggled to reload them, he decided there must be a better way to preserve documents.

There was. After much experimentation, he developed the methods for combining bark from trees, hemp, waste, old rags and fish nets, macerating and soaking it until it could be lifted out of the water and dried to form sheets of paper.

 He showed it to the emperor who issued a decree that the whole country should adopt it. Cai Lun was given a new title, Marquis of Dragon Pavilion, and a village, which quickly became a center of paper making. His invention was called the Marquis Cai Paper. 

Later, Cai Lun was accused of treasonous palace intrigue. Rather than go through an investigation, he bathed, dressed in his finest robe and took poison. Eventually he was absolved and reburied in a proper tomb.

The site is an humble one by comparison to others we had seen. You enter a memorial filled with

paper-making implements used during his lifetime,

 a portrait

and scenes from his life and paper-making.

You exit to a modest, tree-shaded garden.

Beyond is the grass-covered tomb. Very low-key for a man whose contributions out rank those of Gutenburg, Galileo, Aristotle, Pasteur and Einstein.

We toured through The Museum of Cailun Paper Culture next door to see Cai Lun's process at work.

From the collection of materials,

their soaking,

Debi tries out the maceration device.

 maceration, re-soaking.

Once an even sheet can be screened out,

 It is eased off the screen,

slapped on a wall to dry

and voila! Paper.

The director showed us the final steps; in summer, regular demonstrations are offered. There is a small store were visitors can buy hand-made paper, with or without Chinese calligraphy.

Paper is considered one of China's greatest inventions along with gunpowder, the compass and the printing process.

We left with respect and great appreciation for Cai Lun, especially since none of us could have learned, developed and practiced our skills without his world-changing process.

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