Baota Hill (Baota shan), southeast of the river junction, takes its name from the Bao Pagoda (Bao ta) on its summit. This nine-story pagoda, built in the Tang Dynasty (618-907 AD), is 44m (144ft) in height. Climb to the top story and you will get a bird's eye view of the entire town.  This hill, and the pagoda on top of it have become the symbol of the city (and even of Red China). The highlight here, besides the lovely views, is a large Ming Dynasty (1368-1644 AD) Iron Bell. It saw heavy use during the 1930s and 40s when it was employed both to chime the hour and raise alarms for the communists'  wary troops.  Also hidden in the surrounding hills are a Stele Forest.   The faces of the stele are inscribed with a variety of ancient Chinese calligraphy.    more >>

The sound produced here has been compared to stampeding horses and roaring dragons. When you visit Hukou Waterfall, the second largest waterfall in China, you'll have a chance to make a grandiose comparison of your own.  In the spring, the snow and ice begin to melt. As summer approaches, run-off swells the river to its full 100 meter (330ft) breadth, with spectacular results for photographers and tourists alike. The river suddenly narrows to one fifth that width, concentrating the energy of the torrent just before the fall. As the name "Hukou" (kettle spout) implies, the raging waters charge over the cliff side with deafening force. The falls are renown for their capacity to produce rainbows. The masses of water crashing into the rocks below produce the ample mists necessary for the effect. The end result is both powerful and beautiful... more >>

The Revolutionary History Museum (Geming lishi jinian guan), not far from the Yangjialing Revolution Headquarters, is probably one of the best of its kind in China. Within it is a comprehensive collection of historical literature, graphs and photos dating from the establishment of the "United Front Against Japanese Invasion" to the opening of the Seventh General Conference of the Chinese Communist Party. This last date is of special importance, as it was the date when Mao was officially designated as Chairman of the revolutionary struggle and the party.  The main hall houses a huge collection of artifacts from the 1930-50s, including genuine footballs, sewing machines, Marxist books by Lenin, Stalin and Trotsky translated into Chinese and hundreds of communist weapons. Especially noteworthy is a stuffed white horse that is said to have carried Mao.  Unfortuna... more >>

After an epic Long March, the pitiful remainder the once strong Red Army arrived to set up base in a little town called Yan'an. The leadership clique at that time, including such revolutionary martyrs as Mao Zedong, Zhou Enlai and Zhu De, arrived weary at their base in the Jiangxi Soviet.  HQ was moved a number of times between October 1938-March 1947 by troops wary of discovery by the Japanese. This site is of particular note for holding both the first Central Committee (CC) meetings and the seventh National Plenum, where Mao was officially instated as Chairman.  Of interest to visitors and communist pilgrims alike is the Meeting Hall where the CC met, and more particularly, the mound behind it containing dugouts that once housed leaders of military cadres. The rooms where Mao and the rest slept, wrote and plotted v... more >>

Yulin Town, in the far northern section of Shaanxi Province, lies at the boundary between a Yellow Soil Plateau and the Mao Wu Su Desert (Maowusu Shamo). The town is renowned as a garrison and patrol post that worked the northern fringes of the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644 AD).  Although a tiny town and not especially old, Yulin, in its unrenovated authenticity, retains much of its charm. The town boasts a large number of sights for its size and the most notable include the fortress and beacon tower at the Zhengbei Terrace (Zhengbei tai), the Incense Burner Temple (Xianglu si), the remainder of the ancient Great Wall (Changcheng) and an old Bell Tower (Zhong lou).  The nicest section of town is the Old Quarter, which still retains its Ming (1368-1644 AD) and Qing (1644-1911 AD) Dynasty look, hidden behind encircling walls and old, stone gates. This area is great to ... more >>