A group consisting of media and local residents of the city of Xi’an paid a three-day-visit to Sanmenxia from July 24 to 26. The tourist group was the first of its kind to visit the western Henan city after it held a tourism promotion conference in Xi'an on July 18 and 19.
The tourists made Sanmenxia Dam - the first large water-conservation project on the Yellow River, their first stop. A local symbolic tourist attraction, the dam provided the visitors with a vertical view of its waterfalls seen from above. After that, they took in the Western Henan Grand Canyon, a wonderful place to escape the scorching summer heat. Then the group visited some famous historical monuments, such as the horse and chariot pits of the Kingdom of Guo in the Western Zhou Dynasty (c.11th century-771 BC) and Hangu Pass, where the Tao Te Ching was written by Lao Zi, founder of Taoism.
Located at the junction of the provinces of Shaanxi, Shanxi and Henan, Sanmenxia offers a blending of different cultures. The Shanzhou Silo-cave, renowned for its square and rectangular dwellings sunk into the ground, vividly shows the folk customs and cultural characteristics of the three provinces.
To boost Sanmenxia's tourism brands and demonstrate its cultural riches and local ethnic customs, Sanmenxia will hold further tourism promotion conferences in Weinan, Xianyang, Tianshui, and Linfen.
Local performers show visitors a bridal sedan chair, used to carry the bride to traditional Chinese weddings. [Photo by Geyang/ismx.cn]