Hukou Waterfall (National AAAA Tourist Attraction)

Hukou Waterfall is located in the southwest of Ji County, Shanxi Province. It is located in the middle reach of the Yellow River and adjacent to Yichuan County, Shaanxi Province. The stone cliffs stand erect on both sides of the waterfall, and the estuary tightens and turns narrow like the mouth of a pot. Hence this waterfall is named after such landscape.

Hukou Waterfall is known as “Yellow Spectacle”. When the Yellow River flows through the vicinity of Longwang Mountain in Ji County, its width suddenly drops to 30 meters from 300 meters. The waterfall flies straight down with a tremendous momentum. It seems to water from the mouth of a pot. The waterfall flows at accelerated speed, and the water mist rises high into the air to hit the cliffs. This is an impressively display of power which can topple the mountains and overturn the seas.

Hukou Waterfall is precisely a waterfall cluster shaped like a horseshoe. The main waterfall is 40 meters wide and has a fall of more than 30 meters. The current drops and provokes high splash. The huge waves fall to the bottom of the valley and form misty clouds. Veiled landscape looks very spectacular.

In the riverbed at the bottom of the Yellow River valley on the right side of 5,000 meters distant in lower reach of Hukou Waterfall, there are two shuttle-shaped boulders which are absolutely still despite the shocks from waves. They seem like two mountain gods to protect safety in this place. These two boulders are Mengmen Mountain, which was worshipped as “River Pedal” in ancient times. The river water diverges into two directions. After passing through both sides of the boulders, the river water once again combines into one. It is said that when Emperor Yu tamed the flood, these two boulders were once a mountain which was smashed into halves because it blocked river course. River course was dredged in this way. “The south part carries on time-honored charms of Longmen Mountain, and the north part holds a pot mouth”. Evidently, Mengmen Mountain can be on a par with Hukou Waterfall and Longmen Mountain. They jointly present “Three Wonders of the Yellow River”. In addition, Mengmen Mountain boasts the beautiful moonlight landscape. The ancients once praised: “Mountain moves with the wave shadow, and waves float under the moonlight”. “Moonlit Mengmen Mountain at Night” is one of the top ten scenes of Hukou Waterfall.

Formation of Hukou Waterfall is a great spectacle, not to mention “Boating in Dry Land” and “Smoking at the Bottom of the River”. “Boating in Dry Land” refers to that passengers must go ashore from the river when upstream boats arrive here, and boats are either carried by people or transported by vehicles. Then people continue to take the boat after bypassing Hukou Waterfall. There is only one reason for doing so. Hukou Waterfall has a large fall with turbulent current, which brings great difficulties to the boating. “Smoking at the Bottom of the River” cannot be understood literally. “Smoking” here refers to water mist densely rising from the bottom of the river rather than the smoke in true sense. It looks like “smoking” in the distance. The clarity of this scene is related to the season and water volume. This scene often happens in the spring and autumn when the temperature is not high. At this time, water volume is proper. It is the best time to appreciate “Smoking at the Bottom of the River”.

There are about 5 kilometers from Hukou Waterfall to Mengmen Mountain. This central gorge is about 400 meters wide. The Yellow River flows under the bottom of this gorge. As a result, a trough takes shape, which is 30-50 meters wide and 10-20 meters deep. The Yellow River flows down from “the mouth of the pot”, and then pours into this trough at a huge flow rate up to thousands of cubic meters per second. Therefore, it is called “Ten-li Winding Trough”, which is also known as “Ten-li Winding Trench”.

In addition, there are also many cultural landscapes here, such as the Great Wall of the Qing Dynasty, Ancient Gezhentan Ferry Crossing, Stone Carvings of Yingmen Mountain, as well as “Yijin Village” and “Gufu Temple” associated with the legend that Emperor Yu harnessed the river although he passed by the home three times, “Carps Jumping over Dragon Gate”, etc.

The contemporary poet Chen Yunhe speaks highly of the Yellow River: “As a leading singer for civilization history of five thousand years, the Yellow River always sings unchanged notes and radiates momentum across China”. According to Defending the Yellow River with the lyrics created by Guang Weiran and composed by Xian Xinghai: “The wind is blowing, and the horses are neighing. The Yellow River is roaring. The Yellow River is roaring”. These poems are the truest description of the Chinese Spirit.

If the Yellow River is praised as the soul of the Chinese Nation, Hukou Waterfall is precisely the soul of the Yellow River and essence sublimated from complex situations. It deserves everyone’s respect and compliment.

Site Add.   45 km West to Ji County, Linfen 

Best Travel Time Spring, Autumn 

Business Hours   08:00-18:00 
   

Traffic Information   

Drive from Linfen City to Ji County along Linfen-Ji County Expressway for about 100 km. Then drive another 45 km to Hukou Town where Hukou Waterfall Scenic Area lies. The whole journey takes about 1.5 hours.