Things to do in Shenmu

Hongjiannao Scenic Area

Hongjiannao Scenic Area is in the northeast corner of Erlingtu Town, Shenmu County, Yulin City. It is a large inland freshwater lake in Shaanxi Province and is known as the "Pearl in Sand Sea." Visitors enjoy sunshine and watch gulls, geese and fish stocks in the lake of this picturesque wetland. On the southwest bank, there is a peninsula where you can find many wild psammophyte plants thriving in the sands. It's a must-go spot.

No. 12 of Best Things to Do in Northern Shaanxi

Erlang Mountain

Shenmu Erlang Mountain is located 1 km west of Shenmu city along the Kuye River. It is now a national 4A-level tourist attraction and a provincial-level key cultural relic protection site. The mountain features two prominent ridges in its midsection resembling camel humps, earning it the poetic name "Camel Hump Mountain" among literati.In 1518, Emperor Wuzong of the Ming Dynasty, Zhu Houzhao, passed through this area during his imperial tour.Upon noticing the mountain's resemblance to his desktop pen holder, he bestowed it the name Bijia Mountain, locally known as Xishan. The mountain features sheer cliffs on both sides, lush greenery in spring and summer, and a majestic yet desolate appearance in fall and winter. The winding Kuye River at its base accentuates its grandeur, earning it the reputation as "Little Huashan Mountain in Northern Shaanxi." The attraction features numerous temples, including the Dizang Cave Grottoes, Erlang Mountain Scenic Area - Eight Immortals Cave, Haoran Pavilion Grottoes, and Erlang Mountain Scenic Area - Erlang Mountain Temple.Our Lady HallNumerous temples, including the Reversed Seat Guanyin Hall, Erlang Mountain Scenic Area - Three Religions Hall, and the Mountain God Temple, are built along the mountain slopes, each showcasing unique architectural styles. The Erlang Temple complex was built in 1443 during the Ming Dynasty, boasting nearly 600 years of history. This south-facing courtyard-style compound features a main hall, side chambers, east and west wing halls, a main gate, and bell and drum towers. The three-beam main hall with front corridor has a gable roof, adorned with traditional gongbi paintings from 1835 titled "Anecdotes of Yi Yun" on its eastern and western walls, plus 14 small landscape paintings on the rear wall. Outside the main gate stands a Ming-era brick screen wall with exquisite bas-relief carvings - a roaring tiger scene on the front and nine dragons playing in water on the reverse, all rendered with remarkable vitality. Built on a natural rocky platformOur Lady HallBuilt during the Qing Dynasty, the stone archway in front of the hall was constructed in 1628 (the first year of the Chongzhen era in the Ming Dynasty). It features stone-carved brackets under the eaves and a frieze with a relief of two dragons playing with a pearl. The front inscription reads "Bixia Temporary Palace," while the northern side is carved with "Holy Mother Yuanjun." Behind the hall lies the Ming Dynasty structure of the Erlang Mountain scenic area - the Hall of Various Deities. The Reversed-Seated Guanyin Hall was originally built during the Ming Dynasty but was later destroyed in war. It was restored in the 16th year of the Kangxi reign (1677). The Three Religions Hall in Erlang Mountain scenic area was first constructed during the Jiajing era of the Ming Dynasty (1522–1566) and rebuilt in 1935 as part of the Erlang Mountain attraction. Located midway along the mountain ridge, it forms one of the largest temple complexes on the mountain, featuring Ming-era colored murals on both eastern and western walls - the "Panoramic View of East Mountain" on the east wall and "Panoramic View of West Mountain" on the west wall. The Mountain God Temple, also dating back to the Ming Dynasty, is situated behind the ridge.

Shimao Ruins of Shenmu

The Shenmu Shimao (mǎo) site is a large-scale city site discovered in China from the late Longshan to the early Xia period. It is located on the north side of the Tuwei River in Shimao Village, Gaojiabao Town, Shenmu County, Yulin City, Shaanxi Province, on the northern edge of the Loess Plateau in northern Shaanxi. The Shimao site is about 4,000 years old and covers an area of about 4.25 million square meters. This former "stone city" has a lifespan of more than 300 years. In 1976, when Dai Yingxin, a professor of the Department of Archaeology at Northwestern University, was conducting an investigation in Shanxi, he heard some information about Shenmu Shimao from Shanxi folks, and went to Shimao to investigate. Since then, archaeological teams from Xi'an and Beijing have carried out archaeological excavations. . In 2006, Shenmu Shimao was announced as a national key cultural relics protection unit. The Shimao site was selected as "The Eve of Chinese Civilization" among the top ten new archaeological discoveries in 2012, "the world's top ten field archaeological discoveries" and "the world's major archaeological discoveries in the 21st century".

Qiao's Grand Courtyard

Located inQiaojiagou Village, Shenmu, Yulin, Shaanxi, Qiao's Grand Courtyard is a traditional residential architectural complex with typical northern Shaanxi rural characteristics, carrying local family history and regional cultural memories. The courtyard was built along the mountain terrain, using brick, stone, and rammed earth as the main materials. Its overall layout is relatively compact, with courtyards connected by doorways, reflecting both the emphasis on defense and privacy in northern residential architecture and the local residents' adaptation to the natural environment. Compared with the Shanxi merchant courtyards, the architecture here appears more simple and substantial, with relatively minimalist decoration, yet traditional craftsmanship elements such as wood carvings and gatehouses can still be seen in the details. In terms of function, Qiao's Grand Courtyard was not only a living space for the family but also served multiple purposes such as storage and receiving guests, reflecting the "family-centered" life structure in traditional agricultural society. With the changing times, such courtyards have gradually shifted from residential functions to spaces for cultural display and the preservation of local memories. After renovation, some houses have retained their original layout, allowing people to intuitively experience the lifestyle of the past.

Gaojiapu Ancient City

The ancient city of Gaojiabao is located about 50 kilometers southwest of Shenmu County, Yulin City, and about 5 kilometers away from the Great Wall of Ming Dynasty. The ancient city of Gaojiabao was built in the fourth year of the orthodox Ming Dynasty (1439). The ancient city of Gaojiabao was built as a rammed earth city at first, and then re-wrapped with wall bricks in the thirty-sixth year of Wanli in the Ming Dynasty (1608). Today's ancient city of Gaojiabao, whether it is the city wall seen outside, or the streets and houses in the city, all maintain the pattern at that time. For those tourists who like the ancient city, walking around in Gaojiabao must not be a problem. will disappoint you. The ancient city of Gaojiabao has a rectangular plane. Tourists can walk along the city wall. On the way, they can see a large section of the city wall. During the period, there are defense systems such as crenels and lookout holes. There is a rolling door and an urn city. These buildings, which have been preserved since the Ming Dynasty, have stood here for five or six hundred years. The ancient city of Gaojiabao is still in the semi-open stage, which is undoubtedly good news for the "old city control". The streets in the city are centered on Zhongxing Building, and the four directions are East and West Streets, South Street and North Lane. South Street is more prosperous. The Zhongxing Building is not often open, but it is guarded. You can ask the person in charge to help open the door, and then go up to the Zhongxing Building to overlook the entire ancient city. At present, there are not many tourists in the ancient city. You can walk in the quiet streets and see the old houses on the side. There are many old shops on South Street, but most of them have not opened. The residential buildings here are basically of the typical northern architectural style, including courtyard houses, such as the Li Family Courtyard in Beixiang; There are also courtyards, such as the Lijialouyuan in Cross Lane and the Liujialouyuan in Tongxin Lane. Or you can find a place in the city to be in a daze, and take a trip through the world like a psychic.

Erlintu Grassland

Located at the famous Hongjiannao Scenic Area at the junction of Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region and northern Shaanxi ProvinceThe east side of the famous scenic spot is 25 kilometers long from east to west and 5 kilometers wide from north to south. On the west side, there is a natural grassland pasture with an area of ​​70 square kilometers, with abundant water and grass, and herds of cattle and sheep. The north and south sides are mainly sand dunes, and there is a large area of ​​sand-fixing and windbreak forest belts dominated by Salix psammophila., most of the sand dunes have been fixed.

Yangjiacheng Site

Gongge Gully Danxia Landform

Shenmu Museum

Shenmu Museum has 4 floors. The basement level features dinosaur footprint fossils, pottery, and jade artifacts, while floors 1 to 3 display artworks from various periods. The exhibition route is clear, and you can see many ancient artifacts.

Shimao Museum

Shimao Museum is a modern museum integrating archaeological display, cultural heritage and education, built on the famous Shimao site. The museum's exhibition content is based on the theme of "Ancient China, Capital of Civilization". Through the four major sections of "Majestic Shimao", "City of Emperors", "Life in the Capital" and "Imperial Name", it comprehensively, three-dimensionally and realistically displays the archaeological results and heritage value of the Shimao site. The museum also exhibits a large number of precious cultural relics, including jade, stone, pottery, bone, stone carvings and painted murals, totaling 688 pieces (sets). Among them, the "Large-scale God Face Stone Sculpture" is one of the treasures of the town hall, showing the spiritual beliefs and value pursuits of the ancestors of Shimao. The museum regularly holds various special activities, such as academic lectures, cultural relics appreciation, cultural experience, etc., aiming to allow tourists to have a deeper understanding of the development of Shimao culture and Chinese civilization during the visit.