Yan'an Travel Guide
Situated in Northern Shaanxi Province on the Loess Plateau, Yan'an overlooks the middle reaches of the Yellow River, the cradle of Chinese Civilization. Yan'an, called 'Yanzhou' in ancient times, has a history stretching back about 1400 years and it has long been the political, economic, cultural and military center of North Shaanxi. Nowadays it is a city which boasts one district and twelve counties. Holding a prominent place in Chinese military history, Yan'an is a revolutionary holy place in China. It used to be the military headquarters during the Chinese Anti-Japanese War (1937-1945) and China's War of Liberation (1945-1949) and was the location of the Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party.
This checkered past means that those who are interested in Chinese modern revolutionary history and the Yan'an Spirit which was exhibited in 1942, and is still evident today, or those who want to examine the colorful folk customs and culture of the Loess Plateau, should make sure that they visit Yan'an. The city has as many as 140 revolutionary sites, including Wangjiaping Site, Yangjialing Site, Date Garden, Pagoda Hill, Nanniwan, etc. It has also a number of historical sites such as Huangdi Mausoleum, Zhongshan Grottoes as well as natural scenic spots including Hukou Waterfalls of the Yellow River, Fenghuang Hill and Wanhua Hill. There truly is something for everyone to see.
Being of a temperate continental monsoon climate, Yan'an is an ideal place for you to visit all year round especially in summer. Yan'an used to be a poor city but, in recent years, it has seen great changes including economic advancement, especially the development of some tourism-related industries and infrastructure construction. As a result, transportation in Yan'an is convenient today. It is easily accessible by air, train or coach. As well, buses and taxies facilitate easy transportation within the city. The accommodation in Yan'an is generally considered to be inexpensive, convenient and comfortable.
In addition, the abundant special local products, delicious Yan'an snacks, distinctive folk customs and various folk art forms of peasant painting, paper-cut, drum art, and folk songs are also appealing to visitors. You will no doubt find your trip to Yan'an very special and memorable.