Discover the Beauty of the Yellow River: Qinghuang Confluence, Liujiaxia Bridge, and Bingling Temple Grottoes One-Day Tour
Depart from Lanzhou and embark on an exciting journey that combines natural wonders, modern engineering, and ancient Buddhist art. This one-day tour will take you to witness the spectacular confluence of the Yellow and Tao Rivers, experience the grandeur of the Liujiaxia Bridge, and explore the Buddhist art treasures of the World Heritage Site, Bingling Temple Grottoes. Includes private vehicle with Chinese driver (translation app for communication) and scenic spot entrance fees. Meals are self-arranged for flexibility.
Yellow River Qinghuang Confluence Viewpoint: Nature's Palette
The first stop is the Yellow River Qinghuang Confluence Viewpoint, located within the Bingling Temple World Cultural Heritage Tourist Area in Yongjing County. This is where the Yellow River and the Tao River meet, creating a magnificent spectacle known as a “wonder of the world.” The azure waters of the Yellow River and the orange-yellow waters of the Tao River converge here in a distinctive “Y” shape in front of Longhui Mountain, forming a strikingly clear demarcation, like nature's own palette, also known as “Two Dragons Playing with a Pearl.” Standing on the viewing platform, you can overlook the majestic confluence of the two rivers from a bird's-eye perspective, experiencing the unique charm of the Mother River
Liujiaxia Bridge: The Iron Dragon over the Yellow River
Leaving the spectacular confluence, we will head to the majestic Liujiaxia Bridge. It is the largest single-span bridge crossing a river valley in Northwest China and was, at the time of its completion, the largest-diameter steel-reinforced concrete arch bridge in the world. The bridge has a total length of 797 metres, a main span of 536 metres, and a deck width of 15 metres, accommodating a two-way, two-lane motorway with a design speed of 60 kilometres per hour. Standing on the bridge, you can overlook the vast expanse of the Liujiaxia Reservoir, experiencing the grandeur of modern engineering harmoniously blended with natural scenery.
Bingling Temple Grottoes: A Treasure Trove of Thousand-Year-Old Buddhist Art
The final stop of the journey is the World Cultural Heritage site – Bingling Temple Grottoes. The grottoes were first excavated in the early Western Jin Dynasty (around the 3rd century) and officially established in the first year of Jianhong in the Western Qin Dynasty (420 AD), originally known as Tangshu Grottoes. During the Tang Dynasty, they were called Longxing Temple; in the Song Dynasty, Lingyan Temple; and after the Yongle period of the Ming Dynasty, Bingling Temple. In June 2014, Bingling Temple Grottoes were successfully inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List, becoming a common cultural treasure for all humanity.