2025 Lingtai Travel Guide: Must-see attractions, popular food, hotels, transportation routes (updated in May)

| A Story of a Branch and a Village.❤ According to the village's 'Tang Huai Stele Inscription': During the Tang Zhen Guan period, several clans with the surname Yu from Taiyuan were ordered to migrate westward. Before leaving, overwhelmed by their attachment to their homeland, they broke off a branch from the Grand Pagoda Tree in Hongtong, Linfen, to use as a walking stick. After several months of travel, they settled in Chungu. They planted the branch by a pond, and within a month, it did not wither but sprouted and took root. Hence, the village was named 'Gan Huai Tree'. Seasons changed, and the small branch grew into a towering tree with three forks and nine branches, protecting generations of descendants. The village was named after the tree, and the tree blessed the village with prosperity. Today, the Tang Huai Scenic Area has become a national AAA scenic spot, and Gan Huai Tree Village has been recognized as the 'Most Beautiful Pingliang Tourist Village' and a provincial-level tourism demonstration village in Gansu Province. A unique rural tourism destination is emerging. ✅Must Experience: Check-in at 'Tang Huai's Hometown, Chungu Ancient City', explore a legendary story, and experience a unique rural culture.

Attractions: The Tanghuai Scenic Area is located in Ganhuai Tree Village, Shaozhai Town, Lingtai County. The village is the site of the ancient Qiu Guo County from the Qin Dynasty, named after a thousand-year-old Tanghuai tree standing at the head of the village. Must-visit spots in the scenic area: ✅ The ruins of Qiu Guo City Gate, although reconstructed, still retain a classical charm. Compare it with the Qiu Guo City Gate built in Shaozhai Street's Qiu Guo Culture Square and see the differences. It's worth mentioning that in 220 BC, Prince Fusu of the Qin Dynasty was ordered by the king to pass through Shaozhai Plateau with General Meng Tian on their way to the northern prefectures. Seeing the fertile land and shallow waters, they built a city and named it 'Qiu Guo' after offering sacrifices with a wine vessel, as quails would fly and land on it. ✅ Discovering the Qiu Guo Pavilion, which worships Meng Tian as the city god, located on the north street of Shaozhai. The pavilion and its stele are quite imposing and worth stopping to admire and learn about. ✅ The Blessing Avenue, indeed newly built, facilitates driving and parking. ✅ The Opera House, if you're lucky, you can watch a performance of the provincial intangible cultural heritage, the Lingtai Puppet Show, or other cultural activities, which is also quite nice. ✅ The Tea House, where friends who like pot tea can sit and enjoy slowly. ✅ 'Tanghuai' Scenic Area, to admire the thousand-year-old Tanghuai tree and learn about its history. Legend has it that during the Tang Taizong's Zhenguan era, a Wang family from Shanxi was ordered to migrate westward. Passing through Hongtong·Linfen, they felt homesick and broke a branch from the Hongtong Great Locust Tree to use as a staff. After a long and arduous journey, they arrived at the designated Shallow Plateau and casually planted the locust staff in a pond by the plateau. The people settled on the hillside below Qiu Guo City. Months later, the locust staff miraculously sprouted branches and leaves, growing into a small tree. Since then, the place where the Wang family lived was named Ganhuai Tree Village. The ancient Tanghuai tree is about 38 meters high with a trunk circumference of about 4.8 meters. It has nine branches and nine roots, which the locals orally transmit as 'nine dragons supporting nine offspring.' The Tanghuai Scenic Area has become a local spot for praying and checking in. ✅ The Pit Cave Dwelling, to view the landscape of the eastern Longdong pit cave dwellings and experience dining, tea art, chess, and leisurely barbecues. Ganhuai Tree Village in Shaozhai Town is a provincial-level tourism demonstration village and 'The Most Beautiful Pingliang Tourism Village.' Here you can enjoy the ecological pastoral scenery, experience farming culture, purchase agricultural products, stay in homestays, taste specialty foods, and experience the culture of Ganhuai Tree Village while eating, drinking, and having fun. Pet parks, amusement parks, cage soccer fields, and barbecue camps also await your visit. 🍽Dining Recommendation: Huaiyuan Restaurant's various Lingtai delicacies and the provincial intangible cultural heritage Shaozhai handmade noodles. 📍Detailed Address: Ganhuai Tree Village, northeast of Shaozhai Town, Lingtai County, Pingliang City, Gansu Province 🕙Opening Hours: All day 💰Ticket Price: Free

🌟 Kangjiagou Village is located in Zhongtai Town, Lingtai County, Pingliang City, about 4 kilometers away from Lingtai·Pingliang County. The G244 national highway runs through the village. This is a Hui and Han settlement, with the Pu River flowing from south to north through the village. The natural scenery is unique, the climate is moist and mild, and the local customs and folklore are colorful, making it a treasure destination for rural tourism. ✅ The distinctive 'Longquan' sculpture stands in the center of Kangjiagou Village Cultural Square. There is a thousand-year-old spring here, which the locals call Longquan. ✅ The Shanmen ruins stand on the north side of the square, originally the gate of Longquan Temple. In the 1960s and 1970s, when the school was set up in the temple, it was changed to the gate of Kangjiagou Primary School. This site is well preserved. ✅ The man-made Longquan Lake ripples with clear waves; there is a green tree corridor on the island in the lake where you can make a wish; yachts on the lake sway with the wind, and a sightseeing train is parked by the lake. ✅ Quanxi Restaurant offers special cuisine, and there are brightly colored ethnic costumes at the door for tourists to experience and take photos. ✅ Two decommissioned main battle tanks are parked by the side of the park road, satisfying the curiosity of military enthusiasts. ✅ The ecological barbecue garden has built large luxury Mongolian yurts on the lawns among the poplar forests, providing Xinjiang-style barbecue and KTV services for tourists. ✅ The parent-child amusement park is specially designed for children, with inflatable castles, trampolines, rainbow slides, zip lines... The venue is large and the facilities are plentiful, so take your child to the park and have a good 'walk'. ✅ There are also fishing, CS real-life experience, and fruit and vegetable picking projects for tourists to choose from. Here, you can relax and entertain, and you will be forgotten by time. ❤ Recommended reason: On December 25, 2019, it was rated as a National Forest Village by the National Forestry and Grassland Administration. Worth a visit. 📍 Detailed address: Kangjiagou Village, Zhongtai Town, Lingtai County, Pingliang City, Gansu Province 🚉 Traffic strategy: Self-driving from Lingtai County along G244 national highway south for about 4 kilometers, you will reach the entrance of Kangjiagou Village Committee. 🕙 Opening hours: All day 💰 Ticket price: Free 📝 Attention tips: There is a free parking lot in the scenic area, pay attention to the entrance and exit, and drive safely.

The ruins of Mixu Kingdom are located in Gucheng Village, Baili Town, Lingtai County, Gansu Province. The ancient city of Mixu is square-shaped, with an area of about 220 acres (150,000 square meters). Mixu Kingdom was established by the descendants of the Ji surname of the Yellow Emperor and was named after the nearby Mixu Mountain. Mixu Mountain, also known as Wu Mountain, is a small hill at the eastern end of the Qianshan Mountain Range, which stretches for hundreds of miles and is located near the Lindaxi River. 🌟According to historical records, Mixu Kingdom was a powerful tribe in the northwest of Zhouyuan during the late Shang Dynasty, with its capital located in Mixu City (now the town area of Baili Town, Lingtai County). During the Shang Dynasty, Mixu Kingdom had become a significant slave state in the Jing River basin. It was later destroyed by King Wen of Zhou in 1057 BC. After King Wen's victory over Mixu, he built the ancient Lingtai to celebrate the victory and share the joy with the people. Today in Baili Town, you can still see the ruins of the ancient city of Mixu and the tomb of Duke Kang of Mixu. ✅Mixu Drum, the Mixu Kingdom used the "Mixu Drum" as a token to command the surrounding states. The Mixu Drum was a token of authority bestowed upon Mixu Kingdom by the Shang King. The Mixu Drum was the reason for King Wen's campaign against Mixu. After obtaining the Mixu Drum, King Wen beat the drum at the foot of Jing Mountain on his way back, and people from all around came to build the Lingtai. ✅There is a "Tang Pagoda Tree" on the palace city ruins, which is over 1200 years old. Its roots are coiled like dragons, strong and majestic, with lush branches and leaves, making it a spectacular sight and a witness to history. According to records, it was planted in 738 BC when King Wukang Li Yuanliang served as the military governor of Longyou and assisted in the restoration of Baili City and the recuperation of the army. ✅The largest Western Zhou bronze tripod in Gansu Province was unearthed from the Western Zhou tomb group in Dongshan, Baili Town. The ruins of the ancient palace city of Mixu Kingdom are roughly located in the campuses of today's Baili Middle School and Central Primary School. A once powerful slave state has evolved over time, and now two modern schools stand on its ruins. This may be a coincidence of historical and cultural development.

Lingtai County Museum is located within the Jingshan Forest Park in Lingtai County. It currently houses more than ten thousand cultural relics, ranging from the primitive society to the Ming and Qing dynasties. 🌟Highlights: The collection includes metalware, ceramics, jade and shell artifacts, textiles, paper items, ancient coins, and more, totaling 20 categories across 8 types. Among them, there are 49 first-class cultural relics, 442 second-class cultural relics, and 1,228 third-class cultural relics, making it the county-level museum with the most precious cultural relics in Gansu Province. Notably, the early composite pottery tiles of the Longshan culture are the most outstanding in the world, the bronze wares of the Western Zhou, Qin, and Han dynasties are renowned in Longshang, and the painted pottery figurines of the Tang dynasty are famous both domestically and internationally. ❤Recommended Reason: The basic exhibition of Lingtai County Museum, "Zhou and Qin Civilization - Lingtai Historical Relics Exhibition," is open to the public for free. This exhibition consists of a preface hall and four thematic exhibitions: "Ceramics of Past Dynasties," "Golden Splendor," "Treasures of the Western Zhou," and "Buddhist Relics," as well as a video hall. The exhibition area covers 880 square meters, with a display line of 380 meters, showcasing more than 550 pieces (sets) of cultural relics, including pottery, ceramics, bronze, iron, gold and silver, jade and shell artifacts, and Buddhist statues, along with 17 archaeological specimens. Auxiliary exhibits include 5 sets of sculptures, 94 photos, 46 rubbings, and 88 display boards, effectively showcasing the historical culture and archaeological achievements of Lingtai through diversified display forms. ✅Museum Highlights: Rope-patterned Red Pottery Cauldron: Made of sandy red pottery, decorated with rope patterns throughout the body, with two symmetrical round dots and a cockscomb-shaped handle on the shoulder, the belly is angular with rope patterns, and the bottom is decorated with round dots. Yellow-green Glazed Pottery Jug: Elegant in shape and bright in glaze color, it is an important physical material for studying the origin of tri-colored pottery. Green Jade Bi: The jade is lustrous and of excellent quality, with a regular shape, making it an important material for studying jade craftsmanship in the Western Zhou period. Single-ear Gray Pottery Jar: Made of gray-brown pottery, with a wide band-shaped ear from the rim to the shoulder, sloping shoulder, round belly, flat bottom, and two rows of cone-shaped patterns on the shoulder, polished throughout. Triple-linked Bronze Cauldron: An important physical material for studying the social life of the Han dynasty. The basic exhibition has been awarded the "Excellence Award" in the first exhibition of Gansu Province. The strength of the museum's collection of cultural relics is not to be underestimated. 📍Detailed Address: No. 22, Jingshan Road, Lingtai County, Gansu Province (Jingshan Forest Park, Lingtai County) 🕙Opening Hours: Tuesday to Sunday 9:00-17:00 (last entry at 16:30), closed on Mondays. 💰Ticket Price: Free (entry allowed after registration with valid ID) 📝Tips: It is recommended to visit Jingshan Forest Park first and then visit the museum before descending the mountain. The museum environment is comfortable, allowing you to quickly recover your energy while enjoying the cultural relics, achieving a balance of work and rest. No flash or tripod is allowed when filming or photographing in the exhibition hall. Protect the cultural relics, do not touch the relics and exhibits. Follow the visiting order, obey the staff's instructions, and be a civilized visitor.

Longquan Temple is located in Kangjiagou Village on the west bank of Pu River in Zhongtai Town, Pingliang, Lingtai. The temple is 60 meters long from east to west, 40 meters wide from north to south, and covers an area of 2400 square meters. Longquan Temple is a remnant of a temple from the Qing Dynasty and the Republic of China period within the territory of Lingtai County. Its Qing Dynasty buildings have been destroyed, and there are currently five buildings from the 25th year of the Republic of China (1936), along with one stele of renovation records. In order, they are the Zixian Hall, Bodhisattva Hall, Linggong Hall, Black Tiger Hall, and the Opera Tower, all of which are single-eave hip-roofed structures made of earth and wood. The Zixian Hall's front side enshrines the Flower-Inserting Holy Mother, the Nine Heavens Holy Mother, and the Jiangyuan Holy Mother, while the north side enshrines the 'Three Great Whites.' The Bodhisattva Hall enshrines statues of Guanyin, Samantabhadra, Manjushri Bodhisattvas, and two Dharmapala deities. The inner walls of the Zixian Hall and Bodhisattva Hall are both adorned with colorful paintings of human stories. The original statues in the halls have been destroyed, and the current statues were sculpted in the 1980s, while the murals were painted during the Republic of China period. During the 1960s and 1970s, the temple was once converted into a school, and the mountain gate ruins are well-preserved, also becoming a scenic spot. 📍Detailed Address: Longquan Temple, Kangjiagou Village, Zhongtai Town, Lingtai County, Pingliang City, Gansu Province 🚉Transportation Strategy: Self-driving or taking a taxi, travel about 4 kilometers south from Lingtai County along G244 to the entrance of Kangjiagou Village Committee, and the temple is to the east of the road. Open 🕙Opening Hours: All day 💰Ticket Price: Free

Guling Platform is located in Lingtai County, Pingliang City, Gansu Province. It was first built in the 11th century BC during the Shang Dynasty. After King Wen of Zhou conquered the Mishu Kingdom in the Baili Town area of present-day Lingtai County, he built it to offer sacrifices to heaven, demonstrate virtue, and celebrate with the people. The 'Lingtai' has a long history. During the Tang Dynasty, it was officially designated as the county name. 🌟 The original 'Lingtai' faced south and was built with rammed earth. Historically, 'Lingtai' was destroyed twice and rebuilt twice. In the 23rd year of the Republic of China (1934), the then county magistrate Zhang Dongye and Lingtai native military general Yang Ziheng presided over the reconstruction of 'Lingtai'. It was rebuilt with blue bricks, with a base width of 12.3 meters and a height of 12.3 meters. The platform was divided into two levels, with a Bagua Pavilion on top and a statue of King Wen of Zhou inside. Legend has it that when it was completed, two red-crowned cranes flew from the east, circled the platform for three days, and perched on the ancient cypress of the Wenwang Temple, causing a sensation in the county and being regarded as an auspicious sign. At that time, many high-ranking officials and local military and political celebrities such as Lin Sen, Sun Ke, Li Zongren, Duan Qirui, Yang Hucheng, and Fu Zuoyi inscribed and erected steles to congratulate, giving 'Lingtai' a renewed appearance. ✅ The current 'Lingtai' was completed on December 28, 1985. It still faces south, with a base width of 18 meters and a height of 33 meters. The platform is divided into three levels, with a large hall on the top level housing a statue of King Wen of Zhou. The walls on both sides are painted with large murals depicting the grand scenes of King Wen's conquest of Mishu. The base corridor is a forest of steles, containing over 200 inscriptions and plaques by ancient and modern political figures. The courtyard is adorned with ancient cypresses over a hundred years old. 'Lingtai' has a long history and profound culture, and is known as 'The First Platform for Sacrificial Rites in China.' Lingtai County, named after 'Lingtai', is a historical and cultural city in Gansu Province. 📍 Detailed address: No. 26, East Street, Lingtai County, Pingliang City, Gansu Province 🕙 Opening hours: 8:00—17:00 💰 Ticket price: Free

The Lingtai County Museum is located in Lingtai County, Gansu Province. It is a key construction project that has been included in one of the key work of the county in 2005 and 2006. In 2005, the main project of the building was completed. In 2006, the continuous construction project and exhibition exhibition project were completed. It covers an area of 1,700 square meters and has more than 10,000 pieces of cultural relics. Among them, the exhibition exhibition is 870 square meters, divided into four special topics, and 497 pieces of various cultural relics are displayed. The 2006 ChinaLingtai Chinese Medicine Acupuncture (International) Academic Exchange Conference and the Huangpu Cultural Festival were officially opened on September 20, 2006.