km 0 · 1,150 m
Huashi Fort (car park) 滑石堡停车场
A Ming fort on the Shanxi side, the walls of earth still standing. Fill your water here: there is nothing more until the end.
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Free route guide · Datong & the Yellow River
Laoniuwan: where the Great Wall meets the Yellow River
StatusOpen· Checked 3 Oct 2026
Laoniuwan, Shanxi
One day down a canyon that is also a frontier: from a Ming fort in Shanxi, below the Great Wall, to the Yellow River at Laoniuwan in Inner Mongolia, where the Wall meets the river.
Starts at Huashi Fort, 3 h by car from Datong , ends at Shenniu Square, LaoniuwanHow to get there
One day down a canyon that is also a frontier: from a Ming fort in Shanxi, below the Great Wall, to the Yellow River at Laoniuwan in Inner Mongolia, where the Wall meets the river.
Starts at Huashi Fort, 3 h by car from Datong , ends at Shenniu Square, LaoniuwanHow to get there
The trail in ten numbers
- 1dayAdd a second day for the river walk towards WanjiazhaiOn the trail
- 10kmHuashi Fort to Shenniu Square, one wayOne way
- +300mIn small ups and downs; mostly downhill to the riverClimb in total
- 1,150mAt the start. Far too low for altitude sicknessHighest point
- 4–5hFour recorded walks: 2¾ to 5 hours on the moveWalking in total
- ¥1,450–1,850≈ €190–245Per person, 2 sharing a car from Datong, 1 nightPer person, all in
- 2L eachCarry it all: nothing to buy before the scenic areaNo water on the way
- ¥40Inner Mongolia scenic area; walkers pay tooTicket at the end
- May–JunSep–OctMild and dry. Hot and stormy in July and AugustBest months
- 0guides neededFollow the canyon down to the riverFollow the canyon
Walk it before you go
Drag along the line, or tap a stop.
km 01,150 m
A Ming fort on the Shanxi side, the walls of earth still standing. Fill your water here: there is nothing more until the end.
- 1 h3 km · −170
The rammed-earth wall and its towers run along the canyon’s head. Walk beside it, never on it: it crumbles, and it is protected.
Down to the canyon floor. From here the stream is the border: Shanxi on your left, Inner Mongolia on your right.
- 1½–2 h4.4 km · −50
The lowest point, about 935 m. The canyon loops between sheer walls, with Ming towers on the Shanxi rim above.
- 1–1½ h2.6 km · +120
A short, steep climb out of the canyon onto the Inner Mongolia rim. From here the paths are paved, and busier.
A small temple on the way, with the first view down to the Yellow River and the Laoniuwan fort across the mouth.
Ticket ¥40 · shuttle ¥20
The end, in the Inner Mongolia scenic area: its only restaurants, the shuttle to the gate, and your car.
km 0.6 · 1,120 m
Beside the Ming wall 明长城
The rammed-earth wall and its towers run along the canyon’s head. Walk beside it, never on it: it crumbles, and it is protected.
km 3 · 980 m
Into the Yangjiachuan canyon 杨家川峡谷
Down to the canyon floor. From here the stream is the border: Shanxi on your left, Inner Mongolia on your right.
km 7.4 · 930 m
The deep bends 峡谷深处
The lowest point, about 935 m. The canyon loops between sheer walls, with Ming towers on the Shanxi rim above.
km 8 · 1,000 m · Position approximate
Scenic area paths 景区栈道
A short, steep climb out of the canyon onto the Inner Mongolia rim. From here the paths are paved, and busier.
km 9.2 · 1,010 m · Position approximate
Fulong Temple 伏龙寺
A small temple on the way, with the first view down to the Yellow River and the Laoniuwan fort across the mouth.
km 10 · 1,040 m · Position approximate
Shenniu Square, Laoniuwan 神牛广场 · 老牛湾黄河大峡谷
Ticket ¥40 · shuttle ¥20
The end, in the Inner Mongolia scenic area: its only restaurants, the shuttle to the gate, and your car.
Map: © OpenStreetMap contributors. Heights: SRTM terrain data, set to the start’s GPS height. Distance and times: four walks recorded in 2026.
Pick your pace
1 day
2 days
- Day 1
- Car from Datong, about 3 hours.
- The canyon walk, as in one day.
- Shenniu Square. Lunch.
- Sunset at Wanghe Tower, on the Shanxi bank.
- Sleep at Pianguan Huanghe Hotel
- Day 2
- Downstream along the Yellow River canyon, on the Shanxi bank.
- Turn back before Daju, where the path scrambles over rock twice.
- Car back to Datong, about 3 hours.
Getting there and away
Pick a way to see every step.
To the start
Coming from Beijing? The fast train to Datong takes about 2 hours (about 50 a day); or fly or take the train to Hohhot. No bus goes to the start, so the last part is by car. Pick your city:
Starting from
Car with driver from DatongCarBest
3 h≈¥1,000–1,300 a day
The driver drops you at the start, drives round and meets you at the end.
Ask your Datong hotel the day before for a car with driver for two days (you sleep at Laoniuwan). Agree the price and the times on WeChat.
Show the driver this line. It’s about 3 hours on the Great Wall and Yellow River tourist roads.
Show or play this
请送我到偏关县老牛湾的滑石堡停车场。
In English Please take me to the Huashi Fort car park at Laoniuwan, Pianguan County.
At the start, show this one: the driver goes round by road and waits at the end. Swap WeChat first.
Show or play this
我们走峡谷，请到老牛湾神牛广场接我们。
In English We’re walking the canyon; please pick us up at Shenniu Square, Laoniuwan.
Buy water and snacks in Datong or on the way: there is nothing to buy until the end.
Car with driver from HohhotCarFine
3–3½ h≈¥1,000–1,300 a day
The same, from the Inner Mongolia side: Hohhot has flights and fast trains from Beijing.
Book a car with driver through your Hohhot hotel, for two days.
Show the driver this line: the start is on the Shanxi side of the canyon.
Show or play this
请送我到偏关县老牛湾的滑石堡停车场。
In English Please take me to the Huashi Fort car park at Laoniuwan, Pianguan County.
Then the driver waits for you at the end.
Show or play this
我们走峡谷，请到老牛湾神牛广场接我们。
In English We’re walking the canyon; please pick us up at Shenniu Square, Laoniuwan.
From Shenniu Square
Your driverDriverBest
30 minIn the day rate
Round by road to Laoniuwan village for the sunset and the night.
From the square, the scenic area’s shuttle (¥20) runs to the gate and its car park, if your driver waits there.
Wanghe Tower is on the Shanxi bank, inside the Pianguan Laoniuwan scenic area (¥64 in 2026).
Show or play this
请送我们去偏关老牛湾望河楼看日落。
In English Please take us to Wanghe Tower at Laoniuwan, Pianguan, for the sunset.
A ride back to the startRide backCareful
30 minAsk first
If you drove yourself: the restaurants by the square drive walkers back to Huashi.
Ask at one of the family restaurants by the square. Agree the price before you get in.
Show or play this
可以送我回滑石堡停车场吗？多少钱？
In English Can you drive me back to the Huashi Fort car park? How much?
Where to sleep
Yuan a night, for one bed or a whole room (a weekday in late October, 2 people), checked 3 Oct 2026.
- Laoniuwan village, by the pier: walk to Wanghe Tower
Pianguan Huanghe Hotel 偏关黄河山庄
- Bed
- —
- Room
- ¥175–190
- View room
- ¥242
- 8.9 · 111 reviews
A simple family inn on the river. The ¥242 room has a kang, the heated brick bed of the north. Breakfast about ¥15.
- Laoniuwan village, near the fort
Sweetome Boutique Inn (Laoniuwan) 斯维登精品民宿（偏关老牛湾店）
- Bed
- —
- Room
- —
- View room
- ¥189
- 8.4
Real cave rooms with a kang and a terrace. Guests mention weak hot water and few staff.
- Qiankun Bay, downstream: 15–20 min by car to Wanghe Tower
Yellow River Qiankun B&B 黄河乾坤集民宿
- Bed
- —
- Room
- ¥599
- View room
- ¥709
- 8.8 · 167 reviews
Opened 2024, loess and cave style, with its own lookout over Qiankun Bay. Book the upstairs terrace rooms: only they have air conditioning.
What it costs
€1 = ¥7.613 (ECB, 30 Sep 2026)
- Car with driver, 2 days
- Tickets
- 1 night
- Food, water, snacks
Per person, 2 days
¥1,435–1,866
≈ €190–245
Good to know
- Alipay or WeChat Pay
Tickets, restaurants and drivers all take them. Link your foreign card before you arrive.
- ¥300–500 in cash
For a dead phone or no signal in the canyon. Get it in Datong or Hohhot: villages here have no reliable ATM.
- Rooms that take passports
Several new guesthouses here take only Chinese ID cards. Book where the listing says foreign guests are welcome, and confirm by message.
Don’t climb the wall or Wanghe Tower. They are protected, and the rammed earth gives way.
Don’t walk the canyon floor in heavy rain or right after it. It floods fast and there is no way out up the walls.
When to go
Pianguan, 1,052 m, about the walk’s height (CMA normals 1991–2020)
- Best
- Good
- Rain
- Holiday crowds
- SpringMar–MayGood
You’ll see
- Clear, dry days, the canyon still bare and golden
- The first green on the terraces by May
Watch for
- Wind lifts the dust in the canyon: bring a buff or a mask
- 1–5 May: Labour Day queues for the shuttle
- SummerJun–AugGood
You’ll see
- The river green and full, kayaks and boats below the cliffs
- Long days: sunset at Wanghe Tower after 19:30
Watch for
- Around 30 °C and little shade on the canyon floor: start early
- Thunderstorms in July and August: stay out of the canyon in heavy rain
- AutumnSep–NovBest
You’ll see
- Warm, clear days and the sharpest light on the cliffs
- Millet and corn harvested on the terraces
Watch for
- 1–7 Oct: Golden Week, the busiest week of the year
- Frost from late October: warm layers for the sunset
- WinterDec–FebCold and clear
You’ll see
- The Yellow River frozen around the bend: the famous photo of Wanghe Tower
- An empty canyon, dry and firm underfoot
Watch for
- Nights near −15 °C, days below freezing
- Dark by 17:30: start the walk by 10:00
Quick answers
How long does it take?
About 4–5 hours for the 10 km, with stops. Four walks recorded in 2026 took 2¾ to 5 hours on the move; one walker put it at “about five hours, stopping to look around”.
Do walkers need a ticket?
Yes. The walk ends inside the Inner Mongolia scenic area, and walkers pay its ¥40 ticket too; the shuttle to its gate is ¥20. Wanghe Tower on the Shanxi bank is another ticket: ¥64 in 2026, or ¥90 for one ticket to three sites.
How do I get back to my car?
Best: a driver who drops you at the start and meets you at the end. Otherwise the restaurants by Shenniu Square drive walkers back to Huashi; agree the price first.
Which bank is which?
The canyon is the border. You start in Shanxi and finish in Inner Mongolia. Laoniuwan village, its fort and Wanghe Tower are on the Shanxi bank; each bank sells its own ticket.
Can I walk on along the Yellow River?
Yes, on a second day: Laoniuwan to Wanjiazhai is 18.8 km and about 5–6 hours (+593 m, recorded in 2021), climbing onto the plateau and scrambling over rock twice near Daju. Most people walk the first part and turn back.
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Where this comes from
Figures come from GPS traces, trip reports and booking sites, checked on the dates below.
- 2bulu: four recorded walks Huashi–Yangjiachuan–Laoniuwan (Mar, Apr, Jun, Aug 2026); two Laoniuwan–Wanjiazhai (2021, 2024) · 1 Oct 2026
- OpenStreetMap: paths, the Great Wall and the Yellow River · 3 Oct 2026
- Xiaohongshu: trip notes from April, May and July 2026 · 2 Oct 2026
- Pianguan Laoniuwan 2026 ticket prices, via Xinhua and Ctrip (Chinese) · 1 Oct 2026
- Trip.com: room prices, late October 2026 · 3 Oct 2026
- China Meteorological Administration via Wikipedia: Pianguan climate · 3 Oct 2026
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