Zhengzhou-Sanmenxia If you wish to take a fourday trip in Henan Province, Sanmenxia must be a good choice.

With numerous historic relics, fairy tale scenery and beautiful landscapes, Sanmenxia of Central China's Henan Province is like a pearl on the Yellow River.

Located at the middle reaches of the Yellow Rivers, it is one of the birthplaces of Chinese culture.

According to legend, 5,000 years ago, Sanmenxia was a death gorge for ships with its rushing waters and narrow, winding tunnels.

Dayu, a hero skillful at taming rivers, split the gorge into three pieces with his magical hatchet, which are known as Man's Gate, Devil's Gate and God's Gate - hence came the name Sanmenxia (Three Gates Gorge).

The city of Sanmenxia was born with the first dam on the Yellow River - "Sanmenxia Dam," completed in 1960.

The Sanmenxia Reservoir is a fantastic lake. Sediment in the water from the upper Loess Plateau settles on the bottom as the river slows down and makes the water surprisingly limpid.

Boating and swimming in the Yellow River is no longer a dream there.

Not far away from the reservoir lies an ancient building called Baolun Pagoda. With 13 stories, the brick pagoda stands at more than 25 metres high, which makes it a good platform to view the whole city and the Yellow River.

First built in the Tang dynasty (AD 618-907) and rebuilt in the Jin dynasty (1115-1234), the pagoda is one of four echo architectures in China: When you clap your hands or tap a stone inside or beside the pagoda, you can hear an echo much like the sound of a croaking frog. So people also call it "Frog Pagoda."

Located in Shangling Village 16 kilometres away from downtown Sanmenxia, a newly built museum which covers the largest chariot pit group in China awaits visitors.

The whole area, found and excavated in 1991, was a large cemetery for monarchs and nobles of the Kingdom of Guo during the Western Zhou Dynasty (c. 11th century - 771 BC).

Some 50 chariots with about 100 horses that were used for battles were found within 11 burial sites of the cemetery, which displays a splendid culture of that time.

At 65 kilometres away from Sanmenxia, Lingbao is also a place well worth visiting.

Legend has it that Emperor Xuanyuan, a legendary ruler in the early history of China, once had a tripod cast as a symbol of legislation and put it at the foot of Jingshan Mountains in the Yangping Town of today's Lingbao.

The emperor flew to the heaven riding a dragon after the tripod was cast. His clothes and boots left behind were buried there. Later, ancient people built a grave and a temple there to offer sacrifices.

Located in Wangduo Village to the north of Lingbao, Hanguguan Pass sits on an ancient passageway to Chang'an, today's Xi'an, capital of many dynasties in China. It was more like a natural guard with steep cliffs and narrow tunnels in ancient times.

Numerous famous wars had broken out on the pass, influencing the development of Chinese history.

The pass is 7.5 kilometres long and allows only one cart to pass at a time. In the Chinese idiom, it is a pass which "one guard can hold against 10,000 enemies."

Travel route: If you start from Beijing, take trains T45 or T231; both stop at Sanmenxia West Station. Trains will leave Beijing at dusk and arrive in Sanmenxia in the early morning. It takes half an hour from the station to downtown.

If you begin from Zhengzhou in Henan Province, it takes you four hours to drive there. Tour buses are available every afternoon in both directions.

( China Daily April 27, 2002)