Cheng County 成县

Setting and landscape

The county is hill country lying between the Qinling and the Ba Mountains (巴山), and the Qingni River (青泥河), a tributary of the Jialing, runs through the county town. Elevations range from 750 to 2,377 metres. The county government describes a warm-temperate, semi-humid climate that is transitional between north and south, with an average temperature of 12.9°C and 638 mm of rain a year, and forest over 45.9 per cent of the land. Cheng County is known as "the granary of Longyou" (陇右粮仓).

History

More than 20 prehistoric sites of the Yangshao (仰韶), Majiayao (马家窑), Qijia (齐家) and Siwa (寺洼) cultures have been found here, along with 13 groups of tombs from the Spring and Autumn period, the Han and the Song, and several old battlefields such as Longmen (龙门), Gushan (固山) and Zijinshan (紫金山). The Baima Di (白马氐) people lived in the area in the Warring States period, and the Eastern Han moved the seat of Wudu Commandery (武都郡) to Xiabian (下辨).

The Western Wei named the area Chengzhou (成州). Under the Tang, Song and Yuan it was a prefecture governed from Tonggu County (同谷县). In the Southern Song, Chengzhou stood on the front line against the Jin and was raised to Tongqing Prefecture (同庆府) early in the Baoqing (宝庆) era; the name Cheng County dates from the early Ming. In 2007 the county received the title "thousand-year-old county" (千年古县).

What to see

The Xixia Song (西狭颂), a cliff inscription in Han clerical script, is a national key cultural relic protection unit. Jifeng Mountain (鸡峰山) is a national forest park. The Du Shaoling Shrine (杜少陵祠) commemorates the stay of the poet Du Fu (杜甫) in Tonggu, and the Wu Ting tomb park (吴挺陵园) honours a Southern Song general who fought the Jin. Other sights include Wuxian Cave (五仙洞), Dayun Temple (大云寺), Dianshan (甸山), Jinlian Cave (金莲洞), Nigong Mountain (泥功山), Shimen Gully (石门沟), Langgou Gorge (浪沟峡) and the Peigong Lotus Pond (裴公莲沼).

Getting oriented

The county government calls Cheng County the regional centre and transport hub of Longnan. The G8513 and G7011 expressways and National Highway G567 cross the county, Longnan Chengxian Airport (陇南成县机场) is here, and so is Longnan Normal University (陇南师范学院). The county places itself on the tourist route between Maijishan (麦积山) and Jiuzhaigou (九寨沟).

Highlights

• Xixia Song 西狭颂: Cliff inscription in Han clerical script; a national key cultural relic protection unit.
• Jifeng Mountain 鸡峰山: National forest park in the county.
• Du Shaoling Shrine 杜少陵祠: Memorial to Du Fu's stay in Tonggu.
• Wu Ting tomb park 吴挺陵园: Tomb park of a Southern Song general who fought the Jin.
• Chengxian walnut 成县核桃: A Chinese geographical-indication product.