Get to know Jiyuan
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- Administrative area
- County-level city · 县级市
- Part of
- Henan
- Chinese name
- 济源市
- Local areas
- County-level city guide
Area & population
- Area in the source
- 1,965.00 km²
- Population · 2019
- 733,700
Source: cited geographic source, as of the dates shown.
Setting and landscape
Mountains and hills cover 88 percent of the land. The Taihang (太行山) and Wangwu (王屋山) ranges rise within its borders, and the Yellow River and the Qin River (沁河) flow through it. The Xiaolangdi (小浪底) dam on the Yellow River created a reservoir of more than 270 square kilometres, and with it the scenery known as the Three Gorges of the Yellow River (黄河三峡). The city government counts 2,121 plant species, among them the Chinese yew, and nearly 700 animal species, including golden eagles, black storks, leopards, macaques and the Chinese giant salamander.
What to see
Mount Wangwu is placed by the city government first among the nine great mountains of ancient China, and is revered as the "first grotto-heaven under heaven" (天下第一洞天). The physician Sun Simiao (孙思邈) practised medicine and Daoism on the mountain in old age and died there.
The Jidu Temple (济渎庙) is where emperors made sacrifices to the Ji River, and the city government calls it a museum of the old architecture of the Central Plains. The poet Bai Juyi (白居易) praised the landscape of Jiyuan, and Li Bai (李白) wrote his only surviving piece of calligraphy, the Shangyangtai Scroll (上阳台帖), here.
History
According to the city government, the Xia king Shaokang (少康) moved his capital to Yuan (原), in the northwest of today's urban area. In the Warring States period the town of Zhi (轵), today Zhicheng (轵城), served as a capital of the state of Han, and the Qin set up Zhi County. Jiyuan County was split from Zhi in 596 under the Sui. The Tang chancellor Pei Xiu (裴休), the tea poet Lu Tong (卢仝) and the landscape painter Jing Hao (荆浩) are among the figures linked to it. Jiyuan became a city in 1988, was taken out of Jiaozuo's administration and placed directly under the Henan government in 1997, and in 2005 was raised to a full prefecture-level city under the province.
Highlights
- Wangwu Mountain 王屋山: Placed by the city government first among ancient China's nine great mountains; Sun Simiao spent his last years here.
- Jidu Temple 济渎庙: Where emperors made sacrifices to the Ji River; called a museum of Central Plains architecture.
- Three Gorges of the Yellow River 黄河三峡: Scenery created by the Xiaolangdi reservoir, more than 270 square kilometres of water.
Sources for this guide
概况信息_济源市人民政府 · Jiyuan City People's Government
历史沿革_济源市人民政府 · Jiyuan City People's Government
地理环境_济源市人民政府 · Jiyuan City People's Government
Original English written from the listed sources and checked sentence by sentence against quoted extracts by a separate reviewer. Updated 2026-09-25.
Explore Jiyuan
Core places to explore, with English and Chinese names.
Places to explore around Jiyuan
The landscape at Wangwu Mountain · 王屋山 Photograph date recorded by the source: 19 October 2011.Wangwu Mountain王屋山
Wangwu Mountain is a Taoist landscape northwest of Jiyuan, with religious buildings beneath a high central mountain. Yangtai Palace is especially rewarding for close inspection: its halls, courtyards and carved stone columns…
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The Resting Hall (Qingong) of Jidu Temple, Jiyuan · 济源济渎庙寝宫 Source-recorded photograph date: 2025-07-16 19:46:29.Jidu Temple济渎庙
Sui-founded temple to the Ji River god in Jiyuan, with a 973 Song hall, a rare Song stone balustrade and a shrine to the distant North Sea.
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Wulongkou Scenic Area (五龙口), Jiyuan. Photograph: "20250716 Wulongkou Ancient Hydraulic System 05".Wulongkou Scenic Area五龙口
Wulongkou (五龙口) is a gorge and scenic area about 15 kilometres north-east of the Jiyuan urban area in north-western Henan, at the point where the Qin River cuts out of the Taihang Mountains, known for its wild Taihang macaques, its hot springs and an ancient canal intake.
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AI illustration · AI 示意图（仅供参考，非该地点实拍）Yellow River Three Gorges黄河三峡
The Yellow River Three Gorges (黄河三峡) is a 40-square-kilometre scenic area in Jiyuan, north-western Henan, where the Yellow River runs through three linked gorges about 20 kilometres upstream of the Xiaolangdi dam.
Read the place guide →Local life & food
Jiyuan local specialties
济源市特色美食 · 9 specialties to discover
Unflipped Rice Pancake with Egg 鸡蛋不翻儿
Unflipped Rice Pancake with Egg (鸡蛋不翻儿) is a Jiyuan (济源) snack with a golden egg layer above a pale grain-flour base. Its distinctive shape resembles a Qing official’s hat, with a thin, crisp centre and a thicker outer edge.
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Clay-Baked Flour Bites 土馍
Clay-Baked Flour Bites (土馍) are a baked wheat snack from Wangwu Mountain (王屋山) in Jiyuan (济源), Henan, which China News Service describes as a traditional local product of the Wangwu mountain area, the home of the Foolish Old Man (愚公) of the legend.
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Pan-Fried Tofu Slices 锅贴豆腐Reference photo of a similar dish · 同类菜品参考照片
Pan-Fried Tofu Slices (锅贴豆腐) is listed among the local specialties of Jiyuan, Henan. The name includes 豆腐 (bean curd).
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Jiyuan Stir-Fried Chicken 济源炒鸡AI illustration · AI 示意图（仅供参考，非实拍）
Jiyuan Stir-Fried Chicken (济源炒鸡) is listed among the local specialties of Jiyuan, Henan. The name includes 鸡 (chicken). 炒 describes stir-frying.
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Yellow River Carp 黄河鲤鱼
Yellow River Carp (黄河鲤鱼) appears in several preparations in Zhengzhou (郑州), with red-braising a prominent local treatment.
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Wangwu Mountain Wild Vegetable Dumplings 王屋山野菜饺子Reference photo of a similar dish · 同类菜品参考照片
Wangwu Mountain Wild Vegetable Dumplings (王屋山野菜饺子) is listed among the local specialties of Jiyuan, Henan. The term 饺 points to dumplings.
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Pork-Filled Baked Buns 肉夹火烧
Pork-Filled Baked Buns (肉夹火烧) is listed among the local specialties of Jiyuan, Henan. The term 火烧 points to baked bread.
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Flaky Mung Bean Pastry 绿豆酥
Flaky Mung Bean Pastry (绿豆酥) is listed among the local specialties of Jiyuan, Henan. The name includes 绿豆 (mung beans). The term 酥 points to flaky pastry or crisp preparation.
Read the dish guide →Photo adjustments
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More dishes from across Henan are in the Henan food guide.
Plan your visit
Getting there
Search for 济源市 in a map app to find stations and your accommodation.
Where to stay →Build your route
Wangwu Mountain and Jidu Temple are both listed here. The linked place guides have entrance and visit details.
Continue with Henan →More in Henan
Sources & geographic information
Administrative names and parent areas: Official geographic directory · Reference date 2026-09-06.
Photo: Wangwu Mountain · Xuczhisheng · CC BY-SA 3.0. Full frame retained; proportionally resized and converted to WebP. No retouching or changes to the photographed subject. Card displays may crop the view.
Photo: Jidu Temple · Windmemories · CC BY-SA 4.0. Full frame retained; proportionally resized and converted to WebP. No retouching or changes to the photographed subject. Card displays may crop the view.
Photo: Wulongkou Scenic Area · Windmemories · CC BY-SA 4.0. Full frame retained; EXIF orientation normalized, proportionally resized to at most 800 pixels and converted to WebP. No generated pixels or subject changes. Cards may crop the display.
Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors. Pins mark approximate centres, not entrances or boundaries.