Wu'an 武安市

History

In the Warring States period the place was Wu'an town (武安邑) of the state of Zhao (赵国), and a Wu'an County already existed under the Han dynasty. In the Republican period it belonged to Henan province; in 1949 it came under the Handan prefecture of Hebei, and the county became a city in 1988. The Cishan site (磁山遗址) is a major historical and cultural site protected at the national level.

The ground holds large reserves of iron, coal and limestone, and its iron ore is counted among China's four richest deposits. The Xinxing Ductile Iron Pipes company (新兴铸管), set up by the army's General Logistics Department, counts Wu'an among its production bases. People's Daily describes a shift from resource-based industry towards tourism since November 2016, when the city became a candidate national all-for-one tourism demonstration area.

What to see

Dongtaihang (东太行) takes its name from its position on the eastern flank of the Taihang range. People's Daily gives it a planned area of 26 square kilometres and a highest point of 1,428 metres, with cliff-face plank walkways built above 1,000 metres; the 129th Division was once stationed in these mountains. Hebei Daily adds a via ferrata more than 700 metres long and a U-shaped glass walkway.

Jingniang Lake (京娘湖) is the Koushang Reservoir (口上水库), north of Koushang village in the northwestern hills about 30 kilometres from the city, with two arms each about three kilometres long. The nearby Songzutai rest stop (宋祖台驿站) is themed on the tale of the Song founder escorting Jingniang a thousand li.

Qibugou (七步沟) covers 20 square kilometres inside the Wu'an national forest park and geopark. Before the Ming dynasty it was called Qipugou (漆铺沟) after its lacquer trees and lacquer workshops; Buddhist monks later renamed it after the "seven steps, lotus flowers" story. It was rated a national 4A scenic area in 2013. Gu Wudang Mountain (古武当山) rises to 1,437.7 metres, with a temple to the Taoist god Zhenwu (真武大帝) on the main peak, and Chaoyanggou (朝阳沟) in Guantao township (管陶乡) is a valley of twelve side gullies, more than 90 per cent forested.

Getting oriented

The Handan–Changzhi railway (邯长铁路) stops at Wu'an Station, and the Qingdao–Lanzhou Expressway (青兰高速) crosses the city. In the Taihang uplands the 116-kilometre East Taihang scenic corridor (东太行百里画廊) is a road network with three main and six smaller rest stops and nine viewing platforms.

Highlights

• Dongtaihang 东太行: Mountain scenic area on the eastern Taihang flank with cliff walkways above 1,000 metres.
• Jingniang Lake 京娘湖: The Koushang Reservoir in the northwestern hills, with two arms about three kilometres long.
• Qibugou 七步沟: Forest-park valley once named for its lacquer trees; national 4A scenic area since 2013.
• Gu Wudang Mountain 古武当山: Peak of 1,437.7 metres with a Zhenwu temple on the summit.
• Cishan site 磁山遗址: Major historical and cultural site protected at the national level.