Qinglong Manchu Autonomous County 青龙满族自治县

Setting and landscape

Five river systems cross the county: the Qinglong River (青龙河), the Sha River (沙河), the Duyuan River (都源河), the Xinggan River (星干河) and the Qi River (起河). Forest covers 65.66 percent of the land.

Mount Dushan (都山), in the northwest, rises to 1,846 metres, the highest point in Qinhuangdao and the second-highest peak of the Yan Mountains (燕山). "Snow on Dushan" (都山积雪) heads the Eight Views beyond the Pass (口外八景): even in the heat of summer the summit looks white, because its field of boulders shines in the sun.

History

People lived here in the Palaeolithic, and under the Shang the area belonged to Guzhu (孤竹). In the 1120s Huilibao (回离保), king of the six Xi (奚) tribes under the Liao, proclaimed a Xi state on Zushan; it lasted about half a year. A Jin-dynasty distilling vessel found in the county is regarded by scholars as evidence that Chinese distilled liquor began here.

Manchu families settled in large numbers in the ninth year of the Kangxi reign, and Manchu dances such as the "monkey beats the stick" (猴打棒) and cunzi yangge (满族寸子秧歌) are on Hebei's intangible heritage list. The Japanese army created Qinglong County in June 1933, under Manchukuo's Rehe province. The county joined Hebei in 1955, came under Qinhuangdao in 1983, and became a Manchu autonomous county on 2 December 1986.

What to see

Zushan (祖山) is a national 4A scenic area, national scenic area and national geopark. Weathering, glaciation and running water have shaped its granite into cliffs, boulder fields, waterfalls and gorges. It is divided into five areas: Hualang Valley (画廊谷) for rock formations, Feipu Valley (飞瀑谷) for waterfalls, Wulong Valley (乌龙谷) for historic remains, the Wanghai Temple (望海寺) area, and Tiannü Peak (天女峰). Ming generals Xu Da (徐达) and Qi Jiguang (戚继光) built and fortified the Great Wall on the mountain, and the rare Siebold's magnolia (天女木兰) grows there.

The Gold Cave (黄金溶洞), also called Yinhua Jindong (银花金洞), was found by gold miners in 2001 at Shishangou (石山沟) in the southwest. Its karst passages hold stalactites alongside veins of gold, and seven levels have been explored.

Food and local products

Chestnuts cover more than a million mu, and "Qinglong chestnut" (青龙板栗) is a national geographical-indication trademark. The county also calls itself the home of apples and of nian doubao (粘豆包), sticky bean buns.

Getting oriented

The county lies about 220 kilometres from Beijing and 90 kilometres from Qinhuangdao port. The Chengde–Qinhuangdao Expressway (承秦高速) crosses the county from west to east.

Highlights

• Zushan 祖山: National 4A scenic area and geopark with granite peaks, five scenic valleys and Ming Great Wall sections.
• Mount Dushan 都山: At 1,846 metres the highest peak in Qinhuangdao; its white boulder field is the old view "Snow on Dushan".
• Gold Cave 黄金溶洞: Karst cave found by gold miners in 2001, with stalactites and gold veins over seven explored levels.
• Qinglong chestnut 青龙板栗: National geographical-indication trademark; chestnut orchards cover over a million mu.