Lanxi County 兰西县

Setting and landscape

Laha Mountain (拉哈山), a spur of the Lesser Khingan Mountains (小兴安岭), runs 72 kilometres through Lanxi. It is a raised ridge on the Songnen Plain (松嫩平原), 200 to 300 metres wide and 122 to 185 metres above sea level, and its scenic area has the Hulan River on its east side. The county was originally called Shuangmiaozi (双庙子), "two temples", after two small shrines.

What to see

The Laha Mountain scenic area lies 4 kilometres from the county town. At the foot of Laha Mountain on the Hulan River stands Donglin Temple (东林寺), laid out on an east–west axis over more than 70,000 square metres, with a Mahavira hall, a Hall of the Heavenly Kings, a seven-storey pagoda, a relic pagoda and a sutra library among its buildings.

Huangyazi Guandong Folk Culture Village (黄崖子关东民俗文化旅游村), in Yongjiu village (永久村) on the west bank of the Hulan, is a national AAA scenic area. It has a museum of north-eastern folk culture, the Qiao family compound (乔家大院), a folk-scene avenue and six traditional workshops.

In Yulin town (榆林镇), Linqiang Xibe and Manchu Village (林强锡伯族满族村) is described by the county government as Heilongjiang's only Xibe folk village; it keeps eight items of Xibe intangible heritage. The county government also calls Heilongjiang the place where the Xibe people originated.

Food and local products

The Suihua city government's 2016–2020 development plan made Lanxi and Qinggang the focus of a flax-processing belt and, around the Lanxi Linen City (兰西亚麻城), encouraged private investment in making linen furnishing fabric, clothing, car-seat covers and souvenirs.

Getting oriented

The county government puts the Laha Mountain scenic area 53 kilometres from Harbin and 78 kilometres from Suihua. National Highway 202 crosses the county, and the seat is Lanxi town (兰西镇).

Highlights

• Donglin Temple 东林寺: Buddhist temple of more than 70,000 square metres beside the Hulan River at Laha Mountain.
• Huangyazi Guandong Folk Culture Village 黄崖子关东民俗文化旅游村: National AAA scenic area with a museum of north-eastern folk culture and the Qiao family compound.
• Linqiang Xibe and Manchu Village 林强锡伯族满族村: Heilongjiang's only Xibe folk village, keeping eight items of Xibe intangible heritage.
• Laha Mountain 拉哈山: Lesser Khingan spur running 72 km through the county.