Get to know Shiquan County
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- Administrative area
- County · 县
- Part of
- Ankang
- Chinese name
- 石泉县
- Local areas
- County guide
Area & population
- Area in the source
- 1,525.00 km²
- Population · 2017
- 183,300
Source: cited geographic source, as of the dates shown.
History
The county government dates the founding of Shiquan to 552, under the Western Wei. The earliest administrative unit within today's county was Anyang County (安阳县), set up in 198 BC with its seat on the north bank of the Han. In 1481 the Ming made the Shiquan fort (石泉堡) of Hanyin into Shiquan County, with its seat on the north bank of the Han. The county also has a long history of silk farming: the gilt bronze silkworm (鎏金铜蚕) that Xi Jinping cited at the Belt and Road Forum on 14 May 2017 was unearthed at Chihe town (池河镇), and the county is known as the 'home of the golden silkworm'. The county government also says that Guiguzi (鬼谷子), the founder of the Strategists school, lived and taught on Mount Yunwu (云雾山).
What to see
The Han River runs for 58.5 kilometres through the county. The county's culture and tourism bureau dates Shiquan Ancient Town (石泉古城), the old town on the Han, back more than 1,600 years; visitors can dress in Han-style clothes there in the evening. Hou Liu Gu Zhen (后柳古镇), the old town of Houliu, is a water town of grey-brick, grey-tiled houses, and the Zhongba workshop town has 72 traditional workshops showing intangible-heritage crafts. Zhong Ba Da Xia Gu (中坝大峡谷), the Zhongba Grand Canyon, is a gorge in the Qinling-Daba mountains with plank walkways, small waterfalls, a narrow 'one-line sky' passage and a suspension bridge over the stream. The county government also names the Yanxiang Cave (燕翔洞) karst caves among its main sights.
Getting oriented
The Yangpingguan–Ankang railway (阳安铁路) and national highways 210 and 316 meet in the county, and the Shiyan–Tianshui and Xi'an–Hanzhong expressways cross it.
Highlights
- Shiquan Ancient Town 石泉古城: Old town on the Han River dated by the county to more than 1,600 years ago.
- Hou Liu Gu Zhen 后柳古镇: Water town of grey-brick, grey-tiled houses.
- Zhong Ba Da Xia Gu 中坝大峡谷: Gorge with plank walkways, waterfalls and a suspension bridge.
- Gilt bronze silkworm 鎏金铜蚕: Silkworm figure unearthed at Chihe town.
Sources for this guide
石泉概况-石泉县人民政府 · Shiquan County People's Government
历史沿革-石泉县人民政府 · Shiquan County People's Government
【路线信息】石泉旅游路线信息介绍-石泉县人民政府 · Shiquan County Bureau of Culture, Tourism, Radio and Television
中坝大峡谷｜藏在秦巴深处的温柔山野-石泉县人民政府 · Shiquan County Bureau of Culture, Tourism, Radio and Television
Original English written from the listed sources and checked sentence by sentence against quoted extracts by a separate reviewer. Updated 2026-09-25.
Explore Shiquan County
Core places to explore, with English and Chinese names.
Places to explore around Shiquan County
Shiquan Ancient Town · 石泉古城Shiquan Ancient Town石泉古城
Shiquan Old Town follows the north bank of the Han River, with lanes and courtyard houses between surviving city gateways. The east and west gates anchor the main old street, while Yuwang Palace, Guandi Temple and the Jiangxi…
Read the place guide →
AI illustration · AI 示意图（仅供参考，非该地点实拍）Zhongba Grand Canyon中坝大峡谷
Zhongba Grand Canyon (中坝大峡谷) is a canyon scenic area on the south side of the Han River in Shiquan County, Ankang, Shaanxi, in the karst country at the southern foot of the Ba Mountains.
Read the place guide →
Houliu Ancient Town · 后柳古镇Houliu Ancient Town后柳古镇
Houliu Ancient Town (后柳古镇), also called Houliu Water Town (后柳水乡), is a Ming and Qing wharf town on the west bank of the Han River in the south of Shiquan County, Ankang, Shaanxi, sitting on a peninsula with water on three sides.
Read the place guide →Plan your visit
Getting there
Shiquan County is about 85 km in a straight line from central Ankang. Search for 石泉县 in a map app to find stations and your accommodation.
Where to stay →Build your route
Shiquan Ancient Town and Zhongba Grand Canyon are both listed here. The linked place guides have entrance and visit details.
Continue with Ankang →More in Ankang
Sources & geographic information
Administrative names and parent areas: Official geographic directory · Reference date 2026-09-06.
Photo: Shiquan Ancient Town · Source photographer · License not provided. EXIF orientation normalized; resized without changing aspect ratio; converted to WebP. No subject edits.
Photo: Houliu Ancient Town · Source photographer · License not provided. EXIF orientation normalized; resized without changing aspect ratio; converted to WebP. No subject edits.
Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors. Pins mark approximate centres, not entrances or boundaries.