Yanggu County 阳谷县

Setting and landscape

The county borders Dong'e County (东阿县) to the east, Shen County (莘县) to the west and Taiqian County (台前县) in Henan to the south, and faces Dongping County (东平县) across the Yellow River. The Jindi (金堤), the Yellow River's northern dyke, crosses the south of the county and splits it between two basins: south of it lies the Jindi River (金堤河) system of the Yellow River basin, while the Tuhai River (徒骇河) system to the north belongs to the Hai River basin.

History

In the Spring and Autumn period Yanggu was a town of the state of Qi, where in 657 BC Qi, Song, Jiang and Huang met to plan a campaign against Chu. The Sui created the county and named it after the old Yanggu Pavilion (阳谷亭); under the Song the river broke through the county town and the seat moved to its present site.

What to see

Jingyang Ridge, 16 kilometres east of the county town in Zhangqiu Town (张秋镇), is the traditional site of the tiger fight and also a Longshan-culture walled-settlement site. The national protected site and 4A scenic area has sand dunes, a Mountain God Temple (山神庙) with a statue of Wu Song, and a Wu Song Temple (武松庙) on the northern crest whose plaque was written by Zhao Puchu (赵朴初).

In the county town, the Lion Tower (狮子楼) at the southwest corner of the Dayushou crossroads (大隅首) is where Wu Song kills Ximen Qing (西门庆) to avenge his brother. First built in 1036, it was redesigned in Song style in 1983 by Chen Congzhou (陈从周) of Tongji University. The adjoining Lion Tower tourist town was built as a film set with shops such as Wang Po's teahouse.

Haihui Temple (海会寺), beside the old canal in Acheng Town (阿城镇), is a Qing complex begun under Kangxi that combines a temple, a shrine to Lord Liu (刘公祠) and the Yunsi guild hall (运司会馆).

Food and local products

Zhangqiu stewed fish (张秋炖鱼) comes from a cook named Li Wenduan (李文端) on Zhangqiu's south street, and his family has kept the method since. The stewed fish comes out with soft bones and tender flesh. Zhangqiu was nicknamed "Little Suzhou" (小苏州) in the days of grain shipping on the Grand Canal.

Highlights

• Jingyang Ridge 景阳冈: Traditional site of Wu Song's tiger fight in Water Margin; national protected site and 4A scenic area in Zhangqiu Town.
• Lion Tower 狮子楼: Tower in the county town first built in 1036, the setting of Wu Song's killing of Ximen Qing; redesigned in Song style in 1983.
• Haihui Temple 海会寺: Qing temple and guild-hall complex beside the old canal in Acheng Town, begun under Kangxi.
• Zhangqiu stewed fish 张秋炖鱼: Family recipe from Zhangqiu Town; the stewed fish has soft bones and tender flesh.