Taihang Gorges [Changzhi]

"One of Top Ten Most Beautiful Gorges (Canyons) in China"
Ranked by China National Geography Magazine

The gorge group of the southern Taihang Mountains located between the Huguan Pass and Pingshun of Shanxi Province and Lenzhou and Huixian of Henan Province, with the White Defile as the mainstream, is typical of the Taihang Gorge system. The height of those ridges is between 1,000 and 2,000 meters.
The Taihang Gorges are outstanding, not just for one section, but because the Juma, Hutuo, Zhanghe and Qinhe rivers and eight defiles create the Taihang Gorge system that stretches 600 kilometers north to south, and 250 kilometers east to west. It is a gorge group rare in China or anywhere in the world for that matter, with both individual aesthetic features and excellent regional qualities.

The vertical composition of the Taihang Mountains is diverse. In the central and southern areas the mountains are comprised roughly of three strata: the base of the Taihang Mountains is formed of 1.8 billion year-old gneiss—a type of ancient metamorphic rock; then there is purple-red quartzite laid down one billion years ago; then limestone laid down 500 to 600 million years ago. The gorges were formed predominantly through the quartzite and limestone of the upper and central parts of the Taihang Mountains, but in terms of topography, the Taihang Gorge system demonstrates an amazing consistency. The strong uprise of the Shanxi Plateau against the North China Plain created mountain fault-blocks, and then downward erosion by water formed typical combinations such as Zhang Valleys, jar-like valleys, hanging ditches, long cliffs, and stepped terraces. These, plus the various rock textures, colors and striations, combine to create a scroll painting of the Taihang Gorge group in all its austerity, strength and simplicity.

Best time to go
From May to October
An average annual temperature is 50F and an average rainfall of 620 millimeters. The highest elevation is 1638 meters and the lowest 480 meters.

Distance
Beijing (502 km) Anyang City (30 km) Taihang Gorges
Beijing (390 km) Xingtai City (62 km) Taihang Gorges
Beijing (826 km) Changzhi City (64 km) Taihang Gorges
Beijing (508 km) Taiyuan City (250 km) Taihang Gorges
Beijing (689 km) Zhengzhou City (280 km) Taihang Gorges
Beijing (277 km) Shijiazhuang City (300 km) Taihang Gorges

Distance
Beijing (502 km) Anyang City (30 km) Taihang Gorges
Beijing (390 km) Xingtai City (62 km) Taihang Gorges