Good Trekking site: [Famous Qinling Valleys] "Gan Valley" (One of the 72 Famous Valleys)

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Gan Valley ("甘峪" in Chinese, One of the 72 Famous Valleys)

Upon hearing the name “Gan Valley”, most people take the character “甘” as “干” which means “dry”. Indeed, “Gan” is a place name created in the Xia Dynasty. According to The Book of History: Ganshi, “Qi had fought with Youhu in the countryside of Gan”, while The Book of Xia has also such records, “Ganye is the origin of water in the Gan Valley, which is called the Gan River.” The Gan Valley lies in the Jiangcun Village which is 20 kilometers southwest from the Hu County. The Ganyu River has its source at the north foot of the Qinling Mountains, with the main branch taking its rise from the Shouyang Mountain. In the upstream area, the East and West Ganyu Ditch cross at the point 7 kilometers away from the valley mouth, with a catchment area covering 78 square kilometers. Its main branch in mountains is 17.3 kilometers long. Flowing north out of the valley, the river passes the Jiangcun Village, the Zu’an Village, and the Gan River Village, finally going into the Lao River to the west of the Laodian Village; the part on the plain is about 7.5 kilometers long.

Gan Valley

With clear and sweet water, the river in the Gan Valley is one of the water sources of Xi’an as well as the mother river here. In spring, grass and trees turns green and flowers fall in the stream; in summer, forests covers the sky, breeze blows and the clear stream flows; in autumn, green mountains welcome visitors, the valley is quiet, the winding paths are lovely, and the stream as well as the pond here become clearer; while in winter, mountains turn grey, grass and flowers withdraw, water freezes and everything seems so cold and magnificent. The famous Shouyang Mountain, from which the West Gan Valley originates, is the most mysterious. It is the third main peak of the Qinling Mountains, with an altitude of 2720 meters. According to historical documents, when the Shang State and the Zhou State were at war, Bo Yi and Shu Qi, two officials of Shang, tried to stop the Zhou army but failed, so they secluded in the Shouyang Mountain. Then they would rather living with wild herbs than eating grain produced in Zhou. After their death, the Confucian School worshiped them very much, and in Taoism they became two gods of Taibai. At present, their images are still worshiped on the mountain. If you want to visit the mountain, starting from the Ganyu Ditch is an ideal choice.

Gan Valley

The Reservoir in Gan Valley

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