Atlas of China
Hukou Waterfall 壶口瀑布Húkǒu Pùbù
The muddy Yellow River squeezed into a roaring rock chute between Shanxi and Shaanxi
- Best time
- Late Mar–Apr, Sep–Oct
- Time needed
- Most of a day
- Days to budget
- 1 day
- Stay in
- Linfen
- Region
- Shanxi
- Type
- Nature
- Listed as
- 5A scenic area
Why go to Hukou Waterfall
On the Yellow River between Ji County in Shanxi and Yichuan County in Shaanxi, Hukou ('teapot spout') is where a river hundreds of metres wide is funnelled into a rock trough a few dozen metres across and pours into it in a churning brown cascade. On the Shanxi bank, paths and steps lead down to viewing points beside the falls and along the gorge below.
The story
Boats could not pass the falls, so they were once hauled overland along the rocky bank, a practice remembered as 'boats sailing on dry land' that ended once roads, railways and bridges arrived. The falls are also pictured on the back of the 50-yuan note in the fourth series of renminbi banknotes, issued from 1987.
What to see at Hukou Waterfall
- Main Falls 壶口瀑布: From the Shanxi bank you look across the cascade, where the river drops about 50 metres into a trough only some 30 metres wide.
- Rising Spray 水里冒烟: Mist boils up from the plunge and drifts up the gorge, so the water seems to smoke.
- Rocky Riverbed 旱地行船: The rock bank beside the falls is where boats were once hauled overland to get past the drop; the exposed river rocks show the shape of the channel.
How to visit Hukou Waterfall
Follow the paths and steps down from the entrance to the river, where the viewing points sit beside the falls and along the gorge below. Allow a few hours on site, and book ahead in peak season. If you hold the joint ticket, cross the Yellow River bridge downstream to see the falls from the Shaanxi side.
How to get to Hukou Waterfall
High-speed trains from Taiyuan South reach Linfen West in about 1–1.5 hours. The falls are roughly 150 km west of Linfen: allow 2–3 hours each way by hired car or day tour, as buses run via Ji County and are slow.
Where to stay
Guesthouses and small hotels near the falls on the Shanxi side save a long same-day return, while Linfen city has the wider choice and the high-speed rail connection.
What to eat
- Linfen beef meatball noodles 牛肉丸子面: Alkaline wheat noodles in beef broth with large meatballs, a Linfen favourite.
- Linfen puffed oil cake 泡泡油糕: A sweet fried pastry with a crisp, bubbly skin, a regional snack of southern Shanxi.
Tips for visiting Hukou Waterfall
- A joint Shanxi–Shaanxi ticket lets you view the falls from both banks within two days, crossing the Yellow River bridge downstream.
- Flow is highest during the spring ice-melt 'peach-blossom flood' and after the summer rains; in cold winters ice builds up along the falls.
- Hotels and guesthouses near the falls on the Shanxi side save a long same-day return to Linfen.
Nearby
- Xiaoxitian Temple 小西天 70 km
A small hilltop hall crowded with nearly 2,000 painted clay Buddhist figures - Hancheng Old Town and Dangjia Village 韩城古城·党家村 80 km
Ming temples in an old county town and a village of grey-brick Ming–Qing courtyard houses
Also within 30 km: Hukou Waterfalls (Shaanxi side) 壶口瀑布 (under 10 km), Qiulin Anti-Japanese War Memorial Site 秋林抗战纪念地 (20 km), Guajiashan Cliffside Sculptures 挂甲山摩崖造像 (20 km), Renzu Mountain 人祖山 (20 km).
On the map
Open Hukou Waterfall on the illustrated map to see the terrain around it, what else is close, and to add it to a trip and plan the days.
Open Hukou Waterfall on the map