Baota Hill, Yan'an

Background

Baota Hill, also called Jialing Hill, rises beside the Yan River on the southeast side of Yan'an to about 1136 metres above sea level; the whole hill is laid out as Baota Mountain Park, covering about 360,000 square metres. The first pagoda on the summit was built in the Tang and has long since vanished; the present nine-storey octagonal brick pagoda dates from the Ming and is about 44 metres tall, with views from the top over the city and the surrounding Loess Plateau. Beside the pagoda are the Peace Bell and the Peace Drum; on the cliffs lower down are Song-dynasty rock inscriptions, and the hill also has Qing steles, a beacon tower and remains of the old city wall. From October 1935 to 1947 Yan'an was the seat of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, and Baota Hill became the city's most familiar symbol. In 1956 the poet He Jingzhi returned to Yan'an and wrote the lyric poem Return to Yan'an. The city's other revolutionary sites, such as Yangjialing, Zaoyuan and Wangjiaping, and the Yan'an Revolutionary Memorial Hall can be visited along with the hill.

Local customs

• Climb to the square in front of the pagoda to see the brick tower and the cliff inscriptions up close
• climb the pagoda for views over the city, the loess ridges and the Yan River
• beat the Peace Drum and ring the Peace Bell for health and good fortune
• for a full view of the pagoda, first climb nearby Qingliang Hill.

Travel tips

• The way up is a slope
• with flat shoes and a few rests it is not hard. The summit is windy, so bring an extra layer for mornings and evenings. Tickets and opening hours are as officially announced
• check the site's notices before you go. Baota Hill is in the city, reachable by city bus or taxi
• from Xi'an, high-speed trains and long-distance coaches go to Yan'an, where you change to city transport. Check times at the station.
• Spring and autumn, with pleasant weather, are best for the climb
• in summer the hill's dense shade keeps it 3 to 4°C cooler than the city
• after winter snow the hill looks striking, but watch out for slippery paths.