After my “Red Education” in the Zaoyuan Revolutionary Site (枣园革命旧址) and the Yan’an Revolutionary Memorial Hall (延安革命纪念馆), it was time for my “Yellow Education.” My host arranged for me to see the Hukou Waterfall (壶口瀑布, Teapot or Tea Kettle Spout Waterfall) on the Yellow River (黄河). And I also got to know why China is called the Middle Kingdom.
The Yellow River originates in the Bayankala Mountains (巴颜喀拉山脉) in Qinghai Province. It runs eastwards, carrying with it 5000 years of Chinese history and civilization. Just south of Hohhot in Inner Mongolia it turns sharply south flowing in a north to south direction. At this stretch, the Yellow River forms much of the border between Shaanxi (陕西) and Shaanxi (陕西) provinces.
Two hundred kilometres south east of Yan’an the river flows past Hukou Village. At this point, the river narrows sharply from 500 meters to about 50 meters before plunging 30 meters into a gorge – the Hukou Waterfalls.
The power of the Hukou Waterfall is not the drop (height) but the volume and power of the turbulence. The “teapot” or “tea kettle” metaphor comes from the turbulence and pressure caused by the narrowing of the river funnelling through a narrow gorge. The water is yellowish because of the loess load.
Visitors can view the waterfalls from either the Shaanxi or Shanxi side of the waterfalls. The views from the Shaanxi side (which I visited) are from a higher level. You get a better overall perspective of the river and the falls. Both sides are not connected – you cannot go across the other side to view the waterfalls or river.
There is a saying in Chinese, “不到黄河心不死”, – it means not giving up until one sees the Yellow River. The expression denotes absolute determination. As I had already seen the river, I was determined to find out why the Chinese called their country 中国 (“Middle Kingdom”), for right below my feet, in the central region of China, was where the Chinese civilisation began – and where I could trace back my roots.
To be continued Part 2 – on how and why China got its name – the Middle Kingdom.
Vince
Dr Vincent Chong is a retired Professor of Radiology at Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore.
