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Shangluo City, a prefecture-level city in Shaanxi, is located in the southeast of Shaanxi Province and on the south of Qinling Mountains, Shangluo borders Nanyang and Sanmenxia of Henan Province on the east, Shiyan of Hubei Province on the south, Xi’an and Ankang of Shaanxi Province on the west and southwest, and Weinan of Shaanxi Province on the north. Located at the southern foot of Qinling Mountains, named after Shang Mountain and Luo River, and stretching over the Yangtze and Yellow River basins, Shangluo is the core area of Qinling Central National Park, with green mountains and rivers, and is a good place for leisure and holidays. 

Facts of Shangluo

Chinese Name: 商洛市 (shāng luò shì)
Population: 2,406,169
Area: 19,292 square kilometers (7,448 square miles)
Administrative Division: 1 district (Shangzhou); 6 counties (Luonan, Danfeng, Shangnan, Shanyang, Zhen'an, Zhashui)

History of Shangluo

As early as the Paleolithic Age, human beings started to live in this area. The name of Shangluo came into being in the Warring States Period (476 BC-227 BC). It once was divided into two parts which belonged to different states in the history. In 1949, it was liberated and was then divided into two parts: a county-level city Shangzhou and Shangluo Area. In 2002, the two were combined into a prefecture-level city Shangluo.

Being the longest branch of Hanjiang River (one of the branches of the Yangtze River), Danjiang has been important water transportation since the Spring and Autumn Period (770BC-470 BC). Danjiang Cruise is the first cruise in northwest China and is famous for its excitement, beautiful scenery and long history.Historically, Shangluo was a thoroughfare connecting northwest to southeast and was blessed with profound historic and cultural deposits. Poetic masters, such as Li Bai, Bai Juyi, Han Yu and Du Mu, had once made their homes in Shangluo and left behind plenty of popular poems and prose. Jia Pingwa, a famous modern writer, was born in Dihua Town, Danfeng County by the river of Dan.

Geography of Shangluo

Located in the southeast of Shaanxi Province, Shangluo lies in the south ranges of Qinling Mountain (the dividing line between north China and south China) and is neighbor to Hubei and Henan provinces.The area has quite complicate physical features. Six mountains form various valleys where two rivers the Yangtze and the Yellow River cross. The mountain area extends from high northwest to low southeast like a huge palm.

What to see in Shangluo?

Shangluo abounds in ecotourism resource. Peculiar mountains, peaks, gorges, rivers, trees and natural landscapes are found everywhere within the territory. It has 48 nature reserves and rare animal protection zones in addition to well-known such scenic spots as Jinsi Gorge in Shangnan, Muwang in Zhen’an, Niubeiliang in Zhashui and Tianzhu Mountain in Shanyang; all these attractions are ideal places for sightseeing, summer resort, recreation and holidays. With improved infrastructures of transportation, power supply and communication, Shangluo is integrated into Xi’an One-hour Economic Circle; Shangluo-Danfeng Circular Economy Industrial Park is ratified as a province-level industrial park; and Shangluo is incorporated into Guanzhong-Tianshui Economic Zone, thanks to its good ecological environment, advantageous resource condition, potential geographical advantage, vigor and vitality of leapfrog development. Dayun Temple is located within Shangluo City of Shaanxi Province. It was originally composed of upper and lower temples, with the upper one in Jinfeng Mountain to the north of the city and then ruined and the latter in present actual position.

Jinsixia National Forest Park	Tayun Mountain	Niubeiliang Scenic Area
Xian'e Lake	Zhashui Cave	Zhashui Phoenix Town

Shangluo is one of the most important wood production bases in Shaanxi. It is also called 'Natural Herb Storehouse' due to the thousands of herb varieties in the forests and mountains. Scenic beauty is most attractive to visitors. Danjiang River Cruise is called 'No.1 Cruise of Northwest China' while Zhashui Cave is honored as 'Wonder of North China'. The traditional culture is primitive and profound, such as Snatch Lantern, Sacrifice to King of Tree, Sisters' Song and other interesting marriage customs and various local operas. In addition, this place was once an important revolutionary base of Chinese community in the early 1990s.

When to visit Shangluo?

Spanning Yangtze and Yellow River watersheds, Shangluo sits in a transitional zone from warm temperate zone to sub-tropic zone and belongs to semi-humid mountain climate with mild climate, abundant rainfall and distinct seasons. The north of the city belongs to warm temperature zone while the south enjoys the subtropical climate. Four seasons are distinctive with dry and cold spring and wet and hot summer. The annual average temperature of Shangluo weather is from 7.8C to 13.9C at lowest and 37C to 40.8C at highest. The best time to visit this place is either spring or autumn that is March to May or September to October. 

How to get to Shangluo?

It's quite convenient from Xian to Shangluo. There are national highways linking Xian, Weinan, Xianyang, Shangluo and other provincial cities together. Xian Bus Station near the railway station operates those long-distances buses running here. Alternatively visitors can choose to take trains. There are three scheduled trains every day coming from Xian. Shangluo Bus Station has buses to its cisborder counties.

From Xia Dynasty to the Republic of China period, Dan River has been the main shipping channel. Six-hundred-li-long commercial path is regarded as the “guttural thoroughfare of Qin and Chu States”. Today, railways and highways running through the territory include Xi’an-Ankuang railway, Xi’an-Hefei railway, Baotou-Maoming expressway, Shanghai-Shaanxi expressway and Fuzhou-Yinchuan expressway, forming a fast and convenient channel from western provinces to East China, Central China, South China and the Yangtze Delta and connecting to Xi’an, Henan, Hubei and Shanxi. Density of expressways ranks top among ten cities in Shaanxi. Shangluo is incorporated into Xi’an One-hour Economic Circle and becomes the second living quarter of Xi’an

Shangluo Travel Tips

1. Unique geographic and climatic conditions have endowed Shangluo with good ecological environment and rich resources of minerals, biodiversity and tourism. Currently in this city, there are 24.04 million mu of woodland, 108 places of 46 minerals that are already proven and listed in mineral reserves of Shaanxi, 35 large mineral deposits with potential value exceeding RMB340 billion yuan. More than 260 species of agricultural and forestry specialties are growing in the territory, including wild fiber, amylum and oil plants. Shangluo is known usually as “Drug Storehouse of Qinling Mountains” due to its storage of 1192 varieties of Chinese herbal medicines, including 265 bulk genuine Chinese medicinal crops.

2. Useful Telephone Numbers:
   Tourist Complaints: 0914-2313238
   Shangluo Bus Station: 0914-2312982
   City Bus Inquiry: 0914-2312037
   First Aid Center: 0914-2312121