The village, hanging on the crest of the Wanxianshan Ridge, is considered the most lost village of northern Henan. The romantic appearance of Goliancun attracts Chinese filmmakers, whose creations serve as an excellent tourist advertisement for the village.
Painters rush in orderly rows to Golyantsun to capture its mountain beauty on paper and canvas. On the outskirts of the village, modern hotels are growing one after another, whose appearance cannot be compared with the gloomy beauty of stone huts. The views that open up at every turn of the long trail leading to the Wanxianypan ridge make you forget about the road ordeal and buzzing feet.
Goliancong is about 6°C colder than Zhengzhou. Locals claim that thanks to this, there are never mosquitoes in the village. We know one thing: you will definitely need warm clothes, especially in winter. It is better to come to the village during the tourist season, but winter visits also have their own charm: there is amazing silence in the mountains, and moonlit nights drive you crazy. Do not forget a flashlight, as there are frequent power outages in Golyantsun.
The official fee for visiting the village is Y60. There is no place to change money — stock up in cash in advance. There is a small hospital right in the village.
Attractions
Colorful peasant houses, hung with yellow bunches of corn cobs, are entirely built of local stone. Village streets, bridges over streams and gate arches are made of the same material. Bronze-faced old women look out from behind fences, and flocks of children scatter at the sight of a traveler – despite the fact that the aborigines of Golyantsun treat visitors well.
On the way to the village, you will walk along the road over the abyss — do not forget to look back while enjoying the views. The tunnel in the rocks was cut down in 192-198 by local residents led by Shen Mingxin. Before that, the only connection between the village and the outside world was the Heavenly Staircase built in the Ming era. On the steep steps of pink stone, hands have nothing to cling to — the head is spinning both from the height and from the splendor of the mountains. The heavenly staircase is a 30-40-minute walk along the path in the direction of the village of Hu- eitaozhai — its houses also hang over the steep cliffs. Looking at them, it’s hard to believe that 500 million years ago, the sea splashed on the site of the mountains.
Behind the bridge, on the other side of the cleft bordering the village, there are houses of yashan renjia – “rock people” – perched on the narrow ridge of the ridge of the same name. At the top of the cliff there is an observation deck from which you can look into the very depths of the gorge with a sinking heart. Following the path leading from Goliancun, you will soon pass the last hotel and the Heavenly Staircase. After that, you can take a 5-kilometer walk to a Screaming source – a stream that repeats the sound of a human scream. On the way you will come across an Old pond and two caves: a Red Dragon and a White Dragon. This is the widest of the mountain trails, and you can take a car along it. If you have seen all the sights and are not too tired, take a walk along one of the many small paths — for example, the one that bypasses Golyantsun and ends in the rocks above the village. In this case, do not forget to stock up on water.
