Hukou Waterfall Overview
Hukou Waterfall (kettle spout) is the largest waterfall on the Yellow River and the second largest in China. It is located in Yellow River Hukou Waterfall Scenic Area, Hukou Town, Ji County, Linfen, Shanxi Province, China, on the border of Shanxi and Shaanxi provinces. Hukou Waterfall is known around the country for once gracing the RMB 50 note. This waterfall is 20 meters high. The width of the waterfall changes with the season, usually 30 meters wide but increasing to 50 meters during flood season.
The water speeds up with increasing waterpower. Then it rushes down from the narrow mouth, forming a grand waterfall of 15 meters high and 20 meters wide, as if water is pouring down from a huge teapot. That is why it gets the name Hukou (kettle spout) Waterfall. The May to October flood season is the best time to visit, when water flow and velocity increase, sometime swelling the fall into a 50-meter-wide spectacular scene.
While standing on the bank of the Yellow River, visitors can watch the roaring water rushing through mountains and then plunge into a deep pool, which really resembles the boiling water in a teapot. That is the reason why it gets its name. The waves stir up masses of smoke and clouds, rising higher up into the sky, with the color changes from yellow to gray and then to blue. The local people call this marvelous scenery smoke rising from the water.
What to See
【Mengmen Hill】
At five kilometers downstream of Hukou Waterfall, you can see two spindle-shaped boulders at the bottom right of the Yellow river standing tall among the Sage. This is Mengmen Hill. The Mengmen Island is about 300 meters long and 50 meters wide, about 10 meters above the water. There is a statue of a giant turtle on the island, which is a marvelous spectacle in this place.
【Dragon Cave】
There is a natural cave near the waterfall that is called Dragon Cave. It can provides direct access to the bottom of the Hukou Waterfall. It is commonly known as Dragon Cave or Waterfall Cave.
Travel Tips of Hukou Waterfall Tour
【How to Get There】: The nearest traffic hub to Hukou Waterfall is Yuncheng Airport. It’s about 82 kilometers away. Major cities connected to Yuncheng Airport by direct flights include Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou. It is about 6-hour driving away from Taiyuan, and about 2-hour driving away from Xian.
【Note】: From May to October flood season is the best time to visit, when water flow and velocity increase, sometime swelling the fall into a 50-meter-wide spectacular scene. But the temperature is quite cool in this place; you’d better bring a coat.