The Hukou Waterfall (), is the largest waterfall on the Yellow River, the second largest waterfall in China (after the Huangguoshu Waterfall in Guizhou), and the world's largest yellow waterfall. It is located at the intersection of the provinces of

Shanxi Shanxi (; ; formerly romanised as Shansi) is a landlocked province of the People's Republic of China and is part of the North China region. The capital and largest city of the province is Taiyuan, while its next most populated prefecture-lev ...

and Shaanxi, to the west of

Fenxi County Fenxi County () is a county of Shanxi province, China. It is under the administration of Linfen city. The county spans an area of , and has a permanent population of 150,522 as of 2019. Toponymy Fenxi literally means west () of the Fen River (), ...

, and to the east of Yichuan County where the middle reaches of the Yellow River flow through Jinxia Grand Canyon. The width of the waterfall changes with the season, usually wide but increasing to during flood season. It has a height of over . When the Yellow River approaches the Hukou Mountain, blocked by mountains on both sides, its width is abruptly narrowed down to . The water's velocity increases, and then plunges over a narrow opening on a cliff, forming a waterfall high and wide, as if water were pouring down from a huge teapot. Hence it gets the name ''Hukou'' (literally, "flask mouth") Waterfall. In the middle of the river, about from the Hukou Waterfall, an enormous rock catches the attention of visitors. When the Yellow River flows to this point, divides into two, rolling and roaring on and on from both sides of the rock before reconverging. Beneath the waterfall is the Qilangwo Bridge which connects the two provinces of Shanxi and Shaanxi. In the sunshine, the mist is refracted by sunlight to create a rainbow spanning the water like a colorful bridge. In 1991, Hukou Waterfall was named one of the "40 Best" national scenic spots. Due to its awkward location in the Loess Plateau hinterlands, Hukou was once very difficult to access. After the local government improved transport and tourist facilities, the number of tourists rose from 20,000 in 1994 to 47,000 in 1995. The figure for 1996 reached 100,000 tourists.
An image of the Hukou Waterfall
can be seen on the older fourth series of the renminbi 50 RMB banknote.

References

Hukou Waterfall at China.org.cnHukou Waterfall - Known to Elaborate Spirit of Chinese People
Foreigners are forbidden from visiting the falls.

External links

{{coord, 36.1314, N, 110.4508, E, type:river_region:CN-14_source:Gaode, format=dms, display=t Waterfalls of China Landforms of Shanxi Landforms of Shaanxi Tourist attractions in Shanxi Tourist attractions in Shaanxi