Jiangxi,?Fugu and Wupu are towns in northwestern China's Shaanxi Province, which lie along the Yellow River Yangtze River tour, considered the nation's mother river and cradle of civilization.

Though the river towns are little known and seldom visited by foreigners or even Chinese residents, they are worth a visit for a week or longer.

The highlights include Xianglu (Censer) Temple (built on a cliff along the river) and mural printings and original architecture more than 700 years old hidden in the remote Longxing Temple. There is also the ancient stone city of Wupu, which has only one resident family remaining.

A visit brings an appreciation of the Yellow River, which turns its namesake color from the sand and silt it carries. People can feel its magic and power in nearby famous sites like Hukou (Teapot Mouth) Waterfall. The river towns, however, are what gave me the space to imagination through relics left by ancient people. They add to the unique charm of Shaanxi, with its historical and cultural wonders such as the famous Terra-Cotta Warriors outside Xi'an Xian tours.

It was also a pleasure to talk with locals, experience their daily life and shoot photos. The relative isolation, slow-paced life, smiling faces of peasants and child cow herders along the river all made me forget hectic city life.

Noodles and potatoes are staple foods in Shaanxi. A specialty is whipped potato with spicy sauce, or yangyu caca. Mutton and chicken are served but they are a little expensive. Carp caught in the river by local fishermen are also common. Try not to miss local fruit such as haihongguo in Fugu in spring or jujubes in Jiaxian in autumn. They cost one-tenth of what people must pay in Shanghai and Beijing.

The usual starting point to visit the river towns is Yulin, which has flights connecting to Shanghai and Beijing, or Xi'an, the capital city of Shaanxi Province. There are 10 to 20 daily buses traversing the highways connecting Yulin to Fugu, Jiaxian and Wupu.

Nearby sites include Mizhi and Suide counties in Shaanxi Province and Qikou in nearby Shanxi Province. All destinations are within two or three hours' drive of Yulin or Jiaxian.

The best time to visit the area is spring and autumn, when temperatures are comfortable.

Jiaxian provides visitors rich choices of sunset views of Xianglu Temple affordable China tours and the Yellow River, stone tablets carved with Chairman Mao Zedong's words, the No. 1 Taoist building in northwestern China and Song Dynasty sculptures in an uphill temple less visited by tourists.

Here you won't see tour buses and other visitors rushing from place to place, a common scene in famous sites around Xi'an. You can slow down and take opportunities to walk around and talk with locals about their lifestyle.

Perched high on a bank of the Yellow River, Xianglu Temple is a perfect combination of natural wonder and human craftsmanship. The temple, meaning Censer Temple in English, was built on a cliff over the Yellow River, northeast of Jiaxian. One side of the temple is connected to the county, while the other three sides face the Yellow River.

If you look from higher vantage points, which is strongly recommended, you can see the temple lying on a huge stone pillar. The temple resembles a censer, hence its name.

I spent 15 to 20 minutes walking from the town to the temple, passing a tunnel made of stone. The most magnificent view of the river comes from Guanyin or Bodhisattva Hall, which is connected to the cliff bank with a 3-meter long crosspiece.

The temple was originally built in the Ming Dynasty (around 1614) but it was badly damaged. The Ming style can still be seen in the preserved construction style, stone carvings and calligraphy.

There are two entries for Xianglu Temple. For first-time visitors, try the southern entry and stay at a pavilion for a view on the way to the temple.

The first impression of Baiyun Guan or White Cloud Pavilion top 10 China tours is the huge size of the buildings on Baiyun Mountain near Jiaxian. The 54 Taoist halls and hundreds of steps lead visitors up and up, like walking into the cloud, which its name reflects.

Beautiful stone carvings of lions and bells and 1,900 pieces of mural paintings and calligraphy are worth a half-day or full day of your time.

In contrast to the Buddha and Bodhisattva so often seen in Chinese temples, images in the Taoist religion are more varied and interesting. You notice it through hall names of Baiyuan Guan, like Five Dragon Hall, Zhenwu Patriarch Palace and Wenchang Hall.

I met people coming to the temple with various motivations, from fortune, new baby, happy marriage to good performance in important exams.

The temple was built in the Song Dynasty (960-1279) and repaired and rebuilt in the following dynasties. It holds a Tao festival on the eighth day of April in the Chinese lunar calendar every year, which attracts crowds from cities in Shaanxi and nearby provinces in Shanxi, Ningxia and Inner Mongolia. The special celebration and beautiful music is a strong attraction to the festival.