Ji C Qinhuangdao | At Jieshi Mountain, where Cao Cao once gazed upon the sea, hides a little grape town

If it weren't for the grapevines covering the valley, if it weren't for the fragrance wafting through the air, I would never have known that in Changli Jieshi Mountain of Qinhuangdao, the very place where Cao Cao once climbed to view the sea, there lies a hidden grape town unknown to most. "Facing the stone monument, I gaze upon the vast sea," in the twelfth year of Jian'an, Cao Cao returned triumphantly from his northern campaign against the Wuhuan, passing by Changli Jieshi Mountain. With high spirits, he climbed the mountain to view the sea, leaving behind a legacy that would last through the ages. By that time, grapes had already been introduced to the Central Plains via the Silk Road from the Western Regions, and they were the favorite of his son, Cao Pi, although Jieshi Mountain had not yet started grape cultivation. ✅ Northern Grape Valley, a century of memories During the early to mid-Ming Dynasty, about five to six hundred years ago, grapes were already among the fruits produced in the Changli region. By the mid-Qing Dynasty, Changli had formed a larger grape-producing area; the grapes from villages such as Xishanchang, Wanli, and Tiaoziyu, located in mountain basins with distinct microclimates, were of the best quality. Xishanchang, hidden in the gullies of Phoenix Mountain, backed by the main peak of Jieshi Mountain, was built along the banks of the Dashaher River originating deep within Jieshi Mountain. In the mid-Qing Dynasty, villagers from the eastern part of Jieshi Mountain migrated from the deep mountains and soon began planting grapes after settling down. Xishanchang is sheltered from the wind and faces the sun, with ample sunlight and significant temperature differences between day and night, which are highly conducive to the accumulation of sugar in grapes. Coupled with the irrigation from mountain streams, the grapes produced here have thin skins and are juicy and sweet. ✅ Grape Living in the Mountains, Life under the Vines Like other villages deep in Jieshi Mountain, Xishanchang has little flat land suitable for growing crops, so they rely on the terrain to plant fruits and grapes. Generation after generation, the people of Xishanchang have lived along the river valley, planting grapes in front of and behind their houses, and in the fields between the mountains. During the grape harvest season, grapes hang everywhere in the mountains, courtyards, and even on the village paths, within easy reach. Entering a courtyard, one can see a century-old grapevine that covers the entire yard. Traditional houses with green bricks and tiles are hidden under the grapevines, bent over by bunches of grapes. In the courtyard, daily items are placed casually, with discarded tricycles, wooden beehives, and harvested grapes. The most ordinary life in front of us becomes poetic and romantic because of the grape trellises. The life under the grapevines seems to have remained unchanged for hundreds of years. The villagers still live through the seasons with their grapevines, but the joy on their faces is clearly not just from the harvest. It's also because of the grape valley they have guarded for generations. This village, hidden in the mountains for centuries, has now transformed into a modern ecological grape town.