At dusk, Pingyao Ancient City.
The sunset dyes the ancient city wall golden, lanterns on the towers beginning to light up. On the street, tourists gradually disperse, and the old street returns to tranquility. From an old vinegar shop, the rich aroma of vinegar drifts out. In the distance, the singing of Jin Opera drifts over, melodious and graceful.
This ancient city has stood here for 2,700 years.
Shanxi is a place that makes you travel through time.
Province Profile#
- Location: Northern China, west of Taihang Mountains
- Best Travel Season: May-October
- Highlights: Ancient architecture treasury, Jin merchant culture, Buddhist holy sites, hometown of noodles
Must-Visit Attractions#
Pingyao Ancient City: A Living Ancient City#
Pingyao Ancient City is China’s most completely preserved ancient county town, a World Cultural Heritage site.
The ancient city wall is 6 kilometers in circumference, 12 meters high, well-preserved. Inside, streets are laid out in the shape of the character “土”, lined with shops, exchange shops, and escort agencies from the Ming and Qing dynasties.
Rishengchang Exchange Shop was China’s first exchange shop, with the plaque “Remittance Throughout the World” telling the glory of Jin merchants. County Government Office is China’s largest existing ancient county government, where you can watch court session performances. City God Temple has flourishing incense, where locals pray for blessings.
Best Experience: Stay in a guesthouse inside the ancient city, climb the city wall in the early morning to see the ancient city without tourists. Wander Ming-Qing Street at night, feeling the ancient city’s night scenery.
Yungang Grottoes: The Peak of Stone Carving Art#
Yungang Grottoes is a World Cultural Heritage site, one of China’s four great grottoes.
45 main caves, over 51,000 statues, carved by the royal family during the Northern Wei Dynasty. The largest Buddha statue is 17 meters high, the smallest only a few centimeters.
Tan Yao Five Caves are the earliest five caves carved, with magnificent Buddha statues, imposing in momentum. Cave 20’s outdoor Great Buddha is Yungang’s symbol, with a benevolent face, corners of the mouth slightly upturned, as if smiling.
Best Experience: Hire a guide to hear the stories hidden behind the Buddha statues. At dusk, sunlight falls on the Buddha statues, golden light shining.
Mount Wutai: Buddhist Holy Mountain#
Mount Wutai is the first of China’s four famous Buddhist mountains, the bodhimanda of Manjusri Bodhisattva.
Five peaks embrace each other, with flat tops like platforms, hence the name Mount Wutai. Temples are scattered across the mountain—Xiantong Temple, Tayuan Temple, Pusading Temple, and Shuxiang Temple are must-visit temples.
Great White Pagoda is Mount Wutai’s symbol, 50 meters high, white as jade. Dailuo Peak requires climbing 1,080 steps—reach the top for a panoramic view of Taihuai Town.
Best Experience: Stay overnight on the mountain, listen to temple bells in the early morning, feel the tranquility of the Buddhist holy site.
Qiao Family Compound: Jin Merchants’ Grand Mansion#
Qiao Family Compound is the representative of Jin merchant mansions, the filming location for “Raise the Red Lantern.”
6 large courtyards, 20 small courtyards, 313 rooms, with rigorous layout and exquisite decoration. Brick carvings, wood carvings, and stone carvings—every detail is a work of art.
“Zai Zhong Tang” is Qiao Family Compound’s core, displaying the Qiao family’s rise to wealth and Jin merchant culture.
Best Experience: Hire a guide to hear the Qiao family’s legendary stories and understand Jin merchants’ glorious history.
Special Experiences#
Hanging Temple#
Hanging Temple is built on the cliff of Mount Heng, “Hanging Temple, half-way up the sky, suspended by three horse tails.”
The temple is supported by only dozens of wooden pillars, seemingly precarious, yet standing for 1,500 years. Walking on the plank path, with bottomless abyss beneath your feet, your heart races.
Hukou Waterfall#
Hukou Waterfall is the largest waterfall on the Yellow River, “The Yellow River’s water comes from the sky.”
The waterfall is 30 meters wide, with a 20-meter drop, turbulent water, sound like thunder. In winter, the waterfall freezes, forming an ice waterfall wonder.
Shanxi Noodles#
Shanxi is the “Hometown of Noodles,” said to have 280 types of noodles.
Knife-Cut Noodles is Shanxi’s representative, with chefs using knives to slice thin-as-paper noodles, chewy and smooth. Youmian Kaolaolao is a Shanxi specialty, oat noodles rolled into tubes, eaten dipped in sauce. Cat’s Ear Noodles, Tijian, Hele… each type is worth trying.
Travel Tips#
- Transportation: Taiyuan is Shanxi’s transportation hub, with high-speed rail to all parts of the country. Pingyao and Datong both have high-speed rail stations.
- Accommodation: In Pingyao, stay in guesthouses inside the ancient city; on Mount Wutai, stay in Taihuai Town; in Datong, stay in the city.
- Note: Shanxi has many ancient buildings—recommend hiring guides. Mount Wutai is at high altitude—keep warm.
Shanxi’s depth is hidden in those ancient buildings.
The Jin merchant legends of Pingyao Ancient City, the millennium Buddha statues of Yungang Grottoes, the Buddhist holy site of Mount Wutai, the Jin merchant stories of Qiao Family Compound… each place is a witness to history.
Come to Shanxi and touch the roots of Chinese civilization.
Tomorrow, we head to Inner Mongolia to see the vastness of grasslands and the magnificence of deserts.