Day 1 (All Day) → → → → → Taiyuan Meeting Day
All day
All-day Taiyuan gathering day
Tourists will check in at designated hotels after 2:00 PM. Please report your "China-Travel Note + Name" at the front desk. You will then be free to move around. Please keep your belongings safe and take care of yourself.
Museums: Bronze Museum, Shanxi Merchants Museum, China Coal Museum, etc. (Please make reservations in advance through the official WeChat accounts of each museum)
Other attractions in the city: Shuangta Temple Park, Chunyang Palace, Governor's Mansion, Donghu Vinegar Garden
Recommended restaurants: Bell Tower Street in Liuxiang, Taiyuan, Old Taiyuan Restaurant, Shanxi Restaurant, Yangji Sausage in Food Street, Hao Ganggang Lamb Offal in Liuxiang, Qingheyuan Restaurant, Laoshuku Yuanxiao, Bofan Old Tavern, Yixiang Pavilion, Qingheyuan's Head, Renyili (Halal cuisine), etc.
Day 2: Taiyuan Qinghe Yuannaotou → Shanxi Museum → Shanxi Guild Hall → Pingyao Ancient City → Overnight in Pingyao
All day
Get up early and drink a pot of old Taiyuan specialty [Qinghe Yuannaotou]
"Tou Nao" (literally "toad") was invented by Fu Shan, the "immortal doctor" of the late Ming and early Qing dynasties. It's a soup made from a mixture of eight ingredients: mutton, sheep marrow, distiller's grains, stewed noodles, lotus root, long yam, astragalus, and ginger. It's also known as "Eight Treasures Soup." It's served with pickled leeks as a medicinal ingredient. Essentially, it's a nourishing medicinal food. Drinking a bowl of it in the morning not only satisfies hunger and invigorates blood circulation, but also provides a nourishing boost.
Then go to [Shanxi Museum] the hardcore "Internet celebrity" of Shanxi land
To understand a place, you must visit its museums. The Shanxi Museum boasts a collection of over 500,000 artifacts, including bronze, porcelain, stone carvings, Buddhist statues, murals, calligraphy, and paintings, all of which are truly astonishing. Here, amidst the dazzling array of artifacts and the bustling crowds of people, you'll see "old objects" from different eras, etched with the marks of time, constantly telling ancient stories. You'll also witness people, fascinated by history, wandering among them with awe, gaining a deeper understanding of Shanxi.
Afterwards, have a noodle feast in the "Noodle Museum" and experience the joy of cooking. When you come to Shanxi, you must eat noodles.
Shanxi noodles are plentiful: knife-cut noodles, hand-pulled noodles, knife-pulled noodles, rolled noodles, shaved noodles, cat ears noodles, river noodles, and more. Walking down the street, you'll find noodle shops everywhere. But for a truly elevated dining experience, a taste of culture, the Shanxi Guild Hall is the place to be. Under the guidance of a master chef, you'll learn about Shanxi noodle culture, cook your own classic Shanxi noodles, and finally, enjoy a noodle feast.
After having fun, head to Pingyao Ancient City, one of the four best-preserved ancient cities.
Pingyao Ancient City, located in Pingyao County in central Shanxi Province, is a renowned cultural city with over 2,700 years of history. It is one of only two ancient county towns in China to have its entire city successfully nominated for World Cultural Heritage status. We'll stay in a typical Shanxi merchant courtyard home within the ancient city, rolling around on the kang (kang).
Tourists interested in ancient architecture can also take a taxi to the "Twin Pearls of Pingyao"—Zhenguo Temple and Shuanglin Temple—which are listed as World Cultural Heritage along with Pingyao Ancient City.
Tourists interested in travel makeup and photoshoots should definitely try out the "Jin Merchant Madam," "Jin Merchant Young Lady," and "Jin Merchant Young Master" makeup and photoshoots in Pingyao! After getting your makeup done, pose in various poses along Ming and Qing Dynasty Street, and you'll feel like you've stepped back into that era!
Tourists interested in Pingyao performances can bring their children to truly experience the everlasting spiritual story of the Pingyao escort masters. It is very moving and will give you a sense of time travel. This is a special theater that you must experience on your first visit to Pingyao.
Day 3 Pingyao Ancient City → Xixian Xiaoxitian → Taste the fragrance of Yulu → Yellow River giant carp → Stay at Hukou
All day
After breakfast, you can sleep until you wake up naturally, stroll around Pingyao Ancient City, and then set off to Xi County at the right time.
Afterwards, we headed to Xiaoxitian in Xi County, a place that is considered the "ultimate masterpiece of hanging sculpture" in the history of Chinese sculpture and a must-see in your lifetime.
The Xiaoxitian hanging sculptures utilize the technique of "suspended sculpture." Ancient artisans accomplished such a complex feat by hand, a feat truly astonishing today. Enclosed within a small hall measuring only 169.6 square meters, the Xiaoxitian hanging sculptures comprise over 1,030 figures, representing over 4% of the province's Ming and Qing dynasty colored sculptures, creating a breathtaking, phantasmagorical Buddhist world.
When visiting Xi County, you can't miss the local specialty mutton soup and Yu Lu Xiang! Yu Lu Xiang pear is a high-quality mid-ripening pear variety bred by the Shanxi Academy of Agricultural Sciences' Fruit Tree Research Institute using the Korla Xiang pear as the female parent and the Xue Hua pear as the male parent. It was the official pear for the 2008 Beijing Olympics and was once crowned the "King of Pears of China." While not widely known, once you've tried Yu Lu Xiang, you'll be captivated by its sweet, juicy flavor and an unforgettable experience.
Afterwards, we'll head to Hukou for our overnight stay, where we'll listen to the roaring Yellow River. At night, we'll enjoy a taste of Hukou's signature Yellow River carp.
Day 4: West Hukou Waterfall → Yunqiu Mountain Ice Cave → Talpo Ancient Village → Stay in Yuncheng
All day
After breakfast, visit the Yellow Waterfall at Hukou Waterfall in Shanxi Province
At this point, the mighty Yellow River, over 500 meters wide, is suddenly bounded by its banks, becoming wider at the top and narrower at the bottom. The 50-meter drop, surging and pouring, resembling the pouring of something from an enormous pot, gives it the name "Hukou Waterfall." Details of Hukou Waterfall in Shanxi: From the Shanxi side, you can see the "Yellow River waters descending from the sky." On a clear day, the mist created by the water creates a rainbow in the sunlight, which hangs over the falls, even more fortunate!
Then go to [Yunqiu Mountain Ice Cave Group] to discover a huge natural ice cave group in China
Yunqiu Mountain's unique karst topography and rocky forests have created a variety of unique peaks and unique landscapes, creating a scene of "thousands of peaks competing for beauty and countless valleys." The Yunqiu Mountain Ice Caves, formed during the Quaternary glacial period, date back over three million years. Their scale is unique worldwide, and ice shoots, icicles, ice cones, and ice grapes can be seen everywhere, creating a breathtaking, fairy-like scene within the caves.
Then go to [Talpo Ancient Village] Jinnan Ancient Village Folk Customs
Talpo Ancient Village, a serene paradise nestled in the Yunqiu Mountains, boasts a maze-like architecture of stone-built, arched cave dwellings, with courtyards nestled within each other and cave dwellings within cave dwellings. Some courtyards are connected by secret passages, creating a maze-like architectural form. Local villagers still uphold traditional customs of marriage, childbearing, community sacrifices, and prayers. The Zhonghe Festival, originating in the Tang Dynasty, is a national intangible cultural heritage and continues to this day. Here, you can experience a variety of southern Shanxi folk customs. In summer, the Shenxian Valley in Yunqiu Mountain resembles a fairyland, with rising mist permeating the mountain forests, creating a refreshing and dreamy atmosphere. Don't miss it!
In the evening, we'll check into our hotel in Yuncheng. You can find your own food at your leisure. Don't miss out on the local delicacies: Beixiang Lamb and Carrot, Wenxi Boiled Cakes, Jishan Mahua (Fried Dough Twists), and Jiezhou Lamb Soup with Steamed Buns.
Those who are interested can also visit the famous [Yellow River Hedong Night Market], where you can enjoy spicy cabbage, sesame sauce-boiled beef tripe/vegetables, cumin fried noodles, tea soup, fermented glutinous rice, snow cheese, fried cakes, sesame balls, handmade fried noodles with tomato and egg, fried steamed buns with jelly, fried steamed buns with garlic water, leek boxes, fried pancakes with vegetables, dipped skewers, etc. This is a paradise for carbohydrate lovers!
Day 5: Tianhe East Morning Market → Jiezhou Guandi Temple → Yongle Palace → Disband in Yuncheng
All day
Interested parties can head to the Hedong Morning Market. The signature dishes, spicy hot soup and steamed nao (steamed brain soup), attract crowds of diners. Besides these, there's also a variety of local specialties like fried cakes, roujiamo (Chinese roujiamo), pan-fried buns (steamed buns with water), oil tea, yeast-made twisted dough sticks (fried dough twists), hollow mooncakes, and baked steamed buns. Every bite is a taste of Yuncheng!
After breakfast, head to [Jiezhou Guandi Temple] in Shanxi Province, where the only rotating chrysanthemum caisson in China is hidden.
Built during the Sui Dynasty, 1,400 years ago, the Guandi Temple is China's oldest, largest, most elaborately constructed, and best-preserved Guandi Temple. Its mortise and tenon structure, the exquisite woodcarving techniques, century-old timber, and brick archway carvings all imbue the temple with cultural value, earning it the nickname "the ancestor of Guandi Temples." Look up! Be captivated by the ancients for 20 seconds! Here, too, lies a breathtakingly beautiful feature: the chrysanthemum caisson ceiling: 408 brackets in 204 pairs, the protruding ceiling resembles a blooming chrysanthemum, swaying beautifully in the breeze. Secured to prevent wear, this vibrant beauty is preserved forever.
At noon, you can try the local specialty [braised pork bun] in Ruicheng. The golden and crispy pancake is topped with finely chopped green peppers, a large piece of braised meat soaked in broth, and a bowl of nutritious soup. The delicious taste hits the soul.
Then go to [Yongle Palace] a wonder of ancient Chinese murals
A must-see when visiting southern Shanxi is the murals of the Yongle Palace. Whether you're a mural enthusiast or not, you'll be captivated by them! The nearly 300 unique figures are truly breathtaking. As a direct descendant of Tang and Song dynasty painting, especially mural art, the Yongle Palace murals hold a special place in the history of Chinese painting. The murals, covering a total area of 1,000 square meters, were painted slightly before the European Renaissance, almost concluding with the Yuan Dynasty. Undoubtedly, these are the most iconic Chinese temple ceiling murals!
In due time, we ended our pleasant journey, first sending you to Yuncheng Station, then to Yuncheng North Station, and finally to Yuncheng Salt Lake Airport!
The estimated arrival time is approximately 16:00 at Yuncheng Station, 16:30 at Yuncheng North Station, and 17:00 at Yuncheng Airport.
Tourists are advised to book trains after 16:30, high-speed trains after 17:00, and flights after 18:30.
Important reminder!!! During holidays such as May Day and National Day, there may be traffic jams during peak return trips. To avoid delays, please purchase flights or high-speed trains later than the ones noted on this page. Thank you for your understanding!
If there are tourists whose flights do not match the airport/station drop-off time or have other itinerary arrangements, we will disband the group in Yuncheng and will no longer arrange separate airport/station drop-off services. Thank you for your understanding!
