Just returned from a 3-day, 2-night trip to Taiyuan—feel free to copy my travel guide!

Came to Taiyuan last minute for the Sandy Lam concert during the Dragon Boat Festival and ended up exploring the city! Honestly, Taiyuan's cost of living is incredibly wallet-friendly!! Meals are cheap, taxis are affordable, and my total spending for 3 days didn’t even hit 1,000 RMB. Here’s my 3-day, 2-night Taiyuan travel guide!

👔 Taiyuan Weather & Outfit Tips:
It’s been quite hot in Taiyuan lately. During the day, a T-shirt and shorts with a sun-protective jacket will do. Just in case, pack a pair of long pants too.

📷 Must-Visit Spots:
1⃣️ Jinci Temple: A 30-minute taxi ride from downtown—highly recommended!! One of the filming locations for *Journey to the West*, tickets cost 80 RMB.
2⃣️ Shanxi Museum: They say "3,000 years of history look to Shaanxi, 5,000 years look to Shanxi." A must-visit in Taiyuan—remember to book in advance.
3⃣️ Taiyuan Botanical Garden: A trendy new hotspot with a futuristic vibe, home to the famous "starry sky" elevator.
4⃣️ Shuangta Park: One of the city’s landmarks, featuring the Twin Pagoda Temple. You’ll find plenty of great angles to photograph the pagodas here.

🍲 Taiyuan Local Delicacies:
Spicy mixed noodles, cold jelly, boiled tripe, copper hotpot, *tijian* noodles, millet jelly cakes, *youmian kaolao*, Wanda Mountain yogurt, sea buckthorn juice, fried skewers with batter, *chaoqi*, and New Year steamed buns.

🍴 Local Restaurant Picks:
1⃣️ Chinese Cuisine: Tongzehe Hotel (Yijing East Street), Heyuan (great ambiance, fusion cuisine—Taoyuan Road Xinzexiang branch), Baozi King (30+ years old, specializes in steamed buns—Taoyuan Road Xinzexiang branch), Bingzhou Grand Restaurant (Bingzhou North Road branch), Pingyang Courtyard (love their chicken soup with seasonal veggies), Mom’s Favorite Dishes (great *tijian* noodle toppings and cold jelly).
2⃣️ BBQ: Old Liu BBQ (North Avenue branch)
3⃣️ Noodles with Gravy: Guodong Noodles (Caiyuan Street)
4⃣️ Food Street: Right next to Zhonglou Street, two must-tries here—Quanwazi’s Dan Dan Noodles and Snow Mountain Cold Desserts, both open since the 1980s.

📷 3-Day, 2-Night Itinerary (customizable based on your schedule):
Day 1: Jinci Park → Jinci Museum → Taiyuan Ancient County Town → Taiyuan Botanical Garden
Day 2: Wenshu Temple → Puguang Temple → Shanxi Merchant Museum → Changjing Tower → Shanxi Hotel → Shouyi Gate at Wuyi Square → Confucian Temple → Chongshan Temple
Day 3: Shuangta Park → Shanxi Museum

🏨 Meihua Hotel (Taiyuan South Station)
Probably the best value-for-money hotel in Taiyuan!! 😂 Just over 200 RMB, super convenient location—only a 10-minute taxi ride from the airport and 20 minutes to the concert venue at Shanxi Sports Center.

The room comes with a mini-bar setup and a full coffee kit for hand-grinding and brewing—pretty fun! All guests get free tickets to the hot springs downstairs. After a tiring day of citywalking, I’d unwind there in the evenings. The scrub masters are super friendly.

Breakfast is also diverse, featuring local specialties like meatball soup and knife-cut noodles. They even offer complimentary airport shuttle service!