Shanxi Taiyuan + Wutai Mountain + Datong + Pingyao + Hukou Waterfall 6-Day 5-Night Trip

“On the ground cultural relics look to Shanxi” is a vivid summary of the rich above-ground cultural relics in Shanxi Province. As a treasure trove of ancient Chinese architectural art, Shanxi boasts a multitude of above-ground cultural relics, including ancient Buddhist buildings, residential buildings, and other ancient structures. There are several reasons for the abundance of above-ground cultural relics in Shanxi:

– Geographic Location: Shanxi is located in the northern part of China, bordered by the Taihang Mountains to the east, the Yellow River to the west, and Inner Mongolia to the north, forming a relatively closed geographical unit that provides a natural protective barrier for the preservation of cultural relics.
– Climate Conditions: The climate in Shanxi is relatively dry, characterized by a temperate monsoon climate with less precipitation and abundant sunshine, which is conducive to the long-term preservation of wooden structures.
– Historical Status: Shanxi has been one of the centers of politics, economy, and culture in ancient China on multiple occasions, leaving behind numerous above-ground cultural relics, such as the Buddhist temples of Wutai Mountain, the Yungang Grottoes, and the ancient city of Pingyao.
– Architectural Skills: The ancient buildings in Shanxi are most famous for their wooden structures, with statistics showing that Shanxi has 495 ancient wooden structures dating back to the Yuan Dynasty, accounting for about 85% of the national total.
– Social Culture: The ancient buildings in Shanxi are not only numerous but also diverse in type, from Buddhist temples to traditional residences, from urban buildings to rural courtyards, reflecting the lifestyle of ancient society and the achievements of architectural art.
– Conservation Awareness: The people of Shanxi have a strong awareness of protecting ancient buildings, and there has been a tradition of repair and maintenance throughout the ages, which is also one of the important reasons why ancient buildings have been preserved to this day.

Note:

Shanxi attractions are mainly cultural and historical. You can learn about the historical background on the Internet before visiting.
The travel time to scenic spots in Shanxi can be quite long, and most of the sightseeing within the scenic areas is primarily on foot. You may want to wear loose and comfortable clothing and shoes to prevent any inconvenience during your visit.

Day 01 :

Departure Place - Dragon City Taiyuan

Free activities
Taiyuan has many places worth visiting:
1. Places to visit: Shanxi Coal Museum, Shanxi Geological Museum, Fen River Park
2. Places to eat: Taiyuan Food Street (Snack Street), Taiyuan Noodle Restaurant (Fine Noodle Restaurant), Hao Ganggang Mutton Offal Shop (Winter Choice)
3. Places to stroll: Liu Xiang Commercial Street, International Trade Six Pavilions

[Shanxi on the Tip of Your Tongue]: Although there is no Jin cuisine among the eight major Chinese cuisines, this does not mean that Shanxi lacks delicious food that can satisfy your taste buds. Known as the hometown of noodles, “a hundred ways to eat one noodle” is a major characteristic of how people in Shanxi enjoy their noodles. Simple flour, through the hands of Shanxi’s skillful home cooks, can be made into a variety of shapes and flavors.

[Recommended Restaurants in the City Area]:
1. Old Taiyuan Restaurant: Recommended dishes include sweet and sour meatballs, a nest of crisps, a hundred flowers of Shaomai, and Shanxi deep-fried meat.
2. Shanxi Guild Hall: Recommended dishes include sesame oil yam, beef steamed buns, Yanbei bitter buckwheat noodles, and guild jelly. Average cost per person:
3. Hedong Yixiang Pavilion: Recommended dishes include Hedong hot pot tripe, Yixiang lamb, Yuncheng soft twisted dough, and refreshing mung bean cake.

Day 02 :

Jin Merchants Legend · Fusion of Hu and Han: Jin Ancestral Hall Museum (4A/National Key Cultural Relics Protection Unit) - Yanmen Pass (5A/National Key Cultural Relics Protection Unit) - Ying County Wooden Pagoda (4A/National Key Cultural Relics Protection Unit) - Datong Ancient City Wall.

The Sakyamuni Pagoda of Fogong Temple (simplified Chinese: 佛宫寺释迦塔; traditional Chinese: 佛宮寺釋迦塔; pinyin: Fógōng Sì Shìjiā Tǎ) of Ying County, Shanxi province, China, is a wooden Chinese pagoda. It is also known as the Wooden Pagoda of Ying County (Chinese: 应县木塔, pinyin: yìngxiàn mùtǎ). It was constructed in 1056, during the second year of the Khitan-led Liao dynasty and was renovated and expended in 1195 during the sixth year of the Jin Dynasty. The pagoda was built by Emperor Daozong of Liao (Hongji) at the site of his grandmother’s family home. The pagoda, which has survived several large earthquakes throughout the centuries, reached a level of such fame within China that it was given the generic nickname of the “Muta” (Chinese: 木塔; pinyin: mùtǎ; lit. ‘Timber Pagoda’).

The pagoda stands on a 4 m (13 ft) tall stone platform, has a 10 m (33 ft) tall steeple, and reaches a total height of 67.31 m (220.83 ft) tall; it is the oldest existent fully wooden pagoda still standing in China.[4][5] Although it is the oldest fully wooden pagoda in China, the oldest existent densely-eaved pagoda is the 6th century Songyue Pagoda (made of bricks) and many much older stone pagodas exists in the entire North China Plain (e.g. the Zushi Pagoda of the Foguang Temple and the Four Gates Pagoda of Jinan); the oldest existent wooden buildings in China are the Buddhist temple halls found in Wutai County on the westside of the Mount Wutai, which date back to the mid Tang dynasty (618–907).

Day 03 :

Majestic and Spectacular: Yungang Grottoes (5A/World Cultural Heritage Site/National Cultural Heritage) - Hanging Temple (4A/National Cultural Heritage)

The Yungang Grottoes (Chinese: 云冈石窟; pinyin: Yúngāng shíkū), formerly the Wuzhoushan Grottoes (Chinese: 武州山 / 武周山; pinyin: Wǔzhōushān), are ancient Chinese Buddhist temple grottoes built during the Northern Wei dynasty near the city of Datong, then called Pingcheng, in the province of Shanxi. They are excellent examples of rock-cut architecture and one of the three most famous ancient Buddhist sculptural sites of China. The others are Longmen and Mogao.

The site is located about 16 km west of the city of Datong, in the valley of the Shi Li river at the base of the Wuzhou Shan mountains. They are an outstanding example of the Chinese stone carvings from the 5th and 6th centuries. There are 53 major caves, along with 51,000 niches housing the same number of Buddha statues. Additionally, there are around 1,100 minor caves. A Ming dynasty-era fort is still located on top of the cliff housing the Yungang Grottoes.

The grottoes were excavated in the south face of a sandstone cliff about 2600 feet long and 30 to 60 feet high. In 2001, the Yungang Grottoes were made a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The Yungang Grottoes are considered by UNESCO to be a “masterpiece of early Chinese Buddhist cave art… [and] …represent the successful fusion of Buddhist religious symbolic art from south and central Asia with Chinese cultural traditions, starting in the 5th century CE under Imperial auspices.” It is classified as a AAAAA scenic area by the China National Tourism Administration.

Day 04 :

Golden Glow of Mount Wutai, Legend of the Jin Merchants: Mount Wutai (5A/World Cultural Heritage/National Cultural Heritage) - Qiao's Courtyard (National Cultural Heritage)

Mount Wutai, also known by its Chinese name Wutaishan and as Mount Qingliang, is a sacred Buddhist site at the headwaters of the Qingshui in Shanxi Province, China. Its central area is surrounded by a cluster of flat-topped peaks or mesas roughly corresponding to the cardinal directions. The north peak (Beitai Ding or Yedou Feng) is the highest (3,061 m or 10,043 ft from sea) and is also the highest point in North China.

As host to over 53 sacred monasteries, Mount Wutai is home to many of China’s most important monasteries and temples. It was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2009[1] and named a AAAAA tourist attraction by China’s National Tourism Administration in 2007.

Day 05 :

The Chinese Wall Street, Marvelous Hukou: Pingyao Ancient City (5A/World Cultural Heritage/National Cultural Heritage) - Hukou Waterfall (5A)

he Hukou Waterfall (simplified Chinese: 壶口瀑布; traditional Chinese: 壺口瀑布; pinyin: Húkǒu Pùbù), is the largest waterfall on the Yellow River, the second largest waterfall in China (after the Huangguoshu Waterfall in Guizhou), and the world’s largest yellow waterfall. It is located at the intersection of the provinces of Shanxi and Shaanxi, 165 km (103 mi) to the west of Fenxi County, and 50 km (31 mi) to the east of Yichuan County where the middle reaches of the Yellow River flow through Jinxia Grand Canyon. The width of the waterfall changes with the season, usually 30 metres (98 ft) wide but increasing to 50 m (164 ft) during flood season. It has a height of over 20 m (66 ft). When the Yellow River approaches the Hukou Mountain, blocked by mountains on both sides, its width is abruptly narrowed down to 20–30 m (66–98 ft). The water’s velocity increases, and then plunges over a narrow opening on a cliff, forming a waterfall 15 m (49 ft) high and 20 m (66 ft) wide, as if water were pouring down from a huge teapot. Hence it gets the name Hukou (literally, “flask mouth”) Waterfall.

Just below the waterfall, there is a shining stone called guǐshí (鬼石). What makes the stone mysterious is that it moves up and down according to the water level. No matter how large the water volume, it is still at least partly visible.[citation needed]

In the middle of the river, about 3,000 m (9,843 ft) from the Hukou Waterfall, an enormous rock catches the attention of visitors. When the Yellow River flows to this point, divides into two, rolling and roaring on and on from both sides of the rock before reconverging.

Day 06 :

Feihong Glazed Tile, Clearing Guilt by Sweeping the Pagoda: Visit the Guangsheng Temple (4A/National Cultural Heritage) - Return Trip

The Guangsheng Temple (Chinese: 广胜寺) is a Buddhist temple, located at the southern foot of Mt. Huoshan, 17 km northeast of Hongtong County, Shanxi, China. The temple was built in 147 and was changed to its present name in the Tang dynasty. It has three parts: the upper temple, the lower temple and the Shuishen Temple (Temple of Water God). The world-renowned drama murals from the Yuan dynasty are kept in the lower temple.

The famous Zhaocheng Jin Tripitaka was discovered at the Guangsheng Temple in 1933.

Shanxi Taiyuan + Wutai Mountain + Datong + Pingyao + Hukou Waterfall 6-Day 5-Night Trip

Overview

Itinerary

Map

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