Self-driving Tour of Shanxi and Northern Shaanxi

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In order not to let down the kindness of the Shanxi people in offering free admission to visitors from Jiangsu, Zhejiang, and Shanghai, in April 2021, the four of us embarked on a trip to Shanxi and Northern Shaanxi. Actually, we had planned a trip to Shanxi and Northern Shaanxi for a long time. Originally, we intended to drive from our residence, but due to the long distance—over 4,000 kilometers round trip—we changed our plan to fly to Taiyuan first, then rent a car in Taiyuan for a self-driving tour. See the route map for details.

We took a flight booked through Ctrip and after nearly two hours of flying, arrived at Taiyuan Wusu Airport at 11:00 AM. At the airport parking lot, we successfully picked up a rental car from Yihai. After a short lunch, we headed straight to the Qiao Family Compound. Unfortunately, the weather was not cooperative, and it started drizzling, but it didn't dampen our mood for the first stop at Qiao Family Compound.

We visited the Qiao Family Compound in the rain.

After finishing the visit to Qiao Family Compound, at around 4:00 PM that day, we checked into the Pingyao New Guild Hall Hotel near Pingyao Ancient City. It felt full of the culture of Shanxi merchants.

After settling in, before the attractions closed (the ancient city gates never close, but the inner attractions close at 6:00 PM), we visited the county yamen within the ancient city.

The Second Hall was the daily office of the county magistrate.

Note 1: In 2021, Shanxi's policy of free admission for Jiangsu, Zhejiang, and Shanghai did not include the Qiao Family Compound. It is said that this is because the Qiao Family Compound is a local attraction, not under the National Tourism Administration.

Note 2: The Pingyao Ancient City scenic area is large, and private cars cannot enter. Walking is not only physically demanding but also too time-consuming. It is recommended to take the scenic area's electric shuttle. A single ride is relatively expensive; it is better to charter a car for a day, costing around 150-160 yuan. We chartered the same car from the afternoon of the first day to the morning of the second day.

The next day, we continued visiting the Pingyao Ancient City.

Pingyao Ancient City is currently the only ancient county in China that has successfully been declared a World Cultural Heritage site as an entire city. The streets, shops, and residential buildings within the city still retain their traditional layout and style. It was once the financial center of China in the late Qing Dynasty. Since we had already arranged with the electric shuttle driver the previous evening, we took the same shuttle early the next morning to continue touring the ancient city. Main attractions included the City God Temple, Confucian Temple, Nine-Dragon Wall, Rishengchang Exchange Shop, and the Escort Agency.

After finishing the morning visit to Pingyao Ancient City, we went to the Wang Family Compound in the afternoon.

In the evening, we arrived at the Yellow River Hukou Waterfall scenic area in Ji County and checked into the Zhao's Private Recipe B&B (booked via Ctrip).

Note 1: Personally, I feel that the Wang Family Compound is more impressive than the Qiao Family Compound in both scale and grandeur. The Qiao Family Compound has too much commercial atmosphere.

Note 2: If you plan to stay near Hukou Waterfall, the area on the Shanxi side (Ji County) offers more options than the Shaanxi side. It is convenient to go back and forth between the two sides; just cross a bridge.

Note 3: On the Shanxi Ji County side, there are many apples, which are natural and delicious. They cost 10 yuan for 4 jin.

We had a free breakfast at Zhao's B&B in the morning.

Since the Hukou scenic area on the Shanxi side was under renovation until April 28, we went to the Hukou scenic area on the Shaanxi side instead. Early in the morning, we took the scenic area shuttle to the Yellow River Hukou Waterfall scenic area.

After finishing the Hukou Waterfall visit in the morning, we drove to the Qiankun Bay scenic area.

"Of the ninety-nine bends of the Yellow River, the most beautiful is Qiankun Bay." There are two Qiankun Bays, one in Yanchuan County, Shaanxi, and one in Yonghe, Shanxi. Here, the Yellow River suddenly forms a 320-degree turn, known as the first bay of the Yellow River under heaven. Legend has it that Fuxi, the ancestor of the Chinese nation, came here many times to look up at the sky and down at the river. Facing the natural S-shaped big turn, the sage was inspired and created the Tai Chi diagram, initiating the beginning of Chinese civilization, defining heaven and earth, distinguishing yin and yang, discussing good and bad, and advocating change. To commemorate Fuxi's creation of the Tai Chi diagram, this scenic spot on the Yellow River was named "Qiankun Bay."

Generally, when searching for "Qiankun Bay" on Baidu, Yanchuan's site comes up first. Actually, the Shanxi side is also good, and we discovered many small attractions along the way.

On the way from Hukou to Qiankun Bay, we saw the Red Army Eastern Expedition Monument on the side of Provincial Highway 248.

The Qiankun Bay scenic area in Yonghe, Shanxi is relatively simple, requiring about an hour to visit. As soon as you enter, there is a Yellow River Snake Bend Geological Museum. The best viewing platform in the scenic area is the Qiankun Platform, surrounded by various Bagua elements. Legend says that in ancient times, Fuxi observed the celestial phenomena here at night and created the Yin-Yang Bagua. Qiankun Bay is like a naturally formed Tai Chi diagram, with a bend arc of over 320 degrees, and the scenery varies with the seasons. It truly deserves the title of the first bay of the Yellow River. It is also said to be a place where Chairman Mao led the Chinese Workers' and Peasants' Red Army in the "Eastward Crossing of the Yellow River" campaign, conquering the north and south, and deciding the fate of the nation.

The Qiankun Bay in Yonghe, Shanxi is just a simple geological park with no food, accommodation, or service facilities. After visiting, you have to go to Yan'an to stay.

Note 1: The Qiankun Bay in Yanchuan, Shaanxi has complete recreational, entertainment, and accommodation facilities with fees. The Shanxi side has none of these, still under development and free, but the scenery is no less impressive.

Note 2: On the way from Hukou to the Shanxi side of Qiankun Bay, there are many winding mountain roads, with 320-degree bends everywhere. However, from Qiankun Bay to Yan'an, the newly built Yellow River Highway No. 1 has good road conditions.

In the morning in Yan'an, we mainly visited Pagoda Hill, Lu Xun Academy of Arts (Lu Yi) site, and Zaoyuan. Pagoda Hill, located in the center of Yan'an city, has a pagoda originally built in the Tang Dynasty and rebuilt in the Ming Dynasty. Pagoda Hill is an important symbol and landmark of Yan'an, the holy land of the Chinese revolution.

Lu Xun Academy of Arts was the first institution initiated by the Communist Party of China in Yan'an to train various levels of cultural and artistic talents. The site of Lu Yi in Qiao'er Gully is also the site of the Sixth Plenary Session of the Sixth Central Committee of the Communist Party of China.

Zaoyuan was originally a landlord's estate. Currently, it has opened attractions such as the Central Secretariat Small Auditorium, the former residences of great leaders, the "Serve the People" speech platform, the Central Medical Clinic, and the Happiness Canal.

After finishing the Yan'an tour at noon, we drove to the Wave Valley (Bogey Valley) in Jingbian and checked into a local B&B.

Note 1: Yan'an has become an international metropolis, with heavy traffic jams in the morning and evening, and it no longer retains the impression of the war years. Pagoda Hill is in the city. Generally, people choose to view Pagoda Hill, Qingliang Hill, and Phoenix Hill along the Yan River. Qingliang Hill has many attractions, but due to time constraints and bad weather, we only saw the Liberation Daily and People's Daily museums.

Note 2: The Lu Xun Academy of Arts site in Yan'an has relatively few visitors but has a lot to see, so it is worth recommending.

Wave Valley displays a wonderful world carved by wind, water, and time over millions of years. Sand dunes are continuously covered by layers of red sand soaked by groundwater. Over time, the minerals in the water solidified the sand into sandstone, forming a layered structure.

Jingbian Wave Valley consists of one main scenic area (entrance fee 110 yuan) and several "wild" scenic areas (local guides lead the way, no entrance fee).

The Wave Valley by the B&B.

Hiking photography base.

Crocodile Mouth scenic area and abandoned cave dwellings.

Longquan Danxia scenic area.

After lunch at the B&B, we drove to Yulin, stopping along the way to visit the ancient Polo Fortress. The Polo Fortress is located 25 kilometers northeast of Hengshan County, Yulin City, on the south bank of the Wuding River. It was built during the Northern Wei Dynasty and has a history of over 1,400 years. It is an ancient fortress on the edge of the desert, full of Buddhist aura, absorbing the essence of heaven and earth, mysterious and legendary. It is currently under renovation, with the most famous being the Lingxiao Pagoda and ancient brick kilns.

On the way to Yulin, we passed through the Mu Us Desert, which has turned into an oasis. We thank the generations of sand control workers for their efforts.

In the evening, we checked into the Yijia Hotel (booked via Ctrip), which truly felt like home. Next to the hotel, there was a restaurant called Old Zhang's Braised Vegetables King, offering large portions, delicious food, and reasonable prices, giving us a satisfying gastronomic experience during this northern Shaanxi trip.

Note 1: The Wave Valley scenic area is very large. Except for the No. 1 scenic spot (which charges an entrance fee), other scenic spots (which we call "wild" spots) are under development and currently free, but the scenery is no less impressive.

Note 2: We didn't go to the No. 1 scenic spot mainly due to weather and physical reasons, not to save the entrance fee. It is said that the No. 1 scenic spot requires a lot of climbing. For the "wild" spots, it is better to take a local guide's car; it is not recommended to drive in, as locals may stop cars and charge fees...

After satisfying our taste buds, we had a good night's sleep. Early the next morning, we went to visit the Yulin Ancient City.

Yulin Ancient City has a history of over 600 years and was an important frontier town in the Ming Dynasty. It is currently the second-largest Ming Dynasty city in Shaanxi Province after Xi'an. It is said that during the Anti-Japanese War, Japanese bombers ran out of fuel on their way to bomb Yulin and had to turn back halfway, thus preserving the ancient city intact.

From south to north, the ancient city has six ancient towers: Wenchang Pavilion, Wanfo Tower, Xinming Tower, Bell Tower, Kaige Tower, and Drum Tower. They correspond to Zhenbei Tower in the north and Lingxiao Tower in the south, forming a pattern of "south tower, north platform."

Due to time constraints, we had a quick tour of the ancient city, then drove to Zhenbei Tower. Zhenbei Tower is a watchtower and one of the most magnificent and impressive structures along the Great Wall of the Ming Dynasty. It is known as one of the "three major wonders of China's Great Wall" (with Shanhaiguan in the east, Zhenbei Tower in the center, and Jiayuguan in the west) and is called the "First Platform of the Great Wall."

Near Zhenbei Tower, the Red Stone Gorge Reservoir has delicious fish.

After lunch near the Zhenbei Tower scenic area, we drove to Qikou Ancient Town.

Qikou Town is located at the western foot of the Luliang Mountains in western Jin, on the bank of the Yellow River, at the southern tip of Lin County. From the Ming and Qing dynasties to the Republic of China, relying on the Yellow River water transport, it became an important commercial town in the north, enjoying the reputation of "the first town of the winding Yellow River." It is one of the birthplaces of Shanxi merchants. The Yellow River and the Qiushui River form a "人" character here, with the mouth of the character being the Black Dragon Temple in Qikou Ancient Town and the head being a pagoda in Shaanxi. The town preserves well-preserved Ming and Qing buildings, including temples, banks, and pawnshops.

Note 1: Yulin city is better than imagined, with rich history and culture and delicious food everywhere, but we didn't have time to taste it.

Note 2: Near Zhenbei Tower, there is also a Red Stone Gorge Ecological Park that is good, but since we had already visited Wave Valley, we didn't go.

In Qikou Ancient Town, it is best to stay outside the town where parking is available. Inside, parking is difficult, and you have to walk on stone paths from the parking area to the accommodation.

While visiting Qikou Ancient Town, locals told us that Li Village (Lijiashan) near the town is comparable to Zhouzhuang or Tongli... So early the next morning, we drove to Lijiashan.

Lijiashan Village in Lin County's Qikou Town is 3 kilometers south of Qikou Ancient Town, hidden deep in the mountains, ethereal and elegant. It was one of the three major discoveries of the famous painter Wu Guanzhong's life. The ancient village is relatively closed, like a paradise isolated from the world.

On the way to Xinzhou, we passed by Nangou Village, which has the former site of the Central Northwest Bureau of the Communist Party of China and a place where Qi Xin once lived.

We arrived at Xinzhou Ancient City in the afternoon.

Xinzhou City was first built in the 20th year of the Jian'an reign of the Eastern Han Dynasty (AD 215), with a history of over 1,800 years. The existing buildings were built from the 24th to the 26th year of the Wanli reign of the Ming Dynasty. Locals call it the Little Beijing Tiananmen.

Lijiashan was an unexpected gain of this trip. There were many college and high school students sketching in the village. The scenic area currently does not charge an entrance fee.

Xinzhou was our rest stop on this journey. After a night's rest, we drove to Mount Wutai early in the morning.

Mount Wutai is located in the northeast of Wutai County, Xinzhou City, Shanxi Province. It is now a national AAAAA-level tourist attraction, the bodhimanda of Manjushri Bodhisattva. Centered around Taihuai Town, it is surrounded by five peaks: East, West, South, North, and Central, hence the name Wutai (Five Terraces).

When coming to Mount Wutai, there are two must-do things: first, visit the major temples to worship Buddha and pray for blessings; second, make a pilgrimage to the five terraces (Great Pilgrimage) to pay respects to the five statues of Manjushri Bodhisattva on the five peaks. This is called the "Great Pilgrimage." Since people have limited physical strength, they can worship at places like Dailuo Peak in Taihuai Town, which is called the "Small Pilgrimage."

The Bodhisattva Peak (Pusading) on Mount Wutai was built during the reign of Emperor Xiaowen of the Northern Wei Dynasty. It is one of the five major meditation sites on Mount Wutai. Emperor Kangxi visited five times, and Emperor Qianlong visited six times, leaving many inscriptions and calligraphy. In addition to Bodhisattva Peak, must-visit places include the Grand Xiantong Temple, Five-Headed Temple, and Pagoda Court Temple.

Note 1: Generally, when visiting Mount Wutai, you eat and stay in Taihuai Town. A two-day itinerary is suitable to see the main temples. However, if you drive yourself, it is better to follow the recommendation of netizens and take the scenic area shuttle bus, which would require three days.

Note 2: Mount Wutai is at a high altitude. When we went at the end of April, it was still a bit cold. We encountered wind, snow, and rain. It might be more suitable to come after May.

Note 3: According to previous travel guides, entering the mountain was difficult and required separating people and vehicles. This time, we didn't encounter any such problems and entered smoothly. However, after entering the mountain gate, there is still a dozen kilometers of road, all one-way with a speed limit of 60 km/h.

On Mount Wutai, we experienced a scene where it was sunny on one side and snowing heavily on the other. When we returned to Taiyuan in the morning, Mount Wutai was snowing sleet, a bit like small hailstones. After breakfast, we set off back to Taiyuan and arrived at Jinci at noon for a visit.

Jinci is located at the foot of Xuanweng Mountain, 25 kilometers southwest of downtown Taiyuan. It was built before the Northern Wei Dynasty to commemorate the second son of King Wu of Zhou, Shuyu. When visiting Jinci, you can follow the central axis. Enter through the main gate, starting from Shuijing Platform, passing through Huixian Bridge, Golden Man Platform, Duixue Archway, Xian Hall, Bell and Drum Towers, Fish Pond and Flying Bridge, to the Saint Mother Hall. This is the main part of Jinci, all of which are national treasures.

The Taita Temple in Jinci, Taiyuan City, is a family temple built to commemorate the ancestor of the Zhang family. It is known as "the second most ancient landscape in China after the Yellow Emperor's Mausoleum." It is the earliest recorded ancestor of the Zhang family in Chinese history. Later, for his achievements in flood control, he was honored as the God of the Fen River, referred to as the Water God.

At 4:00 PM, we finished our visit to Jinci and drove back to our accommodation at Wuyi Square. When we rented the car on Ctrip, we initially set the return location at Wusu Airport, but after negotiating with Yihai, we agreed to return the car at Taiyuan Railway Station, which made it convenient for us to take the train to Datong. This concluded the self-driving tour.

We took a bullet train from Taiyuan Station to Datong, arriving at Datong South at noon. After lunch, we visited the Datong Ancient City in the afternoon.

The existing Datong city wall was built in the fifth year of the Hongwu reign of the Ming Dynasty (1372). General Xu Da was ordered to expand the city based on the old foundations of the Liao, Jin, and Yuan dynasties, forming a slightly square shape. In 2008, Datong City fully implemented a historical and cultural revival and ancient city protection project, repairing and encasing 70% of the remaining ancient city wall in brick. The city wall is about 14 meters high, 2 meters higher than the Xi'an ancient city wall, and the widest point is 16.6 meters, 6.6 meters wider than the widest point of the Nanjing ancient city wall. On the wall there are 62 gate towers, corner towers, and watchtowers. There are four gate towers, with the south gate tower being the most majestic.

The next day after arriving in Datong, we booked a full-day private car tour through Ctrip, which was very rewarding.

The private car picked us up early in the morning from the hotel and first took us to the Yingxian Wooden Pagoda. The pagoda is located in the Fogong Temple in the northwest of Yingxian County, Shuozhou City, Shanxi Province. Its full name is the Sakyamuni Pagoda of Fogong Temple. It is the tallest, oldest, and only existing wooden pagoda structure in China. It is known as one of the "Three Great Wonders of the World" along with the Leaning Tower of Pisa in Italy and the Eiffel Tower in Paris.

In the afternoon, we went to Mount Heng, the Hanging Temple, and the Tulina (Earth Forest).

Mount Heng, the Northern Great Mountain, is also known as Yuan Yue. "Three temples, four shrines, nine pavilions, seven palaces, eight caves, and fifteen temples" is an old saying. It is revered as the "Fifth Small Cave Heaven" by Taoists. The main peak is 2,016.1 meters above sea level. (Notes 1-3)

The Hanging Temple (Xuankong Temple) was built in the 15th year of the Taihe reign of the Northern Wei Dynasty (AD 491), located on the cliffs of Cuiping Peak on the west side of the Jinlong Gorge of Mount Heng. Using mechanical principles, it cleverly relies on the rocks for support, built as a wooden structure in mid-air. Originally called "Xuankong Pavilion," the word "xuan" comes from Taoist doctrine, and "kong" from Buddhist doctrine. Later renamed "Xuankong Temple," it is the earliest existing temple combining three religions: Confucianism, Buddhism, and Taoism.

Note 1: Mount Heng, taking advantage of its status as one of the Five Great Mountains, doesn't seem to have many highlights. The Hanging Temple is worth a visit.

Note 2: During the May Day holiday, using Ctrip's private car service is cost-effective. From 9:00 AM to 6:00 PM, full-time service, on call, cost 380 yuan. Renting a car at a similar price would cost over 300 yuan, plus fuel costs.

On the last day of the Datong tour, we took a taxi to Yungang Grottoes early in the morning.

The Yungang Grottoes scenic area is divided into a landscape area and a cave complex. The cave complex is undoubtedly the main attraction. The entire cave complex is divided into east, middle, and west zones according to the natural mountain terrain from east to west. Currently, about 40 caves are open to the public. The traditional visiting route starts from Cave 1 in the east and goes west to Cave 45. If the visiting time is about two hours, the main attractions are Caves 5 and 6, the Five Flower Cave (Caves 9-13), and the Tanyao Five Caves (Caves 16-20).

In the afternoon, we arrived at Huayan Temple. Huayan Temple is named after the Buddhist scripture "Avatamsaka Sutra." It is divided into Upper Huayan and Lower Huayan. It faces east, with the mountain gate, Puguang Ming Hall, Mahavira Hall, the Sutra Repository Hall, and the Huayan Pagoda, among other buildings, arranged along two main north-south axes in a well-organized layout.

Upper Huayan Temple centers on the Mahavira Hall. Lower Huayan Temple centers on the Sutra Repository Hall, with Liao Dynasty statues, a stone sutra pillar, a multi-story sutra cabinet, and the Huayan Pagoda.

After exiting Huayan Temple, not far away is the Nine-Dragon Wall.

We had already reserved sleeper train tickets for the return trip through Ctrip's booking feature. After 17 hours, we returned to our warm home.

The self-driving tour of over 2,100 kilometers in Shanxi and Northern Shaanxi, plus three days of visiting the Datong area, deeply impressed me with the truth behind a netizen's saying: "To see China in a hundred years, go to Shanghai; to see China in a thousand years, go to Beijing; to see China in three thousand years, go to Shaanxi and Shanxi." The land of Jin (Shanxi), west of the Taihang Mountains and east of the Yellow River, has been known since ancient times as "a land of mountains and rivers." The long history has left many traces on this yellow earth. The Taihang Mountains, the Yellow River civilization, and the ancient Great Wall have too many remains for us to slowly explore...

Travel log index:

1. Day 1: Airport -- Qiao Family Compound -- Pingyao Ancient City

2. Day 2: Pingyao -- Hukou Waterfall

3. Day 3: Hukou -- Qiankun Bay -- Yan'an

4. Day 4: Yan'an -- Jingbian Wave Valley

5. Day 5: Wave Valley -- Yulin

6. Day 6: Yulin -- Zhenbei Tower -- Qikou Ancient Town

7. Day 7: Lijiashan -- Xinzhou

8. Day 8: Xinzhou -- Mount Wutai

9. Day 9: Mount Wutai -- Taiyuan Jinci

10. Day 10: Taiyuan -- Datong

11. Day 11: Yingxian Wooden Pagoda -- Hanging Temple