5-Day Family Trip to the Loess Plateau during May Day Golden Week

April 30: Flew from Wuxi to Taiyuan, checked into Manxin Taiyuan Comprehensive Reform Demonstration Zone Hotel near Taiyuan Airport.

May 1: Departed from Taiyuan, passed through Suide Shuangshui Village (filming location of 'The Ordinary World', a typical Loess Plateau rural landscape) to Yan'an, checked into Yan'an Mercure Hotel.

May 2: From Yan'an hotel, visited Jingbian Wave Valley Danxia landform, Zhongshan Grottoes, Zichang City, then returned to Yan'an, stayed at Yan'an Mercure Hotel. Could visit the revolutionary site Zaoyuan (Jujube Garden) in the morning.

May 3: From Yan'an, took Yanhu Road via Nanniwan to Hukou Waterfall, spent the night at Linfen Manxin Hotel.

May 4: From Linfen, visited Wang Family Compound then went to Pingyao Ancient City, stayed at Pingyao Grand Opera House Hotel.

May 5: From Pingyao to Taiyuan Jinci Temple, then flew back to Wuxi.

On the evening of April 30, we flew to Taiyuan Airport. Car rental at Taiyuan Airport is cheaper than elsewhere. The first night we stayed at Manxin Hotel near the airport. The room was clean, fresh, and had a French touch. It belongs to the Huazhu Group and is roughly comparable to a four-star hotel. The room was a bit small, but otherwise very nice. Breakfast at Manxin was also quite good, with a rich variety and local specialties. The best part was the price – about 300 RMB per night.

On May 1, we drove to Shuangshui Village in Suide, Shaanxi, which was the filming location of 'The Ordinary World'. We got a close look at the cave dwelling life in northern Shaanxi. We arrived at Shuangshui Village in the afternoon. For lunch, we had a local specialty at a village eatery: a noodle dish called 'Minjia' – we didn't really enjoy it.

After visiting Shuangshui Village, we headed to Yan'an, hoping to make it to Zaoyuan (Jujube Garden) revolutionary site. But when we arrived, we found we needed to reserve tickets for the next day, so we headed back to the hotel early. That night we stayed at Yan'an Mercure Hotel, also part of the Huazhu Group. The Mercure in Yan'an was very beautiful and clean – I forgot to take pictures of the room, but it was lovely, with a French style. In the evening, my partner found the second-ranked restaurant in Yan'an (since the top-ranked one was fully booked). The food was surprisingly delicious. The Yellow River carp was excellent, the dried tofu and some kind of pancake were also very authentic. I didn't take many photos because we were too busy eating. Several dishes we ordered were all tasty, and the rice wine was distinctive, resembling the kind served in Korean BBQ restaurants.

On the morning of May 2, we got up early and rushed to the revolutionary site – Zaoyuan. I don't need to introduce Zaoyuan; a quick Baidu search will tell you. We saw the former residences of Chairman Mao and Premier Zhou in Zaoyuan. The traditional scenic spot was quite crowded. The most surprising thing at this site was the apple vending machine. When my partner wanted to buy apples, I was dismissive, so he just bought a box of two. Later in the car, I ate one and exclaimed it was the best apple I've ever had! I highly recommend buying apples here – buy several. I also learned a bit: apples are very common, but I didn't know Yan'an is a famous apple-producing area, including Fu County, Yichuan, and Luochuan.

In the afternoon, we visited the geological wonder Wave Valley in Jingbian County, Yulin City. We had lunch at a small, unremarkable restaurant near Wave Valley. At first, I was put off by the environment, but the food turned out to be great.

For the return trip that afternoon, my partner chose a small road crossing the plateau, which was an hour slower than the highway but offered the best scenery. We passed many small cave-dwelling villages. At one point, we wanted to take a walk but were chased out by fierce village dogs. We left around 4 PM and didn't get out of the mountainous area until almost 7:30 PM when it was getting dark. I was worried we might not make it before nightfall, as mountain roads are dangerous in the dark. That night we stayed again at Yan'an Mercure Hotel.

On May 3, we visited Nanniwan and passed by a former educated youth settlement. In the afternoon, we went to Hukou Waterfall, taking Yanhu Road which offers beautiful views of the Loess Plateau.

In the afternoon, we drove from the Shaanxi side of Hukou to the Shanxi side. The two viewing platforms face each other across the waterfall. Since many Shanxi attractions were free for tourists from Jiangsu, Zhejiang, and Shanghai this year, we decided to cross to the other side. Traffic jams are inevitable at major attractions. We found a restaurant by the road while stuck in traffic – the environment was so-so, but the food was decent. The restaurant had a parking lot. After eating, seeing that traffic wasn't improving much, I noticed a small pedestrian path below. I thought: instead of sitting in traffic, why not walk down and wait until the jam clears? So I asked about the route, went down the hillside, and followed a path along the Yellow River. The river was swift but relatively calm – it would have been a great hiking route.

Around 4:30 PM, traffic eased a bit. I thought about skipping the waterfall, but I'd regret it – after all, the roaring Yellow River is something we'd never seen. So we mustered courage and tried again. After about 20 minutes of traffic, we got into the scenic area. It went smoothly. The roaring Yellow River was truly spectacular. Getting close meant you'd definitely get 'drenched'! It was worth it – we'd have regretted not seeing it.

That night we stayed at Shanxi Manxin Hotel (near Linfen West Railway Station).

On May 4, we got up early and visited Wang Family Compound. The saying goes: 'After seeing the Wang family, you needn't see other mansions.' The Qiao Family Compound cannot match the scale and exquisiteness of Wang Family Compound. After visiting, we headed to Pingyao Ancient City. It's said you need two days to fully explore it, so we stayed overnight at Pingyao Grand Opera House Hotel, which was once a merchant guild inn. We chose the kang bed. Today's itinerary was very tiring, so I slept well, but I noticed quite a bit of dust in the room.

Pingyao Ancient City has many attractions and crowds. We were short on time, so we hired a guide to explain the main sites. Today felt really exhausting – perhaps the crowds made it more tiring. There are many vinegar shops in the ancient town. Don't buy from the guide's recommended shops; buy on your own.

On May 5, we strolled through Pingyao Ancient City in the early morning, when it was still quiet. Around noon, we went to Shanxi Guild Hall for lunch – after all, it's a Shanxi specialty. In the afternoon, we visited Jinci Temple, which was truly worthwhile. The buildings there are over a thousand years old.

After visiting, around 4 PM, we packed up, returned the car at Taiyuan Airport, and flew home. This trip was planned by my partner; I just organized it. I have to praise my kid: he slept in the car and played as soon as we arrived. It was only the last two days that he needed 'Route 11' (his dad's legs). Grandparents also worked hard, taking care of the kid the whole time, allowing me to sit comfortably in the front passenger seat and direct my partner. Of course, my partner also worked hard as the driver for five days. In summary, a family trip is very enjoyable. This journey was perfect!