Preface|Talk about this trip

"People say that Shanxi is beautiful, the land is fertile, the water is beautiful and the grains are fragrant. There are apricot flowers blooming in Xinghua Village. The sons and daughters are just in their prime. The men are not afraid of all kinds of hardships, and the daughters can embroider thousands of flowers." This feeling, this moment, this scene, your thinking will not be able to help As the melody of the lyrics floats over the entire Shanxi, let's start a tour of Shanxi.

The word "Shanxi" has always been a place I want to go to in my heart. For four years in college, I had a roommate in Shanxi. He always shared the beautiful scenery of Shanxi with me, told me about the history of Shanxi, and brought me special products. Eat, yes, I have planted a deep friendship with Shanxi. She invited me to play in Shanxi many times, but various reasons always hindered me. I really want to visit Shanxi, but I am just waiting for an opportunity, the best time.

If you ask me where I am most interested in Shanxi, I will say "Pingyao and Datong". Datong Yungang Grottoes and Xuankong Temple, the ancient city of Pingyao, because of my roommate, let me know about Shanxi, and fell in love with Datong and Pingyao ancient city in the process of understanding.

Shanxi, the land of the three Jin Dynasties of "Jinshan Jinmei", condenses the overall situation of Shanxi in just a few words, telling everyone that Shanxi is a good place for a person to be kind and beautiful, and at the same time It means that Shanxi is flourishing and pursuing "perfection".

Meitu preview

Raiders | Practical travel ideas

about food

When it comes to Shanxi cuisine, the noodles in Shanxi are still the best in my impression. The most famous one is the famous traditional noodle snack, and it is one of the representatives of Jin cuisine. Because the shape is very similar to a bucket, the folk language is grandma.

Let me tell you the must-eat delicacies when you go to Shanxi, such as sliced ​​noodles, oat noodles, 栲栳栳, Shanxi oily pork, yellow rice cold cake, beef copper hot pot, Pingyao beef, Pingyao pasta, braised beef with old vinegar, etc., the specific text Will introduce, if you are interested in food, read carefully~,

About accommodation

Pingyao Deshenglou Inn

It is located in the center of South Street in Pingyao County, near the ancient city building, close to various scenic spots, only 1 minute away from the Escort Bureau, and only 3 minutes away from the county government. The environment here is elegant and atmospheric, and the light-colored rooms have a large Kang, so even a family of four will not feel crowded. Standing in front of the window, you can overlook the scenery in the yard.

Hotel address: No. 84, South Street, Pingyao Ancient City

Xiangchangtai Inn

Xiangchangtai Inn is located on West Street, 1 minute away from Rishengchang. It is a hub that integrates classic features such as Rishengchang, county government, Chenghuang Temple, city wall, and Qingxu Temple to form major tourist attractions.

Hotel Location: No. 112 West Street

About the itinerary

For friends who like to drive by themselves in Beijing and Shanxi, it is recommended to go by car first, and you will have more freedom in traffic and play time. High-speed rail + car rental

DAY-1 Datong: Yungang Grottoes - Hanging Temple

DAY-2 Pingyao: County Government - Confucian Temple - Hongwuji - Stay in Deshenglou Inn

DAY-3 Around Pingyao: Hukou Waterfall - Wang's Courtyard - Stay at Xiangchangtai Inn

DAY-4 Pingyao: Rishengchang--Shopping--Travel Photography

Tips: 

1. The road conditions in Shanxi are complicated. In order to avoid delays in traffic, you must rent a car or an off-road vehicle, which can drive at a speed of 120 per hour on the highway. 

2. The principle of black tour guides. There are many "black" tour guides in the ancient city of Pingyao, who will collude with drivers, hotels, and restaurants to kill customers.

3. Try to avoid group tours, which are basically required by shopping

4. Be sure to book accommodation and tour guides in advance during the peak season

5. Tourist through train. In order to facilitate the safe and portable travel of tourists, Datong has opened a tourist through train for Hengshan and Yungang Grottoes scenic spots. It operates according to a fixed time. The vehicle is comfortable and safe, which is an ideal choice for travel. The departure time of Hengshan Line is from 06:30 to 07:30, and the route is Datong Railway Station - Datong No. 10 Middle School - Weidu Avenue South Ring Road Haohaigang - South Ring Bridge West - Xuankong Temple Scenic Area - Hengshan Scenic Area - Return urban area. The departure time for Yungang Grottoes is from 08:00 to 15:30, and the route is Datong Railway Station--Hualin Xintiandi--Yungang Grottoes Scenic Area--return to the urban area.

DAY1 Same but different

Yungang Grottoes|Treasure of a Great Country

Yungang Grottoes is a national 5A-level scenic spot, which embodies the peak of ancient Buddhist art. As a national project in the northern latitude, it is naturally magnificent and exquisite. The Buddha statues carved in the mountains are vivid and expressive in every detail.

The Yungang Grottoes are located at the south foot of Wuzhou Mountain and the north bank of Wuzhou River in the west of Datong City, Shanxi Province. The grottoes are excavated on the mountain, with 45 main caves and more than 50,000 stone statues, belonging to the Yungang Grottoes Scenic Area. Out of Datong City, go west along the tourist line. The road along the way is flat, brand new and tidy, with lush trees on both sides of the road. Take a tourist bus and you will arrive at the "Que Gate" at the entrance of Yungang Grottoes Scenic Spot in about 20 minutes.

However, this grotto group, located in the northern part of the scenic spot, represents the highest level of stone carving art in northern China in the fifth century AD. In the past 1500 years, it has experienced continuous war destruction, theft loss, natural erosion and weathering, and has been seriously damaged.

The Yungang Grottoes were included in the World Heritage List in 2001. At that time, the surrounding environment was shocking. There were rich coal seams in the underground of Shanxi. The Yungang Grottoes were surrounded by surrounding coal mines. Coal trucks were running day and night. The atmosphere is not good. The great grotto art sculpture group during the Northern Wei Dynasty in China was embarrassing and helpless in the cultural desert next door.

Now approaching the grotto, it is eye-catching. The extended ground of the grottoes is all paved with stone rocks, and the weathered cave walls are maintained without leaving any traces. Outside some important caves, the guard towers outside the cave rocks are being repaired and newly built. , towering and magnificent.

Entering the cave is even more shocking. The seated Buddha in the fifth cave is 17 meters high, which is the largest among the more than 50,000 statues in the Yungang Grottoes; the fifteenth cave, commonly known as the Wanfo Cave, has a small space, but the walls of the cave are full of neatly arranged sculptures. There are still nearly 9,000 Buddha statues preserved, which is incredible.

Perhaps the most unforgettable one is the big open-air Buddha. This is the statue of Shakyamuni Buddha, 13.8 meters high, with a high bun, full and round face, confident and joyful expression, solemn and kind, and the statue is magnificent. One of the representative works of Yungang Grottoes.

This Buddha statue belonging to the twentieth cave was actually exposed at the beginning of the grotto development due to the collapse of the front wall, but now it has become the favorite of tourists to take pictures and the symbol of Yungang Grottoes.

Yungang Grottoes is not only a grotto, but also a place with beautiful mountains and clear waters.

Hanging Temple | Temple on the Cliff

The Xuankong Temple was originally called "Xuankong Temple", but it was later renamed "Xuankong Temple" because the whole temple seemed to hang on a cliff. The whole temple is a wooden frame structure with 40 halls and pavilions. The most amazing thing is that it sinks into the cliff without falling down.

Hengshan Hanging Temple was built more than 1,500 years ago in the late Northern Wei Dynasty, and the Hanging Temple has been repaired in successive dynasties. It is the earliest and best-preserved high-altitude wooden cliff building in China. The pavilions are connected by plank roads. The temple is not big, but it is ingeniously crafted. Li Bai's post-drunk book is a magnificent sight, and Xu Xiake praised it as a giant in the world.

Transportation method: Public transportation is difficult and time-consuming, so self-driving is a convenient and quick way.

Hengshan Xuankong Temple is located in Hunyuan County, Shanxi Province, 65 kilometers away from Datong City. It is a national key cultural relics protection unit and is the only unique temple in China that combines Buddhism, Taoism and Confucianism. The outstanding architectural skills and immortal artistic value fully embody the wisdom and strength of the ancient working people of the Han nationality. So far, there are still 11 grotto temples, including Wanfo Cave, Sanxiao Hall, Notre Dame Palace, Guanyin Hall, Zhenwu Patriarch Hall, etc.

DAY2 The city of Pingyao

There is an interesting legend about the ancient city of Pingyao. From a bird’s-eye view, the ancient city looks like a turtle, with six gates, two wells outside the gate that look like turtle eyes, and the north gate is the tail of a turtle, which is the lowest point in the city. There are four urns in the east and west, facing each other. , the upper west gate, the lower west gate, and the upper east gate all open to the south, and only the lower east gate opens to the east. It is said that to prevent the turtle from crawling, people straightened its left leg and tied it to a tortoise twenty miles away from the city. The ancient city of Pingyao is also called Turtle City.

The traffic network of Pingyao Ancient City consists of four main streets, eight small streets, and seventy-two winding alleys. The first thing to go is South Street. Jinjing City Building is located in the South Street of Pingyao Ancient City, which is the center of the whole city. Because there is a golden well downstairs, this building is also called "Golden Well Building". The roof is covered with yellow-green glazed tiles, with beautiful shape and exquisite decoration. There are several Qing Dynasty stone tablets downstairs.

County Government Office | Imperial Palace Miniature

Pingyao County Government Office is located in the center of the ancient city of Pingyao. It was built in the Northern Wei Dynasty and was finalized in Yuan, Ming and Qing Dynasties. The earliest preserved building was in the sixth year of Yuan Zhizheng (1346), which has a history of more than 600 years. The entire government office Facing north and facing south, the layout is axisymmetric. The north-south axis is more than 200 meters long and the east-west width is more than 100 meters, covering an area of ​​more than 26,000 square meters.

Pingyao County Government is one of the four well-preserved ancient government offices in China, and it is also the largest existing county government in the country.

The entire building complex of the county government is orderly, patchwork, and reasonable in structure. It is an organic whole. No matter in terms of architectural layout or function setting, it can be called the epitome of the imperial palace. On May 19, 2004, the 11th Panchen Lama came to visit During the inspection of the county government, he happily mentioned the words: Pingyao county government is the most ancient government.

Ancient City Wall|Beginning to build Xixia

Pingyao Ancient City is located in Pingyao County in the central part of Shanxi Province, and was built in the period of King Xuan of the Western Zhou Dynasty. It is the most well-preserved ancient county in China, and is known as one of the "four best-preserved ancient cities".

It is different from the beautiful and gentle Jiangnan, with small leaf boats; different from the once glorious Luoyang, with the history of the imperial capital; different from the rough and bold Qinghai, with a clear mirror and blue sea; and even more different from the imperial capital of the capital, with clear glass.

It is located dignified and peaceful, just an ancient city, faintly revealing the glory of the past and the vicissitudes of the past. The beauty of Pingyao is a profound beauty, just like the elegant demeanor revealed by a well-educated person, it is fascinating!

The Wang Family Courtyard 

The Wang Family Courtyard was built by the Jingsheng Wang family over the Ming and Qing dynasties and lasted for more than 300 years. It includes a street with five lanes and six castles, with a total area of ​​250,000 square meters. It is also an architectural art museum with traditional cultural characteristics. . It is a national key cultural relic protection unit and a 4A-level scenic spot. This article introduces the Wang Family Courtyard from three aspects: the artistic essence of its architecture and sculpture, its profound historical and cultural heritage, and its close connection with Shanxi merchant culture.

 The architectural pattern of the Wang Family Courtyard inherits the courtyard style of the front hall and the back bedroom formed in the Western Zhou Dynasty in China. It not only provides enough space for external exchanges, but also meets the requirements for an internal private atmosphere. The children are orderly, the inside and outside are different for men and women, and the daily functions are all available, which fully reflects the majesty of the official family and the regularity of the patriarchal etiquette system.

    All the buildings in the Gaojiaya complex were built strictly according to the feudal hierarchy. The exquisitely carved brick, wood and stone decorations in the courtyard, with various themes and rich content, concentratedly demonstrated the unique family management philosophy of the Wang family.

Hukou Waterfall|White waves are magnificent

Hukou Waterfall is a group of waterfalls.

Walking into the scenic spot, standing on the bank of the Yellow River, you can immediately see the spectacular scene of "thousands of miles of the Yellow River harvested in a pot". As we watch the waterfalls at close range, "the water of the Yellow River comes from the sky, and it will never return to the sea". The verses and the movement of "Yellow River Cantata" will appear in my mind and echo in my ears from time to time. The Yellow River, the mother river of the Chinese nation, has written a magnificent chapter after another!

Hong Wu Ji | Hong Wu Three Years

Hongwuji Restaurant is an online celebrity shop on South Street. It is a restaurant integrating noodles and Pingyao specialties. It has rich dishes and affordable prices. The whole restaurant adopts the style of red lanterns, giving people a warm feeling.

The only restaurant with a clear file on South Street.

Close-up of the guy making noodles

The hot Shanxi sliced ​​noodles can be said to be the most delicious in Pingyao.

Dry Braised Noodles

Shanxi fried pork

Rotten cabbage

Pingyao Beef

Pingyao Bowl Holder

Sweet and Sour Meatballs

DAY3 The last memory of Pingyao Ancient City

Rishengchang|The earliest ticket number

Rishengchang bank was established in the fourth year of Daoguang in the Qing Dynasty (AD 1824). The founder of the bank was Lei Lutai, whose owner was the Li family in Dapu Village, Pingyao County. The birth of Rishengchang put an end to the backward financial situation of my country's bodyguard bureaus escorting cash. During the turbulent century, it greatly accelerated commercial operations and currency circulation, and effectively promoted the rapid development of the social economy.

 Niangjia Vinegar Workshop | A place that makes people can't help but get close

 

When it comes to Shanxi, the first thing that comes to mind is Shanxi old mature vinegar. The folk proverb goes: "Shanxi people love to be jealous, and every family has a vinegar gourd." Shanxi has a long history of making vinegar. As far back as the 12th century BC, Jin people had the custom of eating vinegar.

If you come to the countryside of Shanxi in summer, you will find that under the scorching sun, there are large vats stuffed with hemp paper at the door of every household.

The strong fragrance of old mature vinegar will always be the strongest local complex of Shanxi people. It carries the thousands of years of cultural history of Shanxi people. These long cultural histories lie in the long and soft fragrance after the entrance. If you don't taste it carefully, you don't know its essence. This vinegar shop opened in the ancient city was recommended by a classmate. He said that most tourists who come to Pingyao would choose his shop. What's even more crazy is that the vinegar that ordinary people use is also his shop.

 Travel photography | The real way to record is the camera