SHAN XI

For culture places exploring reason, China Adventure Specialist first recommend Shanxi Province to you. Shanxi Province with the largest number of surface cultural relics in China. Now we must introduce another Shanxi Province meanwhile in order to avoid confusion. The other Shanxi Province locates in the southwest of this Shanxi Province, they have the same pronouncement but in different characters in Chinese. The one Shanxi Province with Xian as its capital city with the largest amount of underground cultural relics in China, and here what we recommended Shanxi Province with Taiyuan as its capital city with the largest number of surface cultural relics. And the most important thing is, all these cultural relics are mostly well protected with less repairing trace. That's should be what you are looking for! We are not expected a brand new heritage. So if you want to see the original cultural relics in China, Shanxi is a place which you should not miss.

Why Shanxi with such lots of cultural relics? With the great wall bordering the north, the Gobi desert to the Northwest and its distinctive geography, Shanxi occupied a strategic position for nearly a thousand year. Shanxi is also one of the birthplaces of  China civilization. Now Shanxi is the leading coal producing province, so you might feel the air here is not as fresh as other provinces. But the local government spent great effort to improve the environment and air quality in recent years. So we still strongly recommend Shanxi to you to understand more and deeply about Chinese culture.

Shanxi Province could be divided into 3 parts. North, Middle and South. North Shanxi is the most famous tourist part which famous for its magnificent Buddhist culture and architecture featuring as Yungang Grottoes, Hanging Temple, Huayan Temple and Yingxian Wooden Pagoda. Middle of Shanxi is famous for its merchant culture. The Culture of Shanxi Merchants is one of the commercial cultural systems in Chinese history, the representative scenic sites are Chang Family Courtyard and Pingyao Ancient Town. The South Shanxi is South Shanxi is well known for its traditional Chinese ancestral roots culture and there are also several well-worth sites like Feihong Tower in Guangsheng Temple,Hongdong County, and the delicate fresco in Yongle Palace, Yuncheng City.

Now it's quite convenient to travel Shanxi Province, the newly opened bullet train between Beijing and Datong (2 hours and 20 mins duration), Datong to Taiyuan, Datong to Pingyao, Pingyao to Yuncheng and Yuncheng to Xian brought convenience to travel Shanxi Province. But as there is no local English speaking guide in each place of Shanxi Province, most of them come from capital city Taiyuan, so we suggest you to use private car transfer when you traveling Shanxi Province but not taking bullet train.

Suggestionsfor tailor-made your Shanxi Tour:

Our Travel Consultant Janet Chan spent 8 days to explore Shanxi Province in Aug,2019. Traveling from north to south part, done the inspection to some less famous sites and found surprisingly that Shanxi Province is a land of treasures. Bellowing are our recommended trips after on-the-spot inspection.

Our highly-recommended Shanxi Tours: 

Shanxi Travel Tips:

Thebellowing tips might helpful for you to plan your Guizhou Trip

Best time for traveling:

As the main attractions in Shanxi Province aremostly cultural relics, so anytime in the year is ok for traveling. But ShanxiProvince locate in the northern part of China, so since from the end of Nov,the temperature would go down till the end of Feb. And the weather starts toget warm after the mid of March. Jul and Aug are hottest summer time, also thepeak traveling season due to the student summer vacation, but there are not toomany tourists in the culture relics all in all as the scenic spots in ShanxiProvince is not so famous in Chinese except Yungang Grottoes and HangingTemple.

Hukou Waterfall is one of the importantnatural scenic spot in Shanxi Province which is good time for traveling only inMay to Oct. But as Jul and Aug are raining season, the scenic spot mighttentatively close to tourists if water volume is too large. And tourists couldappreciate the blossom peach flower in Apr and May.

The Temperature:

Shanxi Province has a cold and dryclimate which is typical climate in northern China. The hottest two monthsare Jul and Aug, the highest temperature is around 30-33℃ (86-91℉) except some extremely hot dayswhich is unusually happened. The southern part (Linfen, Yuncheng) are hotterthan middle and northern part.

Food in Shanxi:

Shanxi Cuisine features a wide varietyof wheaten food,hence the name the “land of wheaten food.” A saying goes like this: “Shanxiproduces a hundred kinds of wheaten food, and each kind offers a hundredtastes.”So you would definitely have chance to try wheaten food cook indifferent ways when you travel in Shanxi.

Hotel & Restaurants:

Nicehotels are available in Taiyuan (Capital City), Datong and Pingyao Ancient Townas these are 3 famous tourist places in Shanxi Province. Linfen and Yunchengwithout many fancy options of hotels, but you also can find moderate Chinesestandard comfortable hotels.

Picture Taking in nearly all thecultural relics

PictureTaking is forbidden in most of the heritage sites in Shanxi Province because ofbellowing reasons:

1. 1)   Culturalrelic protection specially flash is forbidden

2. 2)   Religion.As taking picture for the gods in the temple or grottoes or architecture is akind of disrespect.

3. 3)   Copyright

So please bring your camera but keep most ofthe impression in the mind.