Things to do in Xiangning

Worthy of being a Ming and Qing dynasty ancient county town and a World Cultural Heritage site, its biggest highlight is its complete ancient city layout, with four main streets, eight alleys, and seventy-two winding lanes forming a "土" (earth) shaped framework. The streets and alleys resemble the patterns on a tortoise shell. It also features the history of Shanxi merchants' banks and ancient architectural relics.

The Yellow River, the cradle of Chinese agricultural culture, is a place every Chinese person should visit. Although it carries a large amount of silt and is mostly muddy, it is still magnificent. On the surging waters of the Yellow River, rainbows can be faintly seen…

The Bell Tower is a landmark ancient building in Xi'an. During my visit, the second and third floors of the tower were under maintenance and closed to the public. Visitors could only tour from the second-floor terrace, and the ticket price was reduced from 30 yuan per person to 15 yuan per person. The Bell Tower is built on the central axis of the ancient city. Standing atop the Bell Tower, one can see the Drum Tower and Yongning Gate in the distance, as well as the bustling commercial district and constant flow of traffic surrounding the Bell Tower Square, experiencing the profound history and modern vitality of this ancient capital. To enter the Bell Tower, one must pass through the Bell Tower Square underground passage (connected to the Bell Tower subway station). A couplet on the second floor aptly expresses the feelings of climbing the tower: "Ancient sites can be found, but time cannot be relived; palaces and towers recall the past; Zhongnan Mountain remains evergreen, the Wei River flows eternally; poetry and music, bells and drums, enter a new sound."

In order to visit more places, it is a wise choice to take the cable car up the mountain. After reaching the Jade Emperor Peak and then going down from the Zushi Peak, it is still a bit demanding on physical fitness. You can't see the clouds and mist. The Jade Lotus Cave is quite amazing.

There was a slight unpleasantness with the merchant's customer service when making the reservation, as I had booked a guided tour of the Longmen Grottoes, but the merchant's page description was incorrect and I requested a refund, which they refused. I only got a refund after contacting the platform's customer service. Because of this unpleasant experience, I didn't have high expectations for the tour. However, once inside the museum, Mr. Pei's explanation was truly dedicated, and he was a very kind person; it was clear he genuinely loved the experience. Special praise! 👍 He made up for the merchant's shortcomings! 👍

This was my first visit to the Shanxi Museum, and I was incredibly lucky to have this elderly male guide! His voice was deep and pleasant, and his storytelling was engaging and never boring. I especially loved his method: he first laid out the historical context, then guided us through the artifacts in detail, a gradual and immersive approach that made it easy to connect with the exhibits. He meticulously explained several of the museum's most prized possessions, bringing the history of Shanxi, a land of mountains and rivers, to life. I thoroughly enjoyed the entire visit. It wasn't just rote memorization of facts; the experience was fantastic. I highly recommend having such a wonderful guide when visiting a museum!

The lecture lasted almost three hours. Professor Xu Xing led us through all the museum's most prized treasures and also connected the history of other places in the lecture. He gave an excellent presentation and I highly recommend it!

Basically it is a big theme park that recreates the Tang Dynasty vibes and gorgeous era during the Tang Dynasty period. Best to go late evening and stay until all the lights up. If short on travel time actually can skip this place.