Top 50 Best Things to Do in Shanxi

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Omdia Peter

Yungang Grottoes are worth a visit. However, a top-tier guided tour is a must, but if you go alone, the $380 price tag for a single guide is really too expensive. Once inside, seeing the magnificent Buddha statues and grottoes makes the trip worthwhile. The only pity is that some of the Buddha statues in the grottoes were under maintenance, so it wasn't possible to see all the statues and enter all the grottoes, preventing visitors from seeing everything in one visit. It definitely makes you want to come back again; you'll want to experience more.

小贩何

I absolutely loved the winter snowscape at Jinci Temple. We had a guided tour (100 RMB) for an hour and a half, which was very professional and great value (don't hire any so-called guides on the street!). The tour was very educational! 👍👍 At the end, they even summarized the three treasures, three wonders, and three plaques.

Anonymous user

Buying tickets at the attraction is very convenient. The parking lot is large and easy to park in, and it's very close to the ticket gate. You can take a bus to the waterfall entrance, which saves a lot of time. After getting off the bus, it's just a few minutes' walk to the waterfall. It's spectacular and worth seeing.

M33***22

The scenery is rather ordinary, and the commercialized shops lack any distinctive features, making it no different from heavily commercialized places like Wuzhen and Langzhong. Shuanglin Temple is more worth visiting. A day and a night is probably the most you could do in Pingyao Ancient City.

M32***02

There's no difference between seeing this tower from the outside and from the inside. There's only one tower inside, and you can only see the first floor in about ten minutes. Fifty yuan is quite expensive; the Forbidden City is only 60 yuan, and only 45 yuan in the off-season…

北国之春一

The Hanging Temple of Hengshan Mountain in Datong, Shanxi Province, was first built in 491 AD (the 15th year of the Taihe reign of the Northern Wei Dynasty) by disciples of the Taoist master Kou Qianzhi, based on his dying wish to "reach the heavens above and sever all worldly clamor below." With a history of over 1500 years, it is the oldest existing high-altitude wooden cliff-side architectural complex in China. **Structural Features:** 27 hemlock beams are inserted into the rock face as an "aerial foundation." The wooden pillars at the bottom are merely for psychological comfort; the actual load-bearing structure relies on hidden crossbeams, achieving the "suspended" appearance. **Reasons for its excellent preservation:** The canyon terrain reduces sunlight erosion, the mountain shelters it from floods, and the mortise and tenon structure provides strong earthquake resistance. **Cultural significance:** One of the world's ten most dangerous architectural wonders, and the only temple where Buddhism, Taoism, and Confucianism coexist, reflecting the inclusiveness of diverse ancient beliefs. **Admission is free for those over 60, but tickets are extremely difficult to obtain during peak season; remember to book your visit in advance.**

温智翔

Located atop Phoenix Mountain northwest of Xixian County, Linfen Xiaoxitian boasts numerous tourist attractions and delightful discoveries. Its architecture is compact, built into the mountainside, with two-thirds of the halls being double-layered structures, creating a harmonious interplay between upper and lower courtyards. The Mahavira Hall is the highlight, its interior adorned with exquisite suspended sculptures. These sculptures, themed around the "Western Paradise" of Pure Land Buddhism, utilize a wood-framed clay suspension sculpting technique, seamlessly blending religious culture and philosophical thought into a unified whole. The craftsmanship is superb, the figures lifelike, and they possess immense artistic value. Xiaoxitian also preserves the Yongle Northern Canon, a collection of 676 cases and 6752 volumes bestowed by Emperor Wanli of the Ming Dynasty in the 26th year of his reign. Covering the Tripitaka (Sutra, Vinaya, and Abhidharma), it serves as historical evidence of the Sinicization of Buddhism. Furthermore, the scenic area's natural landscape is exceptionally beautiful. Phoenix Mountain features overlapping peaks, ancient cypress trees shading red walls, and swirling mists, creating a scene reminiscent of a fairyland. The area surrounding the scenic spot also boasts a unique rural atmosphere and hospitable residents, allowing visitors to experience a distinctive cultural charm.

e09141939

The tickets I booked for the children were very convenient; we entered by scanning a QR code. "Of the nine strategic passes under heaven, Yanmen Pass is the foremost," and today we are at Yanmen Pass. Just as we arrived at the entrance of the scenic area, at the wall of famous figures and the statue of the Yang family generals, the park was playing "Eternal Chang'an City," which made me feel a little sentimental.

酷酷的哈士奇

The scenery is nice and the bus is very convenient, good reviews! But the consumption level in the scenic area is a bit high, especially in some farmhouse restaurants, where two people can eat more than 100 yuan, while other places in the mountains only cost dozens of yuan.

_We***34

It's a bit of a journey from the hotel to Qiao Family Compound. If you're in Pingyao Ancient City, it's easy to get a ride there. But if you're on a group tour, it's not very comfortable, as the compound is quite large.