A tour of Shanxi Province is most obviously started in the capital Taiyuan, if for no other
reason than for its convenient transport systems. Day One: In the morning, take a bus for Pingyao from the long distance bus
station. You are expected to arrive at the destination in around two hours.
Before lunch, stroll the streets in the ancient town, which are among the best
preserved in China. Have lunch at one of the old restaurants. In the afternoon,
visit some of the attractions listed in the introduction. Of these, Qiao"s
residence is definitely not to be missed. Stay at one of the local
hotels. Day Two: At 06:41, take train K126/127 back to Taiyuan. Upon arrival, from
in front of the railway station, take bus No.8 (RMB2) to Jinci Temple. The journey should take
about 45 minutes, and for the rest of the morning you can enjoy the temple. In
the afternoon, take the same bus back to town. The Provincial Museum lies not far from the
bus terminus, if you wish to visit it. Also worth checking out is the Chongshan Monastery, just to the back of
the museum. Stay at one of the local Taiyuan hotels.
(Optional Day: We will make today light enough for you to restore enough energy for
the ensuing tour. You may wish to pay a visit to the Twin Pagoda Temple.)
Day Three: In the early morning, take a bus heading to Wutaishan from the
long-distance bus station in Wuyi Square. Due to the relatively poor road
conditions, you will not get to the mountain until about late afternoon. All you can do is
to have a walk around Taihuai village and restore enough stamina at one
of the local hotels or
guest houses. Day Four: This day is specially designated to Buddhist exploration in the mountain. You
may take a minibus and shuttle between the temples. In the afternoon,
go back to Taihuai and take a bus to Datong, via the Hanging Monastery in Hengshan.
Stay at a local hotel. Day Five: Take bus No.2 from the railway station to the Xinkaili bus station
in the western part of town and then take bus No.3 until the terminus. The famed Yungang Grottoes is to be found here. In
the afternoon, head back to town by the same bus. You should have enough time to look at
the Nine Dragon Screen before
nightfall. Stay a second night in a local hotel.
Day Six: In the morning, from the city center, take a bus to Huayan Monastery. After lunch, head
directly to Shanhua Temple. At 22:20,
take train No.1591/1594 that arrives at Linfen at 09:06. Day Seven: In the morning, take a bus to Guangsheng Temple and get back before
noon. At around 12:00, you may take a bus that heads towards Yan"an (in Shaanxi Province). After six
hours" drive (costing around RMB30), you may get off at the Hukou Falls. Stay in a local hotel
(recommended is the Hukou Guesthouse). Day Eight: In the morning, visit the falls. After lunch, you may take the same bus and
head to Yan"an, where
you may take a train to Xi"an,
thus concluding your tour. |