Trip Summary
The province with China's oldest surviving wooden buildings, run at full pace: the 1,500-year-old Buddha caves of Yungang, the complete Ming walls and bank-museum houses of Pingyao, the Qiao Family compound's courtyards, and Jinci's shrine before flying out of Taiyuan.
Trip Highlights
- Yungang's 51,000 cave Buddhas, including the 17-m seated colossus
- Walking Pingyao's full 6-km Ming wall circuit at dusk
- China's first banks — Rishengchang's 1823 exchange-house ledgers
- The Qiao Family compound's 313 rooms of carved timber
- Jinci Temple's 1,000-year iron warriors and Saint Mother Hall
Day by Day
Day 1 — Taiyuan → Datong
Fly into Taiyuan Wusu, direct HSR to Datong (1.5 h). Evening at Datong's rebuilt ancient wall and the Nine-Dragon Screen.
Flight in · Taiyuaninternational flights, destination pre-filledBook → Taiyuan → Datong trainHSR ~1.5 h into the cave cityBook → Stay · Yungang Grottoesold-town wall base for the caves and noodlesBook → Car rental · Taiyuanpick up at Taiyuan Wusu International Airport on arrivalBook → 
Day 2 — Yungang Grottoes
Morning at the caves: the imperial cave 20 colossus, the musical angels of cave 12, the new museum walkway. Return for Datong's knife-cut noodles.
Stay · Yungang Grottoessecond Datong nightBook → Tickets · Yungang Grottoesskip-the-line entryBook → 
Day 3 — Datong → Pingyao
HSR back past Taiyuan to Pingyao Ancient City. Walk the full wall at dusk, then lamb and handmade noodles in a courtyard inn.
Datong → Taiyuan trainHSR back south ~1.5 hBook → Taiyuan → Jinzhong trainshort hop to Pingyao's prefectureBook → Stay · Pingyao Ancient Citykang-bed courtyard inside the Ming wallsBook → Tickets · Pingyao Ancient Cityskip-the-line entryBook → Day 4 — Pingyao & Qiao
Morning at Rishengchang and the city-god temple, afternoon taxi to the Qiao Family compound, evening back on the wall towers.
Stay · Pingyao Ancient Citysecond walled nightBook → Tickets · Pingyao Ancient Cityskip-the-line entryBook → Tickets · Qiao Family Compoundskip-the-line entryBook → 
Day 5 — Jinci & out
Morning HSR to Taiyuan, Jinci Temple's Song-dynasty hall and iron men, then fly out of Wusu.
Tickets · Jinci Temple-Tianlongshan Grottoes Scenic Areaskip-the-line entryBook → 
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