Shanxi is a plateau province of North China. Its ancient sites include Pingyao, a preserved old town dating from the Ming and Qing dynasties, with a circa-1370 wall. On the outskirts are sprawling old merchants’ mansions including the Qiao Family Courtyard. Taiyuan, the modern provincial capital, is known for temples and the Shanxi Museum, with expansive collections of regional artifacts going back to prehistory.

Datong

Most visitors head to Datong for the Yungang Grottoes. It is a collection of shallow caves located 16 km west of Datong. There are over 50,000 carved images and statues of Buddhas and bodhisattvas within these grottoes, ranging from 4 centimeters to 7 meters tall. Most of these icons are around 1000 years old.

Within the city itself, there are a few surviving sites of historical interest such as the Nine-Dragon Wall, the Huayan Monastery, and the Shanhua Temple.

Pingyao Ancient City

A well-preserved ancient town, whose history goes back 2,700 years. Declared a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1997.

The town is surrounded by a completely intact 6-km Ming Dynasty city wall.

Wutai Mountain

One of the four sacred mountains in Chinese Buddhism.

Qikouzhen

The ancient Chinese merchant mountain-town of Qikouis is on the banks of the Yellow River. Although this ancient town is close to 1,000 years old, it only started to attract tourists in 2010, and this was due to an initiative of the local government to attract tourism. The history of Shanxi province goes back 4,000 or more years. It is said that Shanxi is the cradle of Chinese civilization.

Yingxian

The Sakyamuni Pagoda of Fogong Temple of Ying County, Shanxi province, China, is a wooden Chinese pagoda built in 1056, during the Khitan-led Liao Dynasty. The pagoda was built by Emperor Daozong of Liao at the site of his grandmother's family home.

Hukou Waterfall of the Yellow River

The Hukou Waterfall is the largest waterfall on the Yellow River and the second largest waterfall in China

The Hukou Waterfall was naturally formed from water in the middle reaches of the Yellow River flowing through the Jinxia Grand Canyon. The width of the waterfall changes with the seasons. It usually stretches 30 meters wide but can increase to 50 meters during the rainy season.

Jinci Temple

The Jin or Jinci temple is a collection fo buildings, garden, sculpture, wall paintings, all set in tranquil settings.

House of the Huangcheng Chancellor

This palace is like a small village containing a group of castle-style buildings. The palace has 19 gardens and yards, 640 rooms and 9 castle gates, covering an area of 90,000 square meters. It has a wall which is 1,700 meters long and 12 meters high.