Picked up by our local guide, after Breakfast, drive to, the Yungang Grottoes, built at 1500 years ago, with its 53 existing rock caves and cover 51,000 statues, Yungang Grottoes is a treasure house of ancient Buddhist art, the largest and best of these kinds in China. And best of all, unlike the others, all the Grottoes are open to public. The long stretch of caves was a masterpiece comparable to the ancient Egyptian pyramids, taking 40,000 workmen many decades (453-493 AD) to finish the majority of construction. Then drive to the magnificent Hanging Monastery (Xuankong si), astonishing architecture technical, and monastery has also had many influences in its belief system. This is no better highlighted than in the Three Religion Hall ( Sansheng dian) where Buddha, Confucius and Laotzu (Taoism founder) sit side by side. after lunch, drive to a Wooden Pagoda, the largest and oldest existing pagoda in China) at Yingxian County. we will take stairs up to the top, have a great view, meanwhile enjoy the amazing architecture skills, drive to Taiyuan.                Stay at Taiyuan

 

Morning, go to visit an interesting village called Zhangbi, with visible city walls left and tens of km of underground tunnel, this place was used to be a strategic military point dating back to Tang dynasty, 600 AD. And it is a recently discovered treasure, which is off the tourists trail. We will walk around in the 1.5 millennium old city, try to find pieces of history while checking the local villagers' life, later explore the underground tunnel which was suppose for military use.

Later we will drive to the largest and best preserved courtyard house-courtyard of Wang family (Wangjia Dayuan), constructed during 1762-1811 by a rich Shanxi merchant family. A huge private palace, built along the slope of the mountain, very good Fengshui. Unlike other famous courtyard house, this one has been kept intact and real, no restoration, no exhibition of unreal folk and custom stuff, wondering in the hundred years old house, listen to the guide elaborating the story of the family. Later on take a look of the village nearby, there are also some old cave houses, a typical residential architecture in the yellow soil plain area, which are used for peasants living in old time but now ordinary villagers live in, rural people, old house, very real China.

We will get to the ancient city of Ping Yao in the late afternoon, stay overnight in a lovely hundred years old courtyard guesthouse.                             Stay at Pingyao

 

Ping Yao is an exceptionally well-preserved ancient city, founded in the 14th century, and it used to be the major financial centre for the whole of China in the 19th and early 20th centuries. There are still more than 4000 old houses in the city, we will check out the biggest private bank in China, an old county government office courtyard, a live demonstration of local administration procedure, then a pawn shop and an old security company.

Another good part of the old city is the food, so many delicious local cuisines, very different from the popular foods in Beijing, of cause we will try as more as we can.

Spend the afternoon do a leisure bike ride in the back lanes of the city, check out some hidden places, meet local peoples, later bike to a interesting temple called Shuanglin temple, which is a Buddhist temple with a long history. Inside the temple are more than two-thousand painted sculptures which arts are of precious value. They are reputed as a treasure reserve of the oriental painted sculptures. Later cycle back to Pingyao city, transfer to Taiyuan, take K602(21:30PM¡ª08:09AM) back to Beijing.

 

 

RMB 3300 per person based on 2 persons

RMB 2700 per person based on 3 persons

RMB 2400 per person based on 4 persons

RMB 2200 per person based on 5 or 5 +

 

Accommodation (3 star)
All entrance fees, cycling fee.
Train tickets( soft sleepers)

local transportation
English speaking tour guide

Excluded:
Meals,snacks, private drink and activities, tip to tour guide and driver

 

Things to bring: Sunglasses, camera, towel, tooth brush and tooth paste

 

 

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