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Traveling to Shanxi, the Province West of the mountains

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Traveling to Shanxi

The following guide contains a few suggestions on how to plan your trip to the province of Shanxi (literally 山西, where 山 means mountain, and 西 west: west of the mountains).

The capital of Shanxi is Taiyuan, a city that’s only two and a half hours away by fast train from the Chinese capital, Beijing. From here you can leave for various itineraries to discover this province.

Shanxi is a meeting point between old and modern, with industrialized Taiyuan, center of the coal industry, natural landscapes, and ancient caves.

As local inhabitants of the province will tell you, Shanxi boasts a long history, and has an interesting cultural heritage. If you’d like to discover it, keep reading!

Planning a trip to Shanxi

There isn’t great difficulty getting around on a trip to this province, other than a few destinations that can only be reached with a car or bus.

Starting with the premise that getting to Taiyuan is very easy both by air or high speed rail, where a ticket from Beijing costs a little less than 200 Yuan, planning your trip is easier still with Taiyuan as your starting point for getting around. [Read more…]

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The Best Hotels in Pingyao, the UNESCO World Heritage City

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Pingyao has some of the most diverse hotels in China, but choosing the right one can be a difficult. In this article, you will find a short review of some of the best hotels in the city, whatever your budget may be.

If you are interested in general tips of how to book hotels in China, you can read our recommendations here.

Reviews of Luxury Hotels (5 Star) in Pingyao

Jing’s Residence Pingyao


Jing’s Residence Pingyao is a boutique luxury hotel in the historic town of Pingyao, with 15 guestrooms. The hotel is 30 minute drive from the Pingyao Railway Station. It provides free Wi-Fi throughout and also provides free on-site car parking. The hotel features a restaurant serving western and local dishes with a bar serving a wide selection of drinks. Additionally, the hotel provides you with other amenities like luggage storage, library, shared lounge, massage, and safety deposit boxes. The staff is warm and speaks English to handle your enquiries better. Some of the places of interest close to the hotel include North First Escort, only 50 m away and Museum of the Service Guard of China, located 200 m from the hotel.

[Read more…]

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Travel to Datong and Pingyao: The Guide

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Travel to DatongThe Hanging Temples in Datong

This travel guide was co-authored by Helen Wang and Harley Greenberg of WindhorseTour.com, a local China travel agency developed to help guide travelers across China including Tibet and less visited destinations like Datong and Pingyao.

Datong and Pingyao are both located within China’s Shanxi province. Both areas are of great historical significance. These historic landmarks in China are filled with beautiful classical Chinese architecture from the Ming, Qing and Zhou dynasties.

You can take this opportunity to experience a large range of different climates, architecture, and culture.

If you are planning a visit to China, these locations would be high on the list of choices. I personally love the rustic charm and classic look of these cities. The cobblestone roads are always a great touch. Unless you happen to have to drive on that cobblestone, that can be annoying (luckily there won’t be too much of that).

In this guide I will highlight:

  • A little history of Datong and Pingyao;
  • How to get to Datong and Pingyao.
  • What a tour to these locations will include;
  • Where to stay in Datong and Pingyao;
  • The four renowned ancient cities of China.
  • The weather in Shanxi province;

[Read more…]