Datong Pingyao Heritage Tour

Arrive Datong in the early morning, your experienced private guide, and a comfortable private car with an experienced driver will be ready (non-smoking) to serve for your 3 days ancient China discovery starts.

The highlights today include Shanhua Monastery, Nine Dragons Wall, as well as Yungang Grottoes. Shanhua Monastery is the largest and most complete existing monastery in China. The Nine Dragons Wall in Datong is the largest Nine Dragons Wall in China, which embodies the superb carving skills of ancient China. While Yungang Grottoes, one of the four largest grottoes in China, is the outstanding achievement of Buddhist cave art in the 5th century AD with exquisite murals to see. Stay overnight in Datong.

After breakfast at your hotel, start the first 1.5 hours’ drive to visit Hanging Monastery, a temple built into a cliff near Mount Heng in Hunyuan County, Datong. The whole temple is a wooden frame structure with 40 halls and pavilions, even it is small in size, but the most amazing thing is that it relies on the tenon joint structure, which is embedded in the cliff without falling. With a history of more than 1,500 years, it is the earliest and best-preserved high-altitude wooden cliff building in China.

After lunch, continue driving south to Pingyao, have a stop at Yingxian Wooden Pagoda, the tallest and oldest wooden stupa in the world, for a visit. After sightseeing, in another 4-hour drive, you will arrive at Pingyao Ancient City, one of the 4 ancient towns in China. Stay overnight in Pingyao.

Wake up in your traditional-Chinese-style room. After breakfast, start your exploration in Pingyao Ancient City by walking on the Ming-Qing streets, the most prosperous area in the ancient city, to explore the Ming and Qing culture in Pingyao. Stair up its City Wall to have a bird view of the ancient city. Then pay a visit to highlights of Pingyao Ancient City including Pingyao Confucian Temple, Pingyao Ancient Government Office, Rishengchang Exchange Shop, etc. The Rishengchang Exchange Shop is considered to be the first draft bank in China’s history. Meanwhile, you will have a chance to experience the traditional Chinese paper-cutting as well as learn to make dumplings and various typical local steamed buns here, in addition, you can have dumplings as lunch.

Late afternoon, drive to the train station to catch your high-speed train for departure. Say farewell to your guide and driver at the train station, and end your enjoyable journey with WindhorseTour.