Travel to Shanxi in the summer, and this hidden gem of a small city is worth visiting

Located just a 22-minute train ride from Taiyuan, there is an ancient city called 'Wei Yu', which is the hometown of Jin Merchant culture in China. It also boasts a wealth of ancient architecture, and that is Yuci in Jinzhong. ⛰️ One-day tour itinerary: 🌟 Fengming Academy - Yuci Confucian Temple - Yuci City Tower - Yuci County Government Office - Xiyuan - Yuci City God Temple - Qingxu Pavilion (currently closed, you can take a peek through the fence) 🚌 Transportation options: 🌟 It is recommended to take a train from Taiyuan, and after getting off, take a bus to reach the ancient city. 📸 Highlights ✅ Yuci Confucian Temple: It is one of the oldest existing building complexes in Yuci city. There are not many highlights, but two places are worth focusing on. The first is the wooden archway with four pillars and three gates, whose green glazed tiles on top are particularly beautiful. The second is the 28 coiled dragon stone pillars outside the Dacheng Hall, which are majestic. ✅ Yuci County Government Office, known as the 'First Assistant of Jin Vassal' and 'The Number One Office in Sanjin', has a large complex that includes six courtyards with six entrances and exits. The architecture is not too ancient in Shanxi Province, but it well displays the regulations of the ancient county government office and is quite valuable. As the saying goes, 'For imperial courts, visit the Forbidden City; for county government offices, visit Yuci', so naturally, when you come to Yuci, you should see this complex. ✅ Yuci City God Temple, which is a key national cultural heritage site, also has a considerable size. The two statues of warriors inside the mountain gate are particularly spectacular, and after entering the gate, you will see the combined structure of the Xuanjian Tower. The Xuanjian Tower, together with the music tower, stage, and screen wall, form a whole and was rated as one of the world's 100 most exquisite ancient buildings by the World Historic and Cultural Site Protection in 1999. ✅ Other highlights: Due to limited time, I did not visit Chang Family Manor, but there are also many highlights here, such as the largest and most complete ancestral hall in Chinese residential buildings, and the largest screen wall in Shanxi residential buildings, etc. Yuci is not big, but it has many cultural highlights. If you come to Taiyuan, consider taking a day to explore.