During the trip to Shanxi, we started from Taiyuan and walked around Shanxi, including Pingyao, Hukou Waterfall, Lijia Courtyard, Huangcheng Xiangfu, Banshan Scenic Area. In the middle, we went to Luoyang Longmen Grottoes, and then to Datong Yungang Grottoes and Huayan Temple.

When you go to Xi'an, you must visit the Terracotta Warriors and Shaanxi Museum. It was a coincidence that Zhongnan Zen Temple saw ginkgo trees. The leaves turned yellow this season.

It was still my granddaughter Xiaoqing who accompanied our second grandma (grandma and grandpa) to play and go out for a walk while she was not yet in school.

D1 (No. 10.19) Itinerary: Guangzhou to Taiyuan to Pingyao Ancient City.

In the morning, I took HNA from Guangzhou to Taiyuan at 11:30, and arrived at Terminal T1 of Taiyuan Suwu Airport at 15:00. After picking up my luggage, I called the airport store of the car rental company. They immediately sent a car to the store to handle the car rental procedures. I have booked the car model before, paid well, bought full insurance, and checked for any problems with the car glass and tires before driving away.

We first get the QR code of the temporarily registered motor vehicle from the car rental company (you can self-apply on your mobile phone), and then register it on the 12123app before we start our self-driving tour. Otherwise, if there are illegal points, it will be very troublesome. The car rental company will send the original driving license to the store in your city, and then bring your driver's license, original ID card, and rental contract to the vehicle management office to handle illegal business. When picking up the car, you will have a motor vehicle registration done. If there are any violations, 12123app can directly handle it.
The cities we were going to, Taiyuan and Luoyang, both had restrictions on motor vehicle travel, so after checking, we asked the car rental company to provide numbers 2 and 7, which could avoid the restrictions and facilitate our travel. Nowadays, more and more cities have restrictions on motor vehicles, and self-driving tours are very challenging.
It was already 15:30 when everything was done, and we officially began our self-driving journey to Pingyao Ancient City. Fortunately, the store is very close to the entrance of the highway, 102 kilometers. It took 1:51 and 17:30 to reach the ancient city of Pingyao. We parked the car outside the ancient city and contacted the inn and someone came to pick us up.

Tickets are required to enter the ancient city. Tickets for the ancient city are 120 per person. Now they are free on weekdays. You can scan the code and visit the ancient city's public account.
Check-in: Pingyao Yonghuage Humanities Inn old room, including double breakfast, big kang
The inn is located on a street parallel to the South Street of Pingyao Ancient City. It is very convenient to be quiet despite the noise.
Make arrangements and let's go out for dinner. As night fell, the streets were already brightly lit, and Pingyao's specialty delicacies were eaten on South Street "People in the North".
Pingyao South Street is quite lively at night. We took our granddaughter Xiaoqing for a leisurely walk in the ancient city, enjoyed the happy time of traveling, and bought her favorite marshmallow.

D2,(No. 10.20) Itinerary: Eat, drink and have fun in the ancient city

At 9:30 after breakfast, I went out to visit the South Gate and climbed the city wall to see the panoramic view of Pingyao Ancient City. The entire ancient city has six gates, one in the north and south, and two in the east and west. The city wall is 6.2 kilometers long. Now only a small section of the South Gate is open.

After going down the city wall, we went to visit the former residence of Lei Lvtai, the founder of the Rishengchang Railway Station. The three courtyards are well located. The courtyards are all of the same layout. The rooms are symmetrical left and right, self-contained, and very comfortable.

Then visit the Pingyao County Government Office. It was a government office during the Ming and Qing Dynasties. After liberation, it became the seat of the People's Government of Pingyao County. After that, most of the old buildings were demolished and renovated. The yamen and lobby were restored in 1996 and officially opened to the public in 2000. Although it is a new thing, you can understand the ancient government's office appearance by looking at it.
After lunch at the small restaurant in front of the county government office, I returned to the inn to rest. This is the advantage of living in an ancient city.
In the afternoon, I went out and walked around again. The scenic spots of the ancient city are concentrated on a small section of South Street, West Street, and East Street. Such as the city building, Rishengchang Silver House, North China Standard Protection Bureau, etc., you can just watch while walking.

Xiaoqing refused to sleep at noon. As soon as she went out, she fell asleep in the cart. She didn't see anything and didn't wake up until she ate.
For dinner, we had Pingyao specialties at the "Hongwu Ji" on South Street, such as cabbage laos, Pingyao beef, etc. The set meal for two was 98 yuan. There were 5 dishes and the portions were large. We couldn't finish them.
Xiaoqing finally woke up after sleeping for more than 2 hours. She got up and ate some sao. She said she was going to go shopping for a while and asked us to take a walk again. In fact, she wanted to eat marshmallows.

D3 (10.21) Itinerary: Hukou Waterfall of the Yellow River in Shanxi Province ~ Hejin City (accommodation)

It took 30 minutes to circle the city before getting on the highway. It took 5 hours to drive 290 kilometers from the ancient city of Pingyao to the Hukou Waterfall of the Yellow River. The trees on both sides of the highway turn golden and red because of autumn, and the trees on the mountains are even more beautiful. The red leaves all over the mountains dye the mountains red. Traveling in autumn will really bring you an extraordinary visual experience.

At 2:00 p.m., we arrived at Hukou Waterfall in Ji County, Shanxi Province. We have been to Shaanxi to see Hukou Waterfall before. This is the first time we have seen it in Shanxi. The waterfalls here in Shanxi feel very spectacular because of the wide river surface. The water flowing in the wind often splashes people watching the waterfalls.

。
There are many people watching the waterfalls in Shanxi because tickets on weekdays are free (120 per person). The shuttle bus is unavoidable, 20/person, because the parking lot is 2 kilometers away from the entrance of the attraction, so it is impossible to walk there. Think about this natural waterfall and collect a total of 140 yuan/person,... Hehe, there are so many people. We all seize the free time and play more.

Children and adults have different interests. Xiaoqing has no interest in waterfalls, but she immediately sees the little donkey on the shore for photos. After riding the little donkey, she was so happy that she ran around the shore.

After the tour, I drove two hours at high speed from Hukou Waterfall to stay in Hejin City, 110 kilometers away.
Check-in: Hotel H (Hejin Xingeng Street Store)
Including double breakfast and twin beds, the room is large, the facilities are new, and the experience is super good. It exceeds expectations. I just checked in, and the hotel also served freshly baked "Sydney Snow Ear Red Date Soup", which is delicious and heart-warming.

Take out at dinner. It's our stipulated action to taste delicious and not expensive, save time and effort.

D3 (10.22) Itinerary: Li Family Courtyard ~ Luoyang (Accommodation)
It is only 50 kilometers and 50 minutes away from Hejin City to the Li Family Courtyard in Wanrong County, Yuncheng City. It is free to visit on weekdays. There are not many people and it is a very quiet visit point. The Li's compound covers a large area, mainly composed of shaft-type Shanxi courtyard buildings with one-to-four-entrances. Just like today's conjoined villas, each family has a small door to communicate with each other.

There are ancestral halls, private schools, grain drying fields, shops, and Baiquan Lake Scenic Area. The most exquisite thing about the Li family compound is the wood carving decoration on the lintel. Each family has different styles and exquisite craftsmanship, which is really rare now. The second was stone carving paintings and characters. The best stone carving masters at that time drew or wrote the characters on the stones according to the requirements of their owners. The craftsmen then slowly carved the calligraphy and paintings to form a unique embossed effect, also known as positive carving.

The Li family is a very famous "Li Shanren" in Shanxi. Their family started from scratch, from farmers to merchants to national capitalists. It is simply a history of the rise of Shanxi merchants.
After visiting the Li family compound, drive straight to Luoyang City, 251 kilometers and 4 hours.
Check-in: Luoyang New Friendship Hotel
The hotel was upgraded to a luxurious queen suite, 60 square meters, also equipped with a bathtub and massage chair. I like it very much.

D4 (No. 10.23) Itinerary: Longmen Grottoes ~ Wangcheng Park
It takes 45 minutes to arrive at the Northeast Gate Parking Lot of Longmen Grottoes at 10:00 in the morning. Only in the Northeast Gate Parking Lot can there be battery cars to go to the entrance of the scenic spot. The parking lot at the Northeast Gate of Longmen Grottoes is 2 kilometers away from the scenic area. If you want to walk, you may be really tired. We also took Xiaoqing with us, so we bought a battery car for 10 yuan each way and sat at the gate of the newly built Longmen Grottoes Scenic Area. We booked tickets (90 yuan/ticket), entered the gate, and there were still 900 meters to reach the grotto area.

The Longmen Grottoes were built before and after the Northern Wei Dynasty moved the capital to Luoyang. They also have a history of more than 400 years. Because they were originally built by the government, they are relatively exquisite. The famous Wu Zetian carved the Lusena Buddha at Fengxian Temple in Longmen Grottoes based on his appearance and demeanor. Fengxian Temple is the largest and most artistic group of cliff-shaped group carvings in Longmen Grottoes.

Since its construction, the Longmen Grottoes have been seriously damaged by man-made theft and chiseling. Many heads, inscriptions, and embossed were destroyed, and many are stored overseas.

Because it was quite tiring to take Xiaoqing up and down to visit, we sat and watched, listened and walked. We all played there for more than three hours. After watching, we crossed the bridge and went to Dongshan Battery Station and took a battery car back to the parking lot.

We drove the car to Wangcheng Park, but we were still of good character. Just as we drove to the door, a car came out and parked the car at the gate of the park.
Wangcheng Park has really changed a lot. There is a chrysanthemum exhibition at the entrance, a moon door on the left, and the inside has become a peony garden. Then there is a pavilion next to the peony garden. This is the pavilion we have visited before. It still remains the same and is in a good mood.

D6 (10.24 Saturday) Itinerary: Jincheng "Huangcheng Xiangfu"~ Changzhi (accommodation)
After breakfast, Xiaoqing also went to the hotel's children's playground to play. It was already 10:20 after leaving the hotel. Luoyang was building a subway and road construction. It took 40 minutes to get to the expressway. She started driving on the expressway at 11 o'clock, and the speed limit was 80. It was slow enough. It took more than 3 hours to reach the "Huangcheng Xiangfu" in Jincheng at 1:40 noon.

Unexpectedly, the Huangcheng Xiangfu Scenic Area is also free. You can make a reservation directly at the door. If you only visit Xiangfu without visiting Xiangfu Garden, you don't need to buy a 50-yuan battery car fare. Xiangfu is at the entrance of the parking lot. The parking lot is divided into two different areas: small cars and tourist buses. Free travelers can enter and exit at the entrance of Xiangfu, and tour groups have to take the pedestrian street exit.
Huangcheng Xiangfu is the old house of Kangxi teacher Chen Tingjing. It is a building complex in the Ming and Qing Dynasties. It is built against the mountain, with multiple floors and courtyards, and is well organized. The inner city and the outer city are surrounded by a ten-meter-high wall. There are people who can live and servants who are guarding them inside. It is true to say that it is China's first cast-style courtyard.

The landmark Heshan Tower is more than 30 meters high and is the tallest building in the Imperial City Prime Minister's Mansion. Heshan Tower is seven-story high and can accommodate more than a thousand people to take refuge at the same time. Such a height and scale are extremely rare in buildings in the Ming and Qing Dynasties. What is even more rare is that such a masonry high-rise building, after nearly four hundred years of ups and downs, still stands tall and on the same side. There are no buildings in the surrounding area that exceed its height. Unfortunately, it is now closed and not allowed to visit inside.

The chief reader of the original version of the Kangxi Dictionary, the most worthwhile treasure of the town house, was Chen Tingjing. This was the first edition of the Kangxi Dictionary at that time. Three copies exist to this day. This is one of them. The other is in the Forbidden City, and the third is in the Taiwan Museum. This time it is an eye-opener.
It would take 2.5 hours to make a serious tour. We left the Imperial City Prime Minister's Mansion for Changzhi at 4 p.m. It took 115 kilometers and 1.40 minutes to reach Changzhi All Seasons Hotel.
Check-in: Changzhi All Seasons Hotel
Twin breakfast included, twin room

D7 (Chongyang No. 10.25) Itinerary: Banshan Scenic Area ~ Taiyuan
Set off for the Taihang Banshan Scenic Area in Wuxiang, 103 kilometers and 4 hours later, we enter Pengzhuang from the Xijing Expressway. This was once the bullet production base of the Eighth Route Army. The scenery is gradually getting better. Turning up the mountain, the mountains are piled up with red stones on both sides. The majestic and majestic mountains are full of Danxia landform, which is very shaking.

Going up the mountain to the top of the mountain, the gate of Banshan Scenic Area was closed, and the announcement stated that it would not be open due to the impact of the epidemic. In fact, I really don't need to buy a ticket to enter, because I have a panoramic view of the mountains along the way, which is already very amazing. I left with satisfaction and headed for Taiyuan.

Although it is a rural road from Xijing to Banshan Scenic Area, the road conditions are better than many provincial roads, asphalt roads, and two lanes are separated.

It is recommended to go to Taihang Banshan Scenic Area from Xijing Mountain, where the scenery is all here. If you don't take the back road and go down the mountain after crossing the Banshan Scenic Area, there will be basically no scenery along the way when you go down the mountain on the other side, and it is far away from the highway entrance. That's how we walked. We ran 180 kilometers and three and a half hours to Taiyuan.
Check-in: Hampton Inn Jinyang, Taiyuan
Including twin breakfast, twin beds
In the evening, I went to the mall next to the hotel to buy toys for Xiaoqing and eat.

D8 (10.26) Itinerary: Taiyuan Jinci ~ Datong
We set off for Jinci at 10:00 in the morning. As soon as we entered the main entrance of Jinci Park, the birch trees on both sides looked particularly golden against the sun, which gave us a big surprise. Along the way, we found the ground covered with yellow leaves. Xiaoqing was so happy that she put up a different posss. The sun shone on Xiaoqing through the treetops. It was so beautiful.

There are not many tourists in Jinci today. We can quietly admire the wonderful buildings of the Song Dynasty. The colored sculptures of the 33 female officials and maids in the Temple of the Virgin Mary can be regarded as classics. Their movements and postures are different, and their demeanor are very vivid and natural. They all seem to be waiting for our arrival, as if they have traveled back to the past through time and space. In the blink of an eye, more than 900 years have passed, and they are still here, no more or less, and life has passed through several cycles. Therefore, it is best to cherish everything in the present and live in the present.

At noon, we went to the Jinxi Hotel for dinner. After all, it was a state guesthouse and the products were very good. We ordered sweet and sour pork and green onion pancakes that Xiaoqing liked. After eating and drinking enough, we continued our journey and went to Datong.

When we arrived at the Duncun service station, we found that the tire on the right rear was getting flatter and flatter. In fact, after we got the car, the car called the police saying that there was a problem with the right rear wheel. We didn't understand it, so we had to check that the tire was okay every time we stopped. On the sixth day, we really discovered the problem. We went to the service station auto repair shop to check and found that there was a leak. It turned out that a gong screw was stuck. We called the car rental company and asked,"Let's repair the tire. The 100 yuan fee will be refunded when returning the car. The tire has been repaired, and the big worry in my heart has been solved. Happy continued to drive in the direction of Datong. It was completely dark. At 19:30, we finally arrived at Datong.
Check-in: Datong Garden Hotel
After communication, we were upgraded to a luxurious twin bed. Datong Garden Hotel is the hotel with the best comfort during this trip. The heating was turned on before check-in, and the temperature was just right. The bed was 1.3 meters wide, and the bedding was very comfortable to cover the body.
After dinner, something important came. Xiaoqing said she wanted to go to the stage in East Gulou Street to play. Haha, it's too cold. It's only 2 degrees at night. There are only the three of us on the entire Gulou East Street. The stores are closed. Last time I came here in early July, I had friends playing on the stage. Xiaoqing even met a little sister. I had a good time. I went again today, but the building was empty. I was a little disappointed and went back to the hotel to rest.

D9 (10.27) Itinerary: Huayan Temple ~ Jiulong Wall ~ Yungang Grottoes
After leisurely eating breakfast, we walked to Huayan Temple. It is an older and relatively well-preserved Liao and Jin temple complex in China. Today, there are very few tourists. The most fortunate thing is that the Daxiong Hall and the Bojia Temple are both open. The glazed kiss on the main ridge of the Daxiong Hall is large in scale, 4.5 meters high, and consists of eight glazed components. The northern kiss is an original object of the Jin Dynasty; the southern kiss was made in the Ming Dynasty and is also the largest glazed kiss animal in ancient Chinese buildings.

The sculptures in the Bojia Temple are all authentic works of the Liao Dynasty. There are 29 colored sculptures of the Liao Dynasty. Here you can see the true appearance of the "Oriental Venus" with the palms of the Bodhisattva with the teeth folded and the smiles and hands folded. Then climb the Huayan Pagoda, which was newly built in 2011 based on Liao literature. First, visit the nearly 500-square-meter Thousand Buddha Underground Palace. It is made of 100 tons of pure copper. It contains the relics of eminent monks and thousands of Buddha statues. It is resplendent and magnificent. The only all-copper decoration design in the country, you can climb the tower and look into the ancient city.

We walked non-stop to visit Kowloon Bi. It was closed for maintenance in early July, so don't miss it today. Jiulong Bi was built in the late Hongwu years of the Ming Dynasty. It is a glazed wall in front of the royal palace of Zhu Gui, the 13th son of Zhu Yuanzhang, the Emperor of the Ming Dynasty. It has a history of more than 600 years. It was introduced that this was the earliest Nine Dragon Wall in China. A reflecting pool is built in front of the wall, and a stone bridge in the middle section allows pedestrians to pass through. The reflection of the dragon in the water turns a static dragon into a dynamic dragon. It can be said to be ingenious. There was just no water when we visited.

After lunch, drive to Yungang Grottoes. It is free on weekdays. After making an appointment, enter the park with your ID card. The battery car is 15 yuan round trip. I thought there would be no tour groups in the afternoon. Haha, I made a mistake. After 14:30, the large troops came one by one. It was so lively that we had to avoid the team and visit slowly. In fact, this time we came only 4 months apart, and it seemed to be the first time to see the same. We were strangers to each other. We had to carefully read and explain each cave and go back to the cave to take a closer look. In this way, I was deeply impressed. It was already past 16:00 after reading it.

We had agreed to go to the Gulou East Street stage to play before having dinner, but Xiaoqing finally couldn't bear it after getting on the bus and wanted to sleep, so she couldn't go.

D10 (10.28) Trip: Taiyuan High-speed Railway South Station ~ Xi'an North
I left Datong at 8:45 a.m. and arrived at Taiyuan High-speed Railway Station at 12:50. I returned the car, got a refund, and waited with peace of mind to take the high-speed train to Xi'an, the last stop. Arrive in Xi'an at 18:15 p.m., pick up the car and go directly to the hotel.
Check-in: Hampton Hotel, Xi'an North Street.
Including double breakfast and twin beds. When we were in Taiyuan, we called the hotel and asked for a larger and quieter room. The clerk made special arrangements and was very satisfied. The room was so big, 35 square meters.
Everything to eat and drink near the hotel is so convenient.

D11 (10.29) Itinerary: Zhongnan Zen Temple ~ Terracotta Warriors
In the morning, I went to Zhongnan Zen Temple in the north of the city to see ginkgo trees, and made an appointment in advance at the public account Zhongnan Zen Temple. Because the journey took a little longer, it was already 12:40 when we arrived at the Zen Temple and we had to queue up to enter the temple, so we had to hurry up and focus on watching the ginkgo trees because the weather in Xi'an was not cold enough. Therefore, the leaves are not very yellow yet, and not many leaves fall to the ground. It is not the best time to admire the ginkgo tree, but it is finally here and something on my mind. When autumn comes, we have to see the ginkgo tree planted by the legendary Li Shimin personally. This trip will be worth it.

。
We made an appointment to visit the Terracotta Warriors Museum from 1:00 to 3:00 p.m., parked the car, and entered the venue to visit Pit 1. It was already 2:00.
Xiaoqing was still very interested. She looked carefully and often asked questions. Grandpa explained it in detail. The most spectacular thing is the No. 1 Terracotta Warriors Pit is known as the "Eighth Wonder of the World." The Terracotta Warriors have different looks, no one is the same, very exquisite, and the hair style and expression are very rich. It is a miracle. Follow it to Pit No. 2, Pit No. 3, and the Copper Carriage Exhibition Hall. I saw everything. Xiaoqing's knowledge became rich, her horizons were widened, and she gained a lot.

However, the exit of the Terracotta Warriors Museum is a long walk, about 20 minutes, the directions are unclear, and the parking fee is 20 yuan.

In addition, someone in the parking lot lied to us and said that you had gone to the wrong place. This is a museum. Pit 1 is still 3 kilometers away. Take my car. We looked around and there were still many people pulling tourists who drove by themselves. Some people got on the bus, but we ignored them. In fact, the entrances to pits 1, 2 and 3 are next to the parking lot.

Returning home at 5:00 p.m., I returned the car and looked at the Bell Tower. The North Street was so lively. I rushed back at 7:30. Xiaoqing had an English class. It was another fruitful day.

D12 (10.30) Itinerary: Shaanxi Province Museum ~ Bell Tower

Today's highlight is to visit the Shaanxi Province Museum. Due to the epidemic, we now have to book tickets in advance. We made reservations in advance, so we picked up the tickets smoothly and entered the museum. But this time we are going to visit the "Tang Dynasty Wall Mural Exhibition". The tickets purchased on site are 270 yuan/piece. The collection here is basically murals from tombs of the Tang Dynasty. It reflects the social environment at that time, hunting scenes, daily life, and clothes. Many of them are well preserved and brightly colored. Especially the costumes painted with red cinnabar and the black body lines standing in cangles are very beautiful. Women in the Tang Dynasty who were beautiful by being fat had their own unique hair and temples, which really felt the prosperity of the Tang Dynasty. A treasure very worth seeing.

Xiaoqing was very interested in the painting of a lady in the mural and said that she would draw it, so we found paper and pens for her to draw quietly.
We continued to visit the Tang Dynasty relics in the 4 exhibition halls. There are two large vats and a small can in the entire hall in Hejia Village. Many of the treasures of the town and museum were seen here, and every time we look, we can harvest them well.

Xiaoqing is also interested in these treasures and takes photos with our mobile phones like adults.
Next, we also went to the exhibitions on the second and third floors to have a careful look. There are so many treasures and we are dazzled. From the Lantian people in Shaanxi to the prosperous times of Chang 'an to the prosperity of Xi'an today, historical development has been moving forward.
Shaanxi Museum is the check-in point every time I come to Xi'an. Last time, I came with Xiaoqing's mother. This time, I brought Xiaoqing. In the blink of an eye, a few years have passed.
Xiaoqing said that she would go to the Bell Tower to play. After having had enough fun, she would go to Xi'an Restaurant for dinner. This is also a must-visit place every time she comes to Xi'an. However, the East Street Store was demolished and now it has been moved to the back of the Bell Tower Hotel, from Exit 8 of the subway station. It will be there soon.
After eating, Xiaoqing said she would buy toys. Buy an ice cream at the Mixue Ice City downstairs, and then buy toys and stickers. I put up the princess sticker and gave it to my mommy.

D13 (10.31) Itinerary: Flying to Guangzhou
I rested at the hotel in the morning and ordered takeout at noon. Take the Hainan Airlines flight at 15:30 to Guangzhou.

Back to my lovely home.