Yuncheng might be top of everyones travel list, heck it is not even that high within its province. That is not to say it is not without its charms though. We present the Yuncheng travel guide.
Where is Yuncheng?
Nestled in the south-west of Shanxi province, whose Moto is “ancient civilizations and scenic beauty” it is very close to Shaanxi which it borders, Henan (inclusive of Ruicheng) and Inner Mongolia.
To read about the differences between Inner and Outer Mongolia click here.
The town itself officially has 5 million plus people, although “only” 950,000 live in the built up area of Yanhu District. By Chinese standards that makes this place tiny.
Yuncheng Travel Guide – what to do?
So, what is there to do in Yuncheng? Really not all that much, although 18 years ago, when I first came the Lonely Planet demand it visit worthy. This is perhaps down to a few factors, firstly proximity to Pingyao, which was at least a great place to visit, but is now a tourist trap and I honestly think trying to fill pages in the book.
It did though allow me to fall in love with it a bit, although it has lost some of the rustic charm, particularly as China has continued to develop. You really cannot blame them for that though….
The main tourist attractions tare though the following;
The Dead Sea of China
Yuncheng does salt in a big way, with this also mean they have their own dead sea. Fairly different from the one in Jordan, but has been made into an attraction by the local government. Part if this includes the amazing Dead Sea Mud bath Resort and the 8 color lakes. Alas it was raining when I was here this time, but the arial photos are nice enough.
Home of Guan Yu
Guan Yu was previously a red bearded great warrior of China whose statues and likeness are everywhere, but hey what to do when you have a famous son? His home is about 20 miles of out of town, but can be reached easily with the help of a friendly cabby. Known as the Guandi Temple in Xiezhou
Religious Temples of Yuncheng
Aside from the Guan Yu Temple there is the Yongle Taoist Temples which has stunning art and the Pujiu Buddhist Temple.It is most famous for being inspired by the Romance of the West Chamber by Wang Shifu.
The mountains of Yuncheng
When you visit the dead sea, or indeed just travel bit around Yuncheng it is impossible not to notice the amazing mountains that could be part of a Lord of The Rings movie. Treks around the mountains can be arranged.
Sleeping in Yuncheng
Writing the hotel part to the Yancheng Travel Guide is much easier than it was 18 years ago with Tiaoshan Road now also being known as hotel street.
You will find something to fit pretty much any budget here, with the poshness even stretching towards there being a Hilton, well a Hilton By Hampton anyway.
Yancheng Travel Guide to the nightlife
This is still very a much a rural Chinese city, so you will find very little like a Jiu Ba Jie (bar street here). There is though hotel street which has BBQ restaurants with guys pummeling bars all night long. These come in all variations of cost, with the Carlsberg Girls even being spotted here.
It is tough slightly off the street where awe get the awesome Yancheng Street Food scene. I would love to pin down a Yuncheng cuisine, bit in fact they have just taken advantage of their unique geography to take a bit of the best of everyone.
And lastly there is one nightclub, of sorts at least here.
Yuncheng Travel Guide – getting in and out
Its unique position puts it just an hour away from the tourist meccas of Xian and Pingyao, with both supported by the high-speed train network.
Location wise it is also easy to go onto Sanmenxia, as well as Luoyang in Henan province, itself a well known tourist destination.
For me though, historically at least the place to go was Ruicheng County also in Shanxi province. Perhaps this is just for nostalgia, but I felt that with the rustic charm, as well as the Taoist Temple Yongle Gong which was previously moved due to the building of the Sanmenxia Dam.
And that is my Yuncheng Travel Guide……