Xiangning County, Linfen, Shanxi — Yunqiu Holy Land, Land of Folklore. Integrating Yunqiu Mountain, Ta'erpo Ancient Village, Babao Palace, and Wulong Palace, it blends spectacular landscapes, thousand-year-old folk customs, and Taoist culture. This 2-day in-depth tour decodes the ecology and humanity of the Loess Plateau, revealing the unique charm of 'Yunqiu hides fairyland, ancient village passes on folklore'.
Climb Yunqiu Mountain to embrace the Taihang range, wander the ancient village to experience millennia-old folk customs, visit Taoist temples to comprehend Daoist mysteries, explore ice caves to marvel at geological wonders.
Morning climb to Yuhuang Summit of Yunqiu Mountain, overlooking the Loess Plateau landscape and sea of clouds. Afternoon stroll through Ta'erpo Ancient Village, experiencing traditional crafts like dough figurine making and spinning. Evening enjoy the bonfire party and folk performances in the ancient village.
Morning explore the Yunqiu Mountain Ice Cave Group, admiring the ten-thousand-year-old ice stalactites and pillars. Afternoon visit Taoist holy sites such as Babao Palace and Wulong Palace, experiencing the depth of Taoist culture. Evening climb Xiangning Wenbi Peak for a panoramic view of the county town and sunset scenery.
National geographical indication product, a traditional Xiangning delicacy. Made with local soft yellow millet as the skin, wrapped with jujube paste, bean paste, or vegetable filling, deep-fried until golden. Characterized by crispy outside and soft inside, sweet but not greasy. Due to its unique production technique, it was listed as a provincial-level intangible cultural heritage in 2011. There's a saying: 'If you haven't eaten Xiangning Oil Cake, you haven't been to Xiangning.'
Xiangning's specialty dry food, made from millet or corn flour, seasoned with Sichuan pepper and salt, formed into small pieces and fried in a special clay pot. Crispy texture, easy to store, it is a traditional food carried by locals when traveling. Legend has it that ancient merchants often used it as travel provisions, hence also called 'Luqi' (road snack).
Made with free-range goats from Yunqiu Mountain, simmered for hours until the soup is milky white and the meat is tender. Served with local yam and vermicelli, it warms the body in winter. It is a specialty nourishing dish of the Yunqiu Mountain area, sold at restaurants around the scenic area with authentic flavor.
A traditional farmhouse meal in Xiangning, mixing millet, noodles, potatoes, vegetables, beans and other ingredients, served with chili and pickled vegetables. Rich in texture and nutritionally balanced, it embodies the dietary wisdom of 'fine processing of coarse grains' in southern Shanxi, and is a common dish on local dining tables.