7 Days in Linfen

The temple of sage-king Yao, whose capital Pingyang tradition places in Linfen, then the 50-m Huamen monument across the street — an easy first evening on the Fenhe riverside.

1. linfen yao temple
2. linfen huamen gate

The city museum's roofline echoes the ancient observatory at Taosi, about 4,100 years old, and the drum tower anchors the old grid — museums close Mondays, so plan around it, then a slow evening by the Fenhe park.

1. linfen city museum
2. linfen pingyang drum tower

Thirty km north — the tree under which the Ming staged 18 waves of migration in 1370-1417, Susan's prison, and Guangsheng Temple whose 47-m Feihong Pagoda once kept the Zhaocheng Tripitaka now in the National Library of China.

1. linfen hongtong big locust tree
2. linfen susan prison
3. linfen guangsheng temple

About 170 km west, 2.5 hours to Jixian County, where the Yellow River narrows from around 300 m to 20-30 m; the joint Shanxi-Shaanxi 5A site fills from late morning April to October, so leave by eight.

1. linfen hukou waterfall

A 100-km drive northwest to the hillside monastery begun in 1629, its Mahavira Hall hung with nearly 2,000 painted suspended figures; after its 2024 appearance in Black Myth - Wukong, arrive at opening time.

1. linfen xiaoxitian

A long but smooth loop by car — the Taosi walled settlement in Xiangfen County, about 40 km southeast, spans nearly 3 sq km with an observatory dated around 2100 BC and a site museum opened in late 2024; then Quwo's Jin State Museum, built around a Western Zhou pit holding 48 chariots.

1. linfen taosi site
2. linfen jin state museum

Ninety km southwest, the 5A mountain area with Taperpo village, said to be 2,500 years old, and a glaciation-era ice cave; a late-afternoon return to Linfen West station.

1. linfen yunqiu mountain