14 Days in Lvliang

Ease in with the Han stone-relief museum and an evening walk through the city center.

1. lvliang han stone relief museum

Ming-Qing merchant town above the Yellow River; stay overnight for the river sunset.

1. lvliang qikou ancient town

Cave courtyards above Qikou in the morning, the fortified Xiwai village lanes after lunch.

1. lvliang lijiashan village
2. lvliang xiwai village

Stone steps and Taoist halls up the "northern Wudang"; a full mountain day from Lishi.

1. lvliang beiwudang mountain

Forest valleys and streams in the nature reserve between the ridges; bring layers.

1. lvliang pangquangou

Slow city day — laundry, noodle shops, and the riverside park before the next legs.

1. lvliang city markets

The famed Fenjiu distillery museum in Fenyang and its long liquor history.

1. lvliang xinghua village

Rail south to the UNESCO wall city; lantern-lit streets after dark.

1. pingyao

City walls, draft-bank courtyards, and rickshaw lanes before the ride back toward Lishi.

1. pingyao

The ancestral temple of China's only female emperor in Wenshui on the return loop.

1. lvliang wuzetian temple

Short rail east to the provincial capital for the Jinci temple halls and Shanxi Museum.

1. taiyuan

Museum morning, vinegary noodle lunch, and the food streets for the evening.

1. taiyuan

Ride back west, last market stroll, and a proper Shanxi noodle farewell dinner.

1. lvliang city markets

Slow breakfast and souvenir run before the station.

1. lvliang city markets