A Family Trip to Taiyuan from Shijiazhuang

I've been to Taiyuan at least three times, and each time I discover new and fun places. During the recent Qingming Festival, we chose to visit Taiyuan again, among Taiyuan, Yi County, Xingtai, and Handan. This time, my brother wanted to see the Taiyuan Botanical Garden, which has an entry fee of 50 RMB. We explored a corner of the botanical garden and didn't see many impressive old trees. Also, Taiyuan's altitude is a bit higher, so the temperature wasn't quite right, and not many flowers were in bloom. As a result, there weren't many people wandering around the edges of the botanical garden. Most people were gathered in the three greenhouses and at the sightseeing elevator—where the 50 RMB experience is concentrated! In the hour before closing after sunset, the line for the sightseeing elevator was dozens of meters long. Personally, I didn't find it very amazing, and it was crowded. When buying tickets, we also got a combo ticket for a theater performance. Unexpectedly, the 10 RMB performance felt like it was worth 50 RMB. Qiqi kept excitedly shouting, "Wow, this is so wonderful! This is the first time I've seen a theater performance, it's so good..." This time, we also made impromptu visits to the Twin Pagoda Temple and Taiyuan Ancient County, a large park and a newly built ancient attraction. Both were very uncrowded! And this was during the Qingming holiday, when everyone goes out for spring outings! Yongzuo Temple, also known as Twin Pagoda Temple, has been expanded into the Twin Pagoda Park, which is free to enter. The Twin Pagoda Museum inside charges admission. Taiyuan Ancient County is very large, and you could easily spend a day there. Perhaps there are too many places to visit in Taiyuan, or maybe the newly built ancient county doesn't have much appeal, but there were very few visitors. Except for the main street, the alleys were empty and a bit deserted. We went there for the Jinyang Archaeological Museum, and it felt like we had the whole place to ourselves. The Jinyang Archaeological Museum is located near the north gate of the ancient county. The exhibition tells the 2,500-year history of Jinyang Ancient City (ancient Taiyuan). The exhibition is well-organized, and the 3D dome effect makes you feel like you're there. The staff in the exhibition hall were also very helpful. Knowing that we had originally planned to visit the Northern Qi Mural Museum but couldn't get a reservation, they said that no reservation was needed and we could enter on the spot. The curator there especially welcomes guests who come from afar. Well, time is limited, so we'll visit Taiyuan again next time. I've been to Taiyuan at least three times, and each time I go to different places. Based on the attractions I've visited, here's a simple Taiyuan travel guide: Attractions: 1. The Shanxi Museum, Shanxi Museum of Natural History, and China Coal Museum are not far from each other, but because there is a lot to see, you can plan for 2 days. 2. Jinci Temple, Taiyuan Botanical Garden, and Taiyuan Ancient County are relatively close to each other, all located in the southwest corner of Taiyuan, and you can plan for 2 days. 3. Twin Pagoda Park and Taiyuan Northern Qi Mural Museum are close to each other, and you can plan for 1 day. 4. Taiyuan Art Museum, Taiyuan Museum, Shanxi Science and Technology Museum, and the library are all next to each other, and you can plan for 1 day. In addition, the Jin Merchant Museum, Chunyang Palace, Stele Forest Park, Mengshan Scenic Area, Longshan Scenic Area, and Juweishan Mountain are on my list, and I'll visit them when I have the chance in the future. Accommodation: Accommodation is cheap. We almost always stay in the city center, and chain hotels are only a little over 100 RMB. I feel that it's very cost-effective for a provincial capital city. Travel Time: It takes about 3 hours to drive from Shijiazhuang to Taiyuan, and about 2 hours by train. It's a distance that can be covered in a two-day weekend trip. The above is for your reference.