I Thought Datong Was Beautiful Until I Visited This Small City in Southern Shanxi

🌿【Southern Shanxi Hidden Gem | A Thousand-Year-Old City More Stunning Than Datong, Home to 16 National Treasure-Level Relaxation Spots】 The fatigue of traveling through Shanxi vanished the moment I stepped into Xinjiang—this small city on the edge of Yuncheng has spent 1,400 years brewing a magical fusion of "architectural museum" and "vibrant local atmosphere." While Datong's splendor inspires awe, Xinjiang offers "a thousand years within reach," making it Shanxi's most perfect corner for a citywalk. 🗺️【One-Day Wandering Route: From Tang Dynasty to Ming-Qing Era】 Fusheng Temple → Xinjiang Confucian Temple → Longxing Temple → Sanguan Temple → Jiangzhou Government Office Scenic Area (Three-story Building + City God Temple + Main Hall + Garden Pool) → Catholic Church ✨ Rhythm suggestion: Visit ancient buildings in the morning, stroll through old streets in the afternoon, and climb the tower at dusk to see the ancient city bathed in twilight. 🚆【Transportation Smart Card】 - Getting there: ✔️ Take high-speed rail to "Yuncheng North" or "Linfen West," transfer to "Houma North Station" (20 minutes), then take a taxi 8km to the Confucian Temple (ride-hailing apps cost about 20 yuan, 50% cheaper than regular taxis). - Getting around: ✔️ Taxis start at 5 yuan (2km), with most attractions just 5-10 minutes apart by car. Taking taxis is recommended to save time. 🌟【National Treasure-Level Attraction Guide】 ① Fusheng Temple: Black Myth: Wukong-style Secret Realm 📍 20km from downtown (recommended to hire a round-trip car for 80 yuan) 🎫 Free (reservation required) ❗️ Must-see: - Guanyin Crossing the Sea Colored Sculpture: Suspended in the main hall, with flowing robes as if riding the waves, featured in the game "Black Myth: Wukong." When light shines through the latticed windows onto the sculpture, it's as stunning as Dunhuang! - Yuan Dynasty Murals: The "Zhong Kui Marrying His Sister" mural inside the gate features fluid lines and details revealing ancient humor. ② Xinjiang Confucian Temple: Premier Confucian Temple of Shanxi 🎫 10 yuan ✨ Highlights: - Dacheng Hall: Ming Dynasty single-eave hip-and-gable roof building with exquisitely carved dragon stone pillars, less solemn than the Confucius Temple in Qufu but with more everyday charm. - Panchi Arched Bridge: Perfect for Hanfu costume photos with reflections in the early morning when no one's around, like traveling back to Ming-Qing imperial examination scenes. ③ Longxing Temple: Overlook a Thousand Years from the Tower 🎫 10 yuan (additional 5 yuan to climb the tower) ⚠️ Note: - Longxing Pagoda only allows one person to climb at a time. It's narrow and steep—those afraid of heights should be careful! From the top, you can see the "seven buildings and eight pagodas" panorama of the ancient city, with the jade-like waters of Jiangshouzhu Garden Pool nestled among the gray tiles. - The temple's "Biluo Stele" is a Tang Dynasty calligraphy treasure, with text between seal and official script styles that remains partially undeciphered—truly "an ancient mystery." ④ Jiangzhou Government Office Scenic Area: A Living Fossil of Sui Dynasty Official Buildings 🎫 40 yuan (includes Main Hall + Garden Pool) ✅ Must experience: - Jiangzhou Main Hall: The earliest existing prefecture government hall in China, once General Guo Ziyi's headquarters during the Tang Dynasty. Seven towering wooden pillars support the "magnificent Tang Dynasty atmosphere"—standing in the hall, you can almost hear the yamen runners shouting. - Jiangshouzhu Garden Pool: China's only Sui Dynasty garden, with ingenious layout featuring "Meridian Beam" and "Whirling Lotus Pool." In autumn, red maples reflect in the pool, rivaling Suzhou gardens. ⑤ Xinjiang Catholic Church: Little Paris of Southern Shanxi 🎫 Free 📸 Photo spots: - Gothic spires combined with blue bricks and gray tiles create a special East-meets-West feel, perfect for vintage wedding photos; - During Sunday morning mass, you can quietly observe the stained glass windows—sunlight streaming through the glass onto the stone floor creates a cinematic scene. 🍲【Southern Shanxi Carb-Loading Guide】 - Must-try local dishes: ✔️ Xinjiang Hot Pot: Copper pot base with tender meat and meatballs, stewed with cabbage and vermicelli into a warming pot, dipped in sesame sauce. Crispy baked mantou dipped in broth makes a perfect winter warmer (recommended: "Laozihaohuo Hot Pot"); ✔️ Lamb Offal with Flatbread: Lamb offal cooked in bone broth with crumbled baked flatbread, sour and spicy—a bowl for breakfast will energize your day; ✔️ Egg Pouches: Fried dough pockets filled with egg mixture, crispy outside and tender inside, 5 yuan each and filling. - Warning: Don't have overly high expectations for "Xinjiang Hot Pot"—it's better for experiencing local flavor, and the taste is relatively mild. 🏨【Accommodation Strategy】 - For day trips: Stay in Yuncheng/Linfen (convenient high-speed rail) for a more comfortable early departure and late return; - For in-depth exploration: "Jiangzhou International Hotel" in the county town offers good value, within walking distance of the Confucian Temple, and at night you can explore the "Gongyuan Street Night Market." ❤️【Why You Must Visit】 While Pingyao builds barriers with entrance tickets, Xinjiang hides its 16 national heritage sites along streets and alleys—the weathered screen wall you might encounter around a corner could be a Ming Dynasty relic, a small temple you casually enter might house Yuan Dynasty colored sculptures, and even the stone steps by the moat bear Song Dynasty water patterns. Here, history isn't a specimen in a glass case but life itself within your reach. If you're tired of "attraction-checking" travel, come to Xinjiang. Measure the bluestone paths with a comfortable pair of shoes, drink a bowl of fu brick tea in the old teahouse next to the Catholic Church, watch schoolchildren run past the red walls of the Confucian Temple, listen to the bell of Longxing Temple echo across a thousand years—this is what travel should be: relaxed yet profound.