Things to do in Yongji

No. 3 of Family-friendly Attractions in Shanxi

Guanque Tower

A national AAAA-level tourist attraction and one of the top ten attractions in Shanxi Province, Guanque Tower is located on the eastern bank of the Yellow River west of Puzhou Ancient City in Yongji, Shanxi. Alongside the Yellow Crane Tower in Wuhan, Hubei; Yueyang Tower in Yueyang, Hunan; and Tengwang Pavilion in Nanchang, Jiangxi, it is renowned as one of China's four great historical and cultural towers. Originally built during the Northern Zhou Dynasty (557–571 AD) by military commander Yuwen Hu as a defensive watchtower, the tower earned its name from the storks that frequently perched on its structure. The Tang Dynasty poet Wang Zhihuan's celebrated poem "On the Stork Tower" ("The sun along the mountain bows; The Yellow River seawards flows. You will enjoy a grander sight; If you climb to a greater height.") has become an enduring masterpiece, widely known both domestically and internationally. After standing for over 700 years through the Tang and Song dynasties, the tower was destroyed during warfare in the early Yuan Dynasty (1222 AD). The reconstructed Guanque Tower follows Tang-style architecture, featuring four eaves externally with three visible tiers, while internally comprising six floors. With a total height of 73.9m, it epitomizes the grandeur of the Tang era. Ascending Guanque Tower not only offers breathtaking panoramic views but also immerses visitors in the brilliance of China's 5,000-year civilization.

Selected for Best Things to Do in Shanxi

Pujiu Temple·Romance of the Western Chamber

Pujiu Temple, located 12 km southwest of Yongji City in Shanxi Province on the Emei Plateau, was built during the Northern and Southern Dynasties and is a thousand-year-old ancient temple. It is a national AAAA-level tourist attraction, one of Shanxi's "Top Ten" tourist attractions, and one of the Eight Scenic Spots of Hedong. The temple gained fame worldwide thanks to the Yuan Dynasty playwright Wang Shifu's "The Romance of the Western Chamber." The story of Zhang Sheng and Yingying breaking free from feudal constraints, with the matchmaker Hongniang facilitating their love under the moonlight through letters, has become a timeless tale. For centuries, Pujiu Temple has been regarded as a sacred destination for couples seeking love, drawing visitors from far and wide. The annual Qixi Festival's Love Culture Celebration further elevates the eternal theme of love with its enchanting beauty. The temple was born from the drama, and the drama gave the temple its fame. The stupa within the temple was thus beautifully named the "Yingying Pagoda," and its remarkable frog-croaking echo effect is celebrated as one of China's four great echo architectures. Due to its unique acoustic structure, Yingying Pagoda is ranked alongside Italy's Leaning Tower of Pisa and France's Eiffel Tower as one of the "Six Wonder Pagodas of the World," truly a marvel of architectural acoustics. "While temples worldwide shun romance, only Pujiu Temple in Shanxi embraces love." May Pujiu Temple bless all lovers to unite in marriage!

No. 2 of Fall Viewing Attractions in Yuncheng

Wulao Peak

Wulao Peak in Yongji, Yuncheng, is known as "DonghuashanThe title "Taoist paradise under heaven" was bestowed upon it. Since the Tang and Song dynasties, the flourishing of religion further enriched the Taoist culture of Wulao Peak, with numerous temples and monasteries dotting the mountain, where incense smoke perpetually rises. In the 19th year of the Wanli era (1591) of the Ming Dynasty, Emperor Shenzong, drawn by its fame, visited to pay homage and participate in the mountain temple fair from the first to the fifteenth day of the seventh lunar month. Wulao Peak is also known as the "52nd blessed land of Taoism" and is celebrated as a renowned Taoist cultural mountain in northern China. Today, Wulao Peak attracts travelers more for its stunning natural scenery and pristine, fresh air, making it an ideal destination for mountain hiking and outdoor activities. Wulao Peak is mainly composed of five peaks: Yuzhu Peak, Taiyi Peak, Qipan Peak, Dongjinping Peak, and Xijinping Peak. From a distance, they resemble five elderly figures standing majestically, hence the name Wulao Peak. The mountain is lush with vegetation, featuring steep cliffs, peculiar rocks, and numerous streams and waterfalls, making it a natural oxygen bar and an excellent destination for hiking and fitness. After entering the attraction gate, visitors need to take a sightseeing bus (ticket: CNY 30 per person, round-trip) to reach the hiking starting point. Then, they can follow the stone steps to explore the attraction, enjoying picturesque scenery along the way, though some sections have poor road conditions. When visiting Wulao Peak, visitors can also choose to take the round-trip cable car (including round-trip transportation) for CNY 100 up the mountain, which saves time and energy.

Yellow River Iron Oxen

The Yellow River Iron Ox is located in the Yellow River Iron Ox Site in Yongji City, Yuncheng, Shanxi Province. It is an important relic of the Pujin Ferry anchor system in the Tang Dynasty. The four existing cast iron oxen and the attached ironware group provide precious evidence for the study of ancient bridge history and metallurgical technology. This group of iron cultural relics, cast in the 12th year of Kaiyuan in the Tang Dynasty (724), weighs 26 to 45 tons each and is assembled using a split casting process. The iron ox has a distinct shape and texture, with its horns extending forward to bear weight, and its tail cast horizontally as an iron shaft, which together with the iron man and iron pillars form a complete floating bridge fixing system, showing the integration of engineering mechanics and artistic aesthetics in the Tang Dynasty. The site area is equipped with a panoramic viewing platform and a cultural relic exhibition hall, which restores the structural principles of the Tang Dynasty floating bridge through three-dimensional animation. As the largest existing ancient ferry ironware group, the site verifies the rise and fall of the Yellow River water transport history and provides tourists with a multi-dimensional window to perceive the Yellow River civilization.

Pujindu Site

Pujindu Site is located outside the west gate of the 蒲州故城遗址, 18 km west of the urban area of Yongji, Shanxi Province, on the east bank of the Yellow River. It is adjacent to Pujiu Temple·Romance of the Western Chamber, the setting of the story "Romance of the West Chamber," to the east, and faces Guanque Tower, the first of the four famous towers in China, to the west, situated on a golden tourist route. Pujindu Site was discovered in 1989, when iron oxen and other relics were unearthed. In 1991, a joint archaeological excavation team conducted a comprehensive and scientific cleaning and excavation of the site, fully unearthing 4 iron oxen, 4 iron figures, 2 iron mountains, 4 iron mooring pillars, and a set of 7-star iron pillars, all cast in the 12th year of the Kaiyuan era of the Tang Dynasty (724), as well as over 70 meters of Ming Dynasty stone embankment and a commemorative stele from the 16th year of the Zhengde era of the Ming Dynasty (1521).

No. 3 of Night Attractions in Yuncheng

Bull Demon King's Free Valley

The Shentan Canyon is a large rift formed by the movement of the earth's crust during the Cambrian period 570 million years ago. It was originally known as the Water Valley and has thousands of years of history. It is located on the northern slope of Zhongtiao Mountain, in the southeast of Shanxi Province's Yongji City. Its area includes the entire Shuiyukou Village and the deep mountains, canyons and forests behind the village. Strange rock formations, waterfalls, unique geological features, streams, forests and natural folk villages constitute the unique attraction of the scenic Shentan Canyon.

No. 2 of Best Things to Do in Yuncheng

Yongle Palace

Yongle Palace, also known as Dachunyang Longevity Palace, was built in the Yuan Dynasty. Construction of such a magnificent palace complex with Taoist characteristics took over a century. Yongle Palace displays the typical architectural style of the Yuan Dynasty. Thick brackets intersect with each other layer by layer without much carved decoration. The architecture is spare and bright compared with the building style in the Ming and Qing Dynasties. The halls are arranged on the south-north axis. Of note, there are elaborate wall paintings on the Yongle Palace. There are many and of high artistic value, true rarities.

No. 6 of Fall Viewing Attractions in Yuncheng

Temple of Prince Guangren

The Temple of Prince Guangren is a courtyard-style temple building located in Ruicheng County, Yuncheng City, Shanxi Province. Originally built during the Taihe era of the Tang Dynasty, this historic site serves as both a provincial and national key cultural relic protection unit. As an attraction combining religious faith, architectural artistry, and cultural experiences, the Temple of Prince Guangren draws numerous history enthusiasts and visitors who come to admire its architecture and offer prayers. Temple of Prince Guangren and the Yuan Dynasty Taoist temple about 1 li to the southeastYongle PalaceFacing each other from afar, atYongle PalaceNot far to the northwest, there isLongquan VillageIn the past, a spring called Longquan gushed from the high ground north of the village, irrigating fertile farmland, so the villagers built upon it.LongwangmiaoSacrificial rituals. The temple enshrines the Five Dragon Kings of the Five Directions. Legend says Nuwa appointed five dragons, with the Azure Dragon as their leader to govern all dragons, bestowing upon him the title Prince Guangren - hence the name Temple of Prince Guangren. The Temple of Prince Guangren faces south and covers an area of 4,560 square meters. It consists of a main hall, an opera stage, and side rooms, featuring simple construction with an elegant, rustic charm. The opera stage has three bays in width and three purlins in depth, with unadorned bracket sets on the column-top lintels. The central bracket set features a dragon head emerging from the large bracket mouth, while elephant trunks extend from both sides. The two end bays display dragon heads emerging from their bracket mouths. The main hall is the only surviving Tang Dynasty wooden structure in the Hedong region. Among the four remaining Tang Dynasty wooden buildings in China, the main hall of the Temple of Prince Guangren is one. The temple's Tang Dynasty stele holds significant reference value for studying ancient water conservancy projects that benefited the people, as well as the temple's construction period. Visitors can explore the main hall, side rooms, and courtyard at the Temple of Prince Guangren, admiring the exquisite wooden architecture and stone inscriptions. They'll learn about the legendary stories of Prince Guangren and local history while experiencing the solemnity and sacredness of this traditional temple.

Zhongtiao Mountain Shentan Grand Canyon - Statue of Guan Gong

Yuncheng Yingying Pagoda

Yuncheng Yingying Pagoda is a 13-story, square-inside-and-outside, hollow-core, dense-eave, four-sided pyramidal brick pagoda. Originally named Sarira Pagoda, it was first built in the Sui Dynasty, has a history of over 400 years, and features a simple and elegant design.