If you come to Taiyuan in winter, I highly recommend this place—3 days is enough!

It’s been half a month, and I still haven’t adapted to this dry cold. My throat cough just got better, but I felt a bit chilled last night. Now I’m already on the train leaving Taiyuan. Recently, because it’s winter, Taiyuan is quite affordable. Staying near Changfeng Street is very convenient for shopping and transportation! After a few days, I feel that if friends from the south come, just visiting a few places is enough: First, Jin Temple; third, Shanxi Bronze Museum; fourth, Northern Qi Mural Museum. Jin Temple is a must-visit. The ticket is well worth it, with many first-class cultural relics. The scenic area is quite large, and you can also go hiking if you want. The most worthwhile spots to check in are the Holy Mother Hall, Offering Hall, Tang Stele, Nanlao Spring, Fish Pond Flying Beam, the Golden Platform featured in Journey to the West, Sanjin Famous Springs, Holy Mother Hall sculptures, and Fish Pond Flying Beam! Second, Shanxi Museum The Shanxi Museum and the Bronze Museum are separate. It’s best to book the Shanxi Museum a few days in advance. It’s the off-season now, so book two days ahead; you can’t get morning tickets if you book just one day ahead! There are many highlights. I’ll share a detailed post later! Third, Shanxi Bronze Museum Although the Shanxi Museum has bronzes, the Bronze Museum has more detailed and easier-to-understand exhibits. These two museums require a full day each! The Bronze Museum is next to the library and grand theater, backed by MixC Mall, perfect for eating and drinking after the exhibition! Fourth, Northern Qi Mural Museum The Northern Qi Mural Museum is in a very remote area, about 1.5 km walk from Shuangta Metro Station, with no bus service. It’s free now but may charge admission later! Route Plan: Day 1: Go to Jin Temple, many buses go directly there. After getting off, first visit Jin Temple Park, which is very large. You can skip it and go straight inside to the Jin Temple Museum, where you buy tickets—100 yuan for an adult ticket! Inside is the filming location for Journey to the West! You can optionally visit the back mountain; if it’s windy, better not. Sunbathing is fine! On the way back, if you have time, visit Taiyuan Ancient County Town for some photos (great for pictures). Day 2: Shanxi Museum + Bronze Museum are both in the city and quite convenient. The Shanxi Museum probably takes 4 hours, so bring some snacks. After visiting, take a taxi straight to the Bronze Museum. You can enter with your ID card. The highlights are on the 3rd and 4th floors, and a detailed visit takes about 3 hours. At night, you can go to MixC Mall nearby for shopping and dinner before heading back! Day 3: Northern Qi Mural Museum + Shuangta + Yingze Park You can sleep in and then go to the Northern Qi Mural Museum. It’s not big but has equally stunning murals. Shuangta is right by the metro; you can check it out outside since it’s under renovation inside. In the afternoon, visit Yingze Park to stroll and feed the swans and ducks! At night, go to Zhonglou Street Pedestrian Street for food and drinks! Day 4: If you have time, visit Wuyi Square + Chunyang Palace for a quick check-in before catching your train! Many people mention the Botanical Garden, but I didn’t go. First, it’s winter, so no point in seeing plants, plus I’m from Guangdong. The garden has many plants but I’m not very interested. The only attraction is the pavilion, which is very photogenic, but it’s not worth paying just to go in! Also, it’s far away!