Things to do in Wuzhai

Selected for Best Things to Do in Ningwu

Xuankong Village

There are two suspended villages deep in Guancen Mountain, one is Wanghuagou and the other is Wuhuashan. The two villages are about 2.5 kilometers apart and are both built on cliffs hundreds of meters high. Most of these houses are built with stone and wood. A wooden plank road is the main street of the village. People walking on the plank road feel like they are in mid-air. Looking up from the bottom of the cliff, it looks like a castle in the sky. Most of the people in these mountains have small attics. Standing in the attic, you can see the endless greenery through the window and the sea of ​​clouds through the door. Behind the village are towering mountains and in front of it is a deep ditch. Originally, you could only enter the village along the steep mountain road. In recent years, cement roads have been built for tourism development, and cars can drive to the parking lot under the village.

No. 1 of Fall Viewing Attractions in Shanxi

Luya Mountain Scenic Area

Known for its "asparagus" shape, Luya Mountain is a towering peak among high mountains. There are mountains and waterfalls, as well as odd-looking rocks and lush trees. During the sunrise after rain, the green Luya Mountain turns fire red and a colorful chakra-shaped "Luya Buddha's light" is occasionally seen.

Heye Meadow

Selected for Best Things to Do in Ningwu

Wannian Ice Cave

The Wannian Ice Cave National Geopark is located in Chunjingqi Town, not far from Ningwu County, Shanxi. The cave was formed in the quaternary glaciation, three million years ago and thus named the Million-year Ice Cave National Geopark. There is a strong cooling mechanism within the cave, leading to ice reserves that are nearly 100 meters deep. There is a volcano beside the ice cave, and together they form a natural wonder.

Malun Grassland

Malun Grassland is 2,721 meters above sea level and covers an area of ​​more than 6,000 mu. It was formed during the Quaternary glacial period of the Cenozoic Era 750,000 years ago. It faces Luya Mountain from north to south and is one of the largest subalpine meadows in North China. The pasture here is fertile and it is the base for emperors of all dynasties to raise war horses. Malun Grassland is called the flower grassland hanging in the air by netizens. The grassland integrates meadows, forests, mountains, canyons, strange pines, strange rocks, the Great Wall, the general platform, and the base tower. In late spring and early summer, the grassland is covered with small flowers, which makes it look like a flower blanket spread in the air, and free-range cattle and horses wander leisurely here.

2026 Asia 100 - Best Things to Do

Yungang Grottoes

Yungang Grottoes Scenic Area is divided into a landscape zone and the grottoes. It is one of the three largest grottoes in China. The sculpture combines Chinese and Western art. Here you can experience the artistic charms of Northern Wei Dynasty. Yungang Grottoes not only embodies traditional Chinese art style but also integrates art styles of ethnic groups from ancient India, countries west of China and China's central plains. It is a famous historical site in Datong City.

2026 Asia 100 - Family-friendly Attractions

Jinci Temple Museum

Jinci Temple Museum is located at the foot of Xuanweng Mountain by the banks of the Jin River. It is an ancestral temple built to commemorate Tang Shuyu, the founding feudal lord of the State of Jin, and is also one of the earlier surviving royal sacrificial gardens in China. There is a saying that "you have not truly visited Taiyuan until you have visited Jinci." The ancient buildings in the museum are arranged in sequence along the central axis, among which the Xian Hall, the Flying Bridge over the Fish Pond, and the Hall of the Holy Mother are known as the "three treasures," while the Zhou Cypress, the Never-Aging Spring, and the Song dynasty attendant statues are known as the "three wonders"—these are the core highlights of any visit. The "Three Treasures" are located on the central axis and can be visited together. Xian Hall is the place where sacrificial offerings are placed. The hall is surrounded by railings instead of walls, making it well-ventilated and bright, and its beam structure is simple and lightweight. The Flying Bridge Across Fish Pond is on the west side of Xian Hall. It is a cross-shaped ancient bridge built over a square pond, resembling a modern overpass in form, and this type of bridge structure is extremely rare among surviving ancient buildings. The west end of the bridge connects to Shengmu Hall, the oldest surviving building in the museum. Wooden carved dragons coil around the porch columns in front of the hall, making them relatively early surviving examples of wooden coiled dragons. The hall interior was built using the reduced-column method, creating a rather spacious interior. It houses dozens of Song Dynasty colored sculptures, with the main statue of Shengmu seated in the shrine and the remaining attendants arranged on both sides with varied expressions. One attendant statue is half joyful and half sorrowful, vividly lifelike and moving. With Shengmu Hall as the center, you can also seek out the "Three Wonders." The Zhou Cypress is located on the north side of Shengmu Hall. It is said to have been planted in the Western Zhou Dynasty, and its trunk leans south like a reclining dragon, full of ancient majesty. The Never-Aging Spring is located on the south side of Shengmu Hall and is the main source of the Jin River. The museum also houses the Stele of the Inscription and Preface to Jinci, composed and handwritten by Emperor Taizong of Tang, Li Shimin, whose running-script calligraphy is vigorous and forceful. In the southern part is the Shifang Fengsheng Zen Temple, said to have originally been the villa of the Tang Dynasty general Yuchi Gong. In the Futu Courtyard, the Sarira ShengSheng Pagoda can be climbed for a distant view. The Jinci temple fair has been passed down to the present day and has been included in the national-level intangible cultural heritage list. The Water Mirror Stage, an ancient theater stage in the museum, is an important venue for activities during the temple fair.

No. 3 of Best Things to Do in Shanxi

Yingxian Wooden Pagoda

Yingxian Wooden Pagoda is centered on the Sakyamuni Pagoda of Fogong Temple. This pure wooden pavilion-style pagoda was first built in the second year of Qingning of the Liao Dynasty (1056) and later expanded and completed during the Mingchang period of the Jin Dynasty. It is the oldest surviving wooden pagoda in China. The pagoda has five visible stories, with concealed stories inserted between them, making nine stories in total, and stands about 67 m tall. Apart from the stone platform base on the first story, the main body of the pagoda is built entirely of wood, connected using traditional mortise-and-tenon craftsmanship, and the whole pagoda uses more than 50 types of bracket sets, demonstrating exquisite structural design. For more than nine hundred years, the pagoda has withstood many major earthquakes and modern artillery bombardment and still stands today. Due to the need for cultural relic protection, visitors may only visit the first floor inside the pagoda. There is a door on each of the north and south sides of the first floor. In the center of the inner chamber is a seated statue of Shakyamuni about 10 m tall, with a dignified face and a solemn expression. Looking up, you can see the exquisite coffered ceiling at the top. On the walls of the inner chamber are painted six Buddha images of Tathagata, and on the walls on both sides of the doorway are painted Liao Dynasty-style murals featuring Vajra, disciples, and offering figures, with bright colors and lifelike figures. Multiple plaques from various dynasties hang under the eaves of each story of the wooden pagoda, two of which were written by Ming emperors and are particularly striking. Under the south eaves of the fifth story hangs the plaque "Supreme Divine Craftsmanship," written by Zhu Di, Emperor Chengzu of Ming, when he climbed the pagoda during a northern military campaign in the Yongle era; under the south eaves of the fourth story hangs the plaque "Wonder of the World," written by Zhu Houzhao, Emperor Wuzong of Ming, when he ascended the pagoda to feast and reward his ministers after the Yingzhou victory in the Zhengde era. These plaques are not only calligraphic treasures but also record the intersection of the wooden pagoda with historical figures, together with the architecture itself forming a distinctive cultural view of the attraction.

Cliff Plank Road

Ningwu Cliff Plank Road was built between the cliffs of Xiangfeng Mountain, facing the vast forest. Its creation can be traced back to the Zhenyuan period of the Tang Dynasty. The plank road was originally built to connect temples on multiple peaks, and later it was built for tourists to visit. Go up the plank road from Xiaoshimen Village, pass the iron cable suspension bridge, Shimen Natural Moat, and see scenic spots such as hanging coffins, hanging temples, and Dragon King Temple. Standing on the plank road, you can also overlook the tomb of Liu Jinding in Zangwa and the primitive tranquility of the forest village.

No. 5 of Best Things to Do in Shanxi

Xuankong Temple

Xuankong Temple is located between the cliffs of Cuiping Peak in Jinlong Gorge, Hengshan. It was built in the Northern Wei Dynasty and has a history stretching longer than 1,500 years. It is a well-preserved high-altitude wooden cliff building in China. At the foot of Hengshan, from a distance, you can see the Hanging Temple suspended over the mountainside. The entire temple is hung on the steep cliff, skillfully utilizing and building into the concave and convex portions of the cliff, making it exceptionally staggered and yet rhythmic. Visitors walk along the wooden plank road suspended within the temple to feel the magical architectural charm of the Hanging Temple.