Jincheng

A "treasure house of ancient architecture" with one of China's largest concentrations of pre-Yuan (Song and Jin era and earlier) timber buildings – Tiefo Temple, Yuhuang Temple, the Huangcheng Xiangfu manor and Wangmang Ridge in the Taihang Mountains each have their own appeal.

Jincheng lies in southeastern Shanxi at the southern end of the Taihang Mountains, bordering Jiaozuo and Xinxiang in Henan, and is the Shanxi city closest to the Central Plains. It is the heart of southeastern Shanxi, the "treasure house of Chinese ancient architecture", ranking among the top in China for Song, Jin and Yuan timber buildings and painted sculptures. Along the Qin River stands a cluster of defensive Ming and Qing castle-villages, while Taihang canyons such as Wangmang Ridge and Xiyagou are favorites for road trips and photography.

There are three main routes: ① The Qin River castles (Yangcheng, Qinshui): Huangcheng Xiangfu, Guoyu Ancient Town, Dijicheng and Xiangyu Castle; 1–2 days. ② Ancient buildings and painted sculptures (Zezhou, Gaoping): the Twenty-Eight Lunar Mansions at Fucheng Yuhuang Temple, Tang painted sculptures at Qinglian Temple, the Ming Twenty-Four Devas at Tiefo Temple and Song murals at Kaihua Temple. Yuhuang Temple and Tiefo Temple appear as locations in the game Black Myth: Wukong and have surged in popularity, so some temples require reservations and cap visitor numbers. ③ Taihang landscapes (Lingchuan, Zezhou): sunrise over the sea of clouds at Wangmang Ridge, the cliff-hanging road at Xiyagou and Mount Jue, which can be linked on a drive along the Taihang No. 1 Scenic Road. Allow 3–4 days.

Getting there: high-speed trains from Jincheng East Station serve Zhengzhou, Taiyuan and Beijing; it's about 1 hour from Zhengzhou. Sights are spread across the counties with poor bus links, so self-drive or hire a car. The best season is April–October, with autumn red leaves and seas of clouds in the Taihang at their finest; in winter mountain roads may ice over. In most historic buildings flash photography and touching the painted sculptures are prohibited – please visit respectfully.

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