朔州市

Why this place

Shuozhou's own city is a coal town, but 70km east stands the Sakyamuni Pagoda at Yingxian — a 67-metre timber tower built in 1056 with no iron nails, using interlocking bracket sets, and it has survived nearly a thousand years of earthquakes. It is one of the most important buildings in Chinese architectural history.

What to see

• Yingxian Wooden Pagoda — nine apparent storeys, 54 different kinds of bracket set, all in wood
• Chongfu Temple next to it, which houses the pagoda
• Guangwu ancient city and the old Great Wall of the Northern Qi near Daixian

What to eat

• Shanxi noodles, millet and mutton — this is a plateau diet
• Sesame flatbreads baked in clay ovens

Best time

May–October

Practical tips

• Yingxian is reachable by train from Shuozhou in under an hour — do not miss it, it is the reason to come