阳泉市
A coal town in the mountains of eastern Shanxi
Why this place
Yangquan is a coal and industry city set in the Taihang Mountains. Its interest for a traveller is the surrounding mountain country — old village temples, cliff roads and one of the most storied passes in Chinese military history nearby.
What to see
- Niangziguan, the 'Ninth Pass Under Heaven', a great wall gateway in a gorge east of the city
- Cangshan and the old mountain villages with their stone houses
- Guanwang Temple, a Ming temple to the deified general Guan Yu
What to eat
- Shanxi noodles and vinegar again — this is squarely noodle country
- Mountain walnuts and dried persimmons from the Taihang villages
Best time
April–May and September–October
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