.. continued from Part 1 (Day 1 to Day 10):
Day 11: Xinzhou/Datong; 忻州市/大同市:
Day 11 to 13, we followed a 4D3N local tour to various world class destinations & sites in Shanxi Province, which would have cost us more if we were to go on our own. & with this tour we managed to visit Datong City 大同市 & sites further up north which would not have been possible if we were to travel on our own. So This is a smart move to buy local tour here!!
a) Yanmen Pass 雁门关 (Xinzhou 忻州市) – If you want to have a more exotic experience visiting the Great Wall, then make a date to visit here!. It is the most strategic pass from Central Plain or Zhongyuan 中原 to the north’s Steppes (flatland up north where the nomadic tribes, whom the Chinese people often labelled as barbaric tribes like Xiongnu 匈奴 roamed in ancient time). It was involved in more than 1000 battles in ancient time until as recent as The Japanese invasion of China! One of the 4 most beautiful women in ancient China, Wang Zhaojun 王昭君, went through this ancient pass to be married to the king of the nomadic tribes (昭君出塞) during the the Han Dynasty (202 BC – 9 AD, 25–220 AD). Many military generals fighting the northern enemies also passed through here, including the famous victorious generals of Han Wuti, Wei Qing 衛青 & Huo Qubing 霍去病 during the Han Dynasty. In fact, their victory led to the capture of Hexi Corridor 河西走廊 (in the western part of China 西域 linking Soviet Central Asia & Central Asia) from Xiongnu,匈奴 and led to the start of the famous Ancient land Silk Road, linking the trade between China and countries west of China, to as far as Europe! Yuanmen Pass is actually a strategic part of the whole defense complex and system of the Great Wall of China, a UNESCO Heritage , which stretches for thousands of mile long. This ancient pass was actually first built by the famous King Wuling of Zhao (赵武灵王) whose capital was Handan 邯郸 which Elaine & I visited in Day 3-4 of our trip!
b) Another UNESCO World Heritage Site, YunGang Grottoes 云冈石窟 near Datong 大同) are ancient Chinese Buddhist temple grottoes built during the Northern Wei dynasty (5th & 6th century AD), near the city of Datong, 大同then called Pingcheng, in the province of Shanxi. They are excellent examples of rock-cut architecture and one of the three most famous ancient Buddhist sculptural sites of China
Overnight in Datong
Day 12: Datong to Wutai Shan
^ Visit to Hanging Temple/Monastery 悬空寺
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hanging_Temple
, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pagoda_of_Fogong_Temple
Wooden Pagoda Pagoda of Fogong Temple; 应县木塔 or
佛宫寺释迦塔
on tentative list of UNESCO Heritage https://whc.unesco.org/en/tentativelists/5803/
Wutai Shan Temples Wutaishan 五台山 – UNESCO Heritage Site
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mount_Wutai
Day 13: Wutaishan back to Taiyuan
^ Visit Jinci Jin Temple (晉祠)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jinci
Jinci temple is the earliest classical ancestral temple garden building complex in China.
Day 14: Taiyuan South to Beijing Fengtai 北京丰台Rail station (3hr 8min) 463.5km (Train ticket price RM136.21 per pax)
Day 15: Beijing
^ Visit Zhoukoudian Peking Man Site
Museum 周口店北京人遗址
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zhoukoudian_Peking_Man_Site
Day 16: Beijing
City Tour Day 1: Witnessed flag raising ceremony in Tiananmen Square; Visit to Hutong; Old Beijing Commercial Street & Climbed Great Wall (Badaling section);
Day 17: Beijing:
City Tour Day 2 : China Acrobatic Show; Forbidden City; Fragrant Mountain scenic area
Day 18 Beijing:
^City Tour Day 3: Old Beijing variety show; Summer Palace; Temple of Heaven.
Day 19; Beijing
^ National Museum
Day 20: Beijing South to Tianjin West (High Speed Rail, 31 min) 142km (Train ticket price: RM43.91)
Day 21: Tianjin flight (9.20am delayed to 11am) to Changi Singapore (arrived at 5.10pm)
