Title: Explore Shanxi for 5 Days and 4 Nights with a Budget of 2000 RMB per Person! Small Group of Four for an In-Depth Tour, See All the Ancient Architecture

Explore Shanxi for 5 Days and 4 Nights with a Budget of 2000 RMB per Person! Small Group of Four for an In-Depth Tour, See All the Ancient Architecture, Grottoes, Shanxi Merchants' Courtyards, and Enjoy the Ultimate Noodle Feast Do you also think— Shanxi = coal bosses? Boring travel? Just “rustic places”? Last year, my three friends and I completed one of the most worthwhile cultural trips of our lives with a budget of 8,000 RMB (2,000 RMB per person): ✅ Climbed the thousand-step wooden ladder of the Hanging Temple ✅ Entered the thousand-year-old Buddhist kingdom of Yungang Grottoes ✅ Stayed in a Ming and Qing dynasty courtyard in Pingyao Ancient City ✅ Witnessed the dougong marvel of Yingxian Wooden Pagoda ✅ Ate 10 different kinds of knife-cut noodles! This [real and replicable] itinerary guide is designed especially for young people who love culture, ancient architecture, and slow travel. The entire trip is self-guided + carpooling, with no shopping stops or hidden costs, making it easy for students to join. Itinerary Overview (5 days 4 nights | Cost shared by four people) Day Theme Key Experiences ------ ------ ----------- 1 Arrive in Datong · Explore Northern Wei Splendor In-depth tour of Yungang Grottoes + Datong Ancient City Wall night view 2 Hanging Wonder · Yingxian Wooden Pagoda Day Trip Climb Hengshan Hanging Temple + Visit Yingxian Wooden Pagoda + Overnight in Pingyao 3 Pingyao Ancient City · Stories of Shanxi Merchants Stroll Ming and Qing streets + City wall cycling + Watch "Once Again in Pingyao" performance 4 Wang Family Courtyard + Taiyuan Citywalk Explore the "Folk Forbidden City" + Visit Jin Temple + Snack on Zhonglou Street 5 Last Noodle Before Departure Free time for photos/shopping souvenirs + Return trip 💰 Total Cost Breakdown (Four people total ≈ ¥7,960 | ¥1,990 per person) Item Cost Description Subtotal ------ ---------- -------- Round-trip transportation (High-speed train/second class) About ¥360/person round trip from Beijing ×4 ¥1,440 Local transportation (carpool + bus) Datong → Hunyuan → Yingxian → Pingyao → Taiyuan, 4-day car rental about ¥2,800 (shared) ¥2,800 Accommodation (4 nights) Comfortable homestay in Datong ¥260/room × 2 nights; Characteristic inn in Pingyao ¥300/room × 2 nights ¥1,120 Meals (5 days) Average ¥80/person/day × 5 days × 4 people ¥1,600 Total tickets Yungang Grottoes ¥120, Hanging Temple ¥15, Hengshan climb ¥100, Hengshan ¥45, Yingxian Wooden Pagoda ¥50, Pingyao pass ¥125, Wang Family Courtyard ¥55, Jin Temple ¥80 ¥2,480 (including estimated student half-price discounts) Others (insurance, water, snacks) —— ¥100 Total —— ≈ ¥7,960 ✅ Optimization: If you skip the show and some exterior views, you can save another ¥150 per person Accommodation Recommendations Datong: Stay near the ancient city, “Moyan Art Museum Homestay” or “Yunqishi Inn,” quiet and stylish Pingyao: Choose an inn converted from a Ming and Qing courtyard, such as “Deshenglou” or “Jinzhai,” with a window view of the ancient street Must-Try Food List (Full meal under 30 RMB per person) [Fenglin Pavilion] Hundred-flower Shaomai, beautiful and delicious [Shunxin Restaurant] Authentic Datong dishes: Hunyuan cold noodles, stewed vegetables, sugar-dried tofu [Pingyao Beef Shop] Freshly sliced beef in flatbread, finger-licking good [Noodle Shop opposite Qingxu Temple] Tijan, Cajian, Heluo... different varieties every day [Zhonglou Street] Rat Cave glutinous rice balls, Haoganggang lamb offal soup, sea buckthorn juice Photo Spots to Share - Early morning light on the Hanging Temple’s pavilions, appearing to hang in midair - Front light shot of the Buddha in Cave 20 at Yungang Grottoes, full of sacredness - Lanterns hanging high on South Street in Pingyao Ancient City, wearing Hanfu for a dramatic stroll - Yingxian Wooden Pagoda sunset silhouette, a thousand-year-old wooden structure dancing with light and shadow - Bird’s-eye view of Wang Family Courtyard, capturing the grandeur of the “Folk Forbidden City” Tips (All from real experience!) Book all tickets in advance via the “Shanxi Museum” or official WeChat accounts of each attraction! - For car rental, it’s recommended to hire a local driver-guide (we paid ¥700/day), who knows history better than a tour guide - Shanxi has large temperature differences between day and night; bring a windbreaker in spring and autumn, and a down jacket in winter Noodles are delicious, but remember to balance meat and vegetables to avoid stomach discomfort - For four people traveling, strongly recommend carpooling + splitting costs, cutting transportation fees in half per person! Final Words: Shanxi is not a tourism desert but China’s last “above-ground cultural treasure trove.” Every brick you walk on may be older than your family history. The most expensive thing on this trip isn’t money, but when you stand before a 1,500-year-old Buddha statue, and suddenly understand what “a glance spanning a thousand years” means. Shanxi trip for 4 people, 5 days and 4 nights 📌 Action Suggestion: This autumn, grab three friends who love history and book a high-speed train ticket to Shanxi. The depth and romance you seek are all between these bricks and tiles. 🏯🌾