[2025 Qinshui Attraction] Travel Guide for Xiang Yu Ancient City (Updated Jan)

Courtyards, castles, and ancient cities in northern China are always beautiful, practical, and multifunctional. They may look like residences, but they could be tunnels, arsenals, or training grounds. Every time you explore them, you will be surprised and fall in love with them. The 40th stop of the Shanxi Tour Series is Xiangyu Ancient Castle, a treasure trove with multiple functions. 🟡️Overall structure: Xiangyu Ancient Castle is the hometown of Sun Juxiang, Minister of Revenue, and Sun Dingxiang, Right Vice Censor-in-Chief of the Censorate, during the Wanli period of the Ming Dynasty. It was built in the 42nd year of the Wanli period along the river. The village is surrounded by a city wall over 1,000 meters long. The arched windows on the city wall and the houses inside the city are densely packed, like a honeycomb, so it is also called "Honeycomb City" by the locals. 🟡️Origin of the ancient castle: Xiangyu Village existed as a natural village as early as the late Yuan and early Ming Dynasties. The Sun family moved here to avoid the chaos of the dynastic change. In the late Ming Dynasty, the society was in turmoil, and the villagers rebuilt the village into a fortress that was easy to defend and difficult to attack. 📌TIPS: 📍Location: Search for Xiangyu Ancient Castle on the map. 💰Ticket: CNY 65/person 🅿️Parking: There is a parking lot in front of the scenic area, CNY 10/time. ⏰️Tour duration: 1-2 hours 🟣️Nearby: 🌵Huangcheng Xiangfu 🌵Guoyu Ancient City 🌵Situ Town 💟2-day 1-night itinerary: ✅Day 1: Huangcheng Xiangfu (tour duration: 2-3 hours) - Guoyu Ancient City (tour duration: 2-3 hours) (The two attractions are adjacent to each other and can be visited together). There is a live performance "Back to Xiangfu" at Huangcheng Xiangfu in the evening, which is very impressive and worth seeing. You can stay nearby after the show. We recommend the Ming and Qing Courtyard Homestay in Guoyu Ancient City, which is authentic (If you stay here, the tickets and parking for Guoyu Ancient City are free). ✅Day 2: 🔰First stop: Xiangyu Ancient Castle (17 minutes drive from the above two attractions) 🔰Second stop: Situ Town (57 minutes drive from Xiangyu Ancient Castle) Tour duration: 4-5 hours. There are various performances and small shows in the town during the day. Please refer to the scenic area announcement for details. There is a Dashuhua performance in the evening, which is worth seeing.

Xiangyu Castle is located in Qingshui, Shanxi Province, and is a Ming Dynasty castle with a rich history and unique charm. It is located in the Taihang Mountains. The castle walls are tall and strong, surrounding the castle like loyal guards. The walls are covered with lookout holes, shooting holes, and battlements, showing the wisdom and majesty of military defense. The buildings inside the castle are unique, with courtyards such as "Sandutang," "Shuai Mansion," and "Ten Courtyards" standing in rows, connected to each other like a maze, making people marvel at the ingenuity of the ancients. Walking on the bluestone road and touching the mottled walls, it seems as if you can touch the texture of history. Exquisite wood carvings, brick carvings, and stone carvings can be seen everywhere, and the delicate craftsmanship shows the prosperity and wealth of the past. The hidden soldier caves in the castle are even more unique, with caves within caves, crisscrossing and complex, which can be used to store soldiers and supplies, playing a vital role in times of war. Xiangyu Castle is not only an ancient architectural complex but also a vivid history book. It condenses the wisdom and sweat of the ancients, shining brightly in the long river of time, attracting people to come and uncover its mysterious veil and appreciate its unique charm.

Xiangyu Ancient Castle is the hometown of Sun Juxiang, the Minister of Revenue in the late Ming Dynasty, and his brother Sun Dingxiang, the Deputy Imperial Censor of the Right. It is a national 4A scenic spot located in Xiangyu Village, Zhengcun Town, Qinshui County, Shanxi Province (Jincheng). It was built in the 42nd year of the Wanli period of the Ming Dynasty (1614) and completed in the 7th year of the Chongzhen period of the Ming Dynasty (1634). The streets of the ancient castle are arranged in a "three horizontal and nine vertical" checkerboard pattern, which is a perfect display of the most complete "community-type" ancient castle in the north of the Ming Dynasty. 🌼🌼🌼Attraction Experience ✅I personally like it very much. I feel it's worth the trip. Simply put, I've never seen it before. ✅The entire ancient castle is full of ancient atmosphere. For example, Jinci, although famous, "Shengmu Hall" is in the textbooks, can only look up. The houses in the ancient castle are more down-to-earth for ordinary people and more empathetic. ✅The ancient castle is clean and quiet, all are stone roads, and there are probably dozens of people in it at the same time, which is convenient for taking pictures. There are still residents living in it, mostly old people and children. It is not easy for the ancestral house to be preserved to this day. It is also good for children to grow up here since childhood. ✅The streets and alleys are wide and narrow, the scale is appropriate, the layout is good, there are wide courtyards on both sides, not many trees, and there is a thousand-year-old locust tree. No wonder Zhao Hongyu decided to settle here after coming here. 📍Transportation (recommended to drive or take a taxi) 1️⃣It takes about 50 minutes to drive from Meihao International Trade Store in Jincheng, 40 kilometers away, mainly because the mountain road is not fast after getting off the highway. Parking is 10 yuan per car. 2️⃣The taxi fare is quite affordable at 89 yuan, and there are buses, but it takes more time, so it is recommended to take a taxi. 📍Cost The adult ticket is 65, and the child ticket is 32 for children over 1.2 meters. It is not suitable for children's strollers, because there are steps in the houses in the ancient castle.

Shanxi·Jincheng Xiangyu Ancient Castle·A Super Shocking Niche Treasure Spot 1️⃣ Actually, it is on the same route as the Royal Prime Minister's Mansion and Guoyu Ancient Village, not far apart. Due to limited time, we only visited Xiangyu Ancient Castle. If you have more time, the other two spots are also worth a visit based on their descriptions. 2️⃣ However, some people commented that Xiangyu Ancient Castle is much more interesting than the Royal Prime Minister's Mansion. I guess it's because the castle feels more down-to-earth compared to the mansion. 3️⃣ Transportation (recommended to drive or take a taxi) It takes about 50 minutes to drive 40 kilometers from Jincheng Meihau International Trade Hotel, mainly because the mountain road after exiting the highway is slow. Parking costs 10 yuan per car. 4️⃣ The fixed taxi fare of 89 yuan is quite reasonable. There is also a bus, but it takes more time, so a taxi is recommended. Costs Tickets are 65 yuan for adults, 32 yuan for children over 1.2 meters. It is not suitable for strollers as there are steps in each residential building within the castle. Impressions of the Attraction 5️⃣ I personally liked it very much, it felt worth the trip. Simply put, it was something I had never seen before. 6️⃣ The entire castle exudes an ancient and simple atmosphere. For example, places like Jinci, although famous and with the 'Holy Mother Hall' included in textbooks, can only be admired from afar. In contrast, the residential buildings in the castle feel more down-to-earth and relatable to ordinary people. 7️⃣ The castle is clean and quiet, with stone-paved roads. There were only a few dozen people inside, making it easy to take photos. There are still residents living here, mostly elderly and children. It is remarkable that ancestral homes have been preserved to this day. It is also nice for children to grow up here.

Shanxi Jincheng Hujiashang, this small village hidden deep in the Taihang Mountains, is like an unpolished jade, exuding a simple and charming allure. Following the winding mountain road, the scenery is picturesque all the way. The green mountains undulate, and the trees are lush, as if a huge landscape painting slowly unfolds before your eyes. When Hujiashang finally comes into view, I am struck by its tranquility and simplicity. In the village, the stone-paved roads wind and connect ancient houses. Most of these houses are built of stone, with clear traces of time. Stone walls, gray tiles, and wooden windows all reveal the sediment of time and the weight of history. Walking in the village, it feels like traveling back in time, far away from the hustle and bustle of the city. I came to a small stream near the village, where the water is clear and flows gently. Wildflowers bloom along the stream, adding a touch of bright color to this peaceful land. I sat on a stone by the stream, closed my eyes, and listened to the sound of the flowing water and the singing of birds, feeling a sense of peace. As the sun sets, Hujiashang is bathed in a golden afterglow. I left this beautiful place with a heavy heart. Hujiashang, like a paradise, makes people intoxicated and reluctant to leave. I believe that no matter how time passes, the tranquility and beauty here will remain deep in my memory.

"The number one ancient castle of the Ming Dynasty in northern China" - Xiangyu Ancient Castle, how is it so impressive? 📍Xiangyu Ancient Castle 📝Attraction: Originally named Xianggu, Xiangyu Ancient Castle is known as the ancient city of Sandu 🚌: Take bus 208 | Get off at Xiangyu Ancient Castle Station ⏰: All day 🎫Ticket: 65RMB (free entry at night) 🅿Parking fee: 10 yuan, no time limit. Xiangyu Ancient Castle consists of city walls, ancient wells, residential houses, temples, and watchtowers. The city walls are tall and solid, with watchtowers and battlements on top, demonstrating the castle's defensive capabilities. The city walls of Xiangyu Ancient Castle are bonded with a mixture of egg whites and glutinous rice juice, making the seams as thin as paper and as solid as rock. The courtyards and houses within the castle are interconnected through a web-like network of winding and dense alleys. The hidden soldier caves on the south city wall combine the functions of defensive works, barracks, and military supply warehouses into one, with multi-level corridors and interconnected soldier tunnels forming a complex and complete defense system. Xiangyu Ancient Castle, with its strong defensive capabilities, has never been breached from the outside since its construction. The tallest building in the castle, the five-story 'Guardian Tower' (also known as the 'Watchtower'), is the tallest surviving building from the Ming Dynasty in China. Xiangyu Ancient Castle is only 6 kilometers away from the imperial mansions and can be visited together.

The traffic at the Imperial City Mansion deterred us. There are many ancient castles and villages in the Qin River basin of Jincheng. Considering the distance, we gave up on the more niche Chiji City and turned to the closer Xiangyu Ancient Castle. 🚗Transportation Coming out of Haihui Temple, we went straight onto the highway. It took about 10 minutes to get off the highway and then a stretch of county road to reach Xiangyu Ancient Castle. The parking lot 🅿️ is about a 10-minute walk from the entrance of the scenic area. 🛂Tickets The ticket for Xiangyu Ancient Castle 🎫 is 65 per person, and the 🅿️ fee is 10 yuan with no time limit. The overall flow of people is not large, with mostly locals from Jincheng. ⭐Attractions 1⃣️Xiangyu Ancient Castle was the late Ming Dynasty residence of the three Sun brothers, who also served as officials in the same dynasty. Construction began during the Tianqi era and was completed in the Chongzhen era, taking 11 years. The existing buildings are from the Ming, Qing, and Republic of China periods. 2⃣️The castle backs onto a mountain, and the north wall has been recently repaired, looking very new. There are city gates on the east, south, and west sides, forming a honeycomb-style defensive castle. The south side of the castle faces the Qinshui River, which seems to add a lot to the castle. 3⃣️After entering the south gate, there are various defensive works, hidden soldier caves, etc., and then you can walk along the city wall to the highest point to overlook the entire ancient castle. Because there are not too many tourists, it is very quiet all the way around the city wall. Walking in the alleys inside the castle, you can still see some residential houses with signs of habitation. Indeed, after talking with an elderly man, it is known that there are still about a dozen households living in the ancient castle. ⭐Review The castle is backed by mountains and has a stream in front, with a very tranquil environment, known as "China's Northern Ming Dynasty's Number One Ancient Castle." There are also some small museums in the castle where you can learn about the local imperial examination history, the history of the war of resistance, etc. ⭐Dining There is not much commercialization inside the castle, only saw a small stall. If you need to dine, there are a bunch of snack stalls behind the square outside the castle. Talking with the locals, it is known that because of the presence of the Imperial City Mansion, the flow of visitors to other castles is not large, but the standard is not much different.

💥 Xiangyu Ancient Castle is a real old architectural complex, built in the Ming Dynasty. There are few tourists, it's such a treasure! 👍 📍Xiangyu Ancient Castle is located in Xiangyu Village, Zhengcun Town, 50 kilometers southeast of Qinshui County, Jincheng City, Shanxi Province. Originally named Xianggu, it was renamed due to being surrounded by mountains and rivers. 🎈Xiangyu Ancient Castle 🛕Xiangyu City is a honeycomb-style castle, with brick, stone and wood structure, 280 meters long from east to west, 100 to 150 meters wide from north to south, covering an area of about 32,500 square meters. It was built by brothers Sun Juxiang and Sun Dingxiang in the third year of Ming Tianqi and completed in the seventh year of Ming Chongzhen. Sun Dingxiang ranked third and once served as the Deputy Imperial Envoy of the Metropolitan Procuratorate. His mansion was named 'Sandu Hall', and Xiangyu Ancient City was also known as 'Sandu Ancient City'. 😀

Xiangyu Ancient Castle, also known as the Ancient City of Three Capitals, is located in Xiangyu Village, Zhengcun Town, Qinshui County, Jincheng City, Shanxi Province. It is named after Sun Juxiang (a scholar in the 20th year of Wanli in the Ming Dynasty) and Sun Dingxiang (a scholar in the 12th year of Chongzhen), who were from the same village. It is a castle-style building that combines military defense, residential living, and cultural entertainment. It is known as the 'First Ancient Castle of the Ming Dynasty in Northern China's Countryside'. The Xiangyu Ancient Castle was built in the seventh year of Chongzhen in the Ming Dynasty (1634) and covers an area of 32,500 square meters. The construction of Xiangyu Ancient Castle was presided over by Sun Dingxiang and took four generations to complete. The ancient castle is built according to the terrain, divided into the inner city and the outer city. The inner city is made of brick and soil, and the outer city is made of brick and stone. The existing main buildings of Xiangyu Ancient Castle include the Three Capitals Hall, the Marshal's Mansion, the Ten Major Houses, and various residential buildings such as the large and small male courtyards, as well as public facilities such as temples, ancestral halls, and private schools. The architectural style of Xiangyu Ancient Castle is unique, with high and sturdy city walls, crisscrossing streets in the city, and well-arranged buildings. It is an outstanding representative of the ancient castles of the Ming Dynasty in northern China. Xiangyu Ancient Castle was announced as the sixth batch of national key cultural relics protection units by the State Council on May 25, 2006.

|||How come the "First Ancient Castle of the Ming Dynasty in Northern China", Xiangyu Ancient Castle, is so awesome? Self-driving tour around China: Qingshui County, Shanxi Province In Jincheng, Shanxi, where cultural relics and historic sites are everywhere, the castle that annoys and angers the invading enemies the most, but can only sigh outside the city, is none other than Xiangyu Ancient Castle. Xiangyu, originally named Xianggu, was considered by people at the time to be detrimental to Feng Shui because it "has a valley but no mountains and water", and because it is surrounded by mountains and water, Xianggu was changed to Xiangyu. It is said that at the end of the Ming Dynasty, the peasant rebel army crossed the Yellow River from Shaanxi into Shanxi, passing through all the barriers and killing all the generals without meeting an opponent, until they encountered Xiangyu Ancient Castle. Li Zicheng personally led the army to attack Xiangyu Ancient Castle, and after a fierce attack for seven days and nights, he failed to conquer it. The defeated Li Chuangwang had to retreat with regret and regret, which shows the impregnability of Xiangyu Ancient Castle. Xiangyu Ancient Castle is truly the "First Ancient Castle of the Ming Dynasty in Northern China". At the end of the Ming Dynasty, the politics was corrupt, the society was dark, the people were not living, and the situation was unstable. The Sun brothers, Sun Juxiang, Sun Kexiang, and Sun Dingxiang, who held high positions in the court, were also disheartened. Perhaps they sensed that the Ming court was about to collapse. In order to protect the safety of their family's lives and property, they spent ten years building this brick, stone and earth structure honeycomb-style castle. The city wall of Xiangyu Ancient Castle is bonded with egg white and glutinous rice juice, the wall seam is like paper, and it is as solid as a rock. The houses in each courtyard of the castle communicate with each other through a web-like complex and dense alley. The soldier hiding cave on the south city wall integrates the functions of defense works, barracks, and military warehouses. It is composed of multi-layer corridor-style and serial-style soldier roads, forming a complex and complete defense system. This kind of building with soldier caves connected to the city is called the pinnacle of folk military engineering by experts. With its strong defensive ability, Xiangyu Ancient Castle has never been breached from the outside since the day it was built. The highest building in the castle, the five-story "Home Watching Tower" (also called "Lookout Tower") is the tallest building in the Ming Dynasty that has survived to this day. Walking on the road on the south bank of the moat, you can see that Xiangyu Ancient Castle is backed by mountains and facing water, and the city wall built on the stone wall and steep slope is as high as ten to twenty meters. The extremely tall and majestic city wall is reflected in the water, and the scenery is picturesque. Because the ten mountain ranges on the opposite side of Fan Mountain all point to Xiangyu, there is a saying in the local area that "ten mountains and nine turns, generations of princes". However, times have changed, and the golden age of Xiangyu Ancient Castle has become the past. Today's Xiangyu Ancient City, due to inconvenient external transportation, does not attract many visitors from afar on weekdays. The only national road to Xiangyu Ancient Castle after getting off the highway, the Duanrun line, charges 10 yuan for only a dozen kilometers, which is even more ruthless than the highway toll, just like robbery. When I arrived at Xiangyu Ancient Castle, there were only a few tourists in such a large castle. If this were in the eastern provinces, it would have been crowded with tourists and bustling. How could it be so deserted. It is said that there are still more than ten households living in the city, and it is difficult for us today to imagine how prosperous it was during its heyday. The ancient cities of Xiangyu, Huangcheng Xiangfu, Diji City, Guoyu Ancient City, etc. in the Qingshui River Basin of Jincheng City, Shanxi Province, such a dense and spectacular group of well-preserved ancient buildings, you must go and see if you have time!

Scattered in the unique oriental charm of the Ming and Qing ancient castles in the Qin River system, after hundreds of years of vicissitudes, through glory and decline, they are once again cherished by people, transformed and reborn, shining, and telling the changes of history with the people living in them. Today, let's go together into the Xiangyu Ancient Castle located in Xiangyu Village, Qinshui County, Jincheng City, Shanxi Province (near the Imperial City Xiangfu), and see what different scenery there is here. Xiangyu Ancient Castle, originally named Xianggu, was surrounded by mountains and rivers near the village, so the village name evolved into Xiangyu. Xiangyu City is a brick and stone wooden castle, in a honeycomb shape. Because the city was built by the brothers Sun Juxiang and Sun Dingxiang, and Sun Dingxiang was the third in the Sun's four brothers and had served as the right deputy imperial envoy of the Metropolitan Procuratorate, his mansion was named "Sandu Hall", and Xiangyu Ancient City was also called "Sandu Ancient City". Not only that, but it is also worth mentioning that Shanxi Jincheng Xiangyu Ancient Castle is also known as the first ancient castle in northern China. It is the pinnacle of Ming Dynasty military, and it still stands majestically today! It is said that Li Zicheng led more than 10,000 soldiers and attacked for a whole week, but did not conquer it.

Most of China's ancient buildings are in Shanxi, and most of Shanxi's ancient buildings are in Shangdang, among which Jincheng is particularly prominent. The unique geographical environment, superior climate conditions, and suitable cultural atmosphere have enabled a large number of ancient buildings to survive. There are nearly 20,000 ancient buildings in Jincheng, 46 of which are wooden structures from the Song and Jin periods about a thousand years ago, accounting for one-third of the total in the country. It is a veritable museum of ancient architecture! Below I share with you the travel guide to Jincheng~ D1: Jincheng City Area → Jue Mountain → Qinglian Temple → Jade Emperor Temple → Stay in Jincheng D2: Jincheng City Area → Huangcheng Xiangfu → Xiangyu Ancient Castle . ★Stay, the most convenient or convenient transportation location near the scenic area. ★Eat, Shanxi, a large province of carbohydrates, a variety of pasta is countless. Clear soup Hele is a kind of pasta with the most characteristic of Jincheng. Yangcheng roast liver, Yangcheng meat jar meat, Ba Gong roast garlic, Codonopsis stewed chicken and other delicacies can be seen everywhere. . ★Travel, it takes about an hour and a half from Taiyuan to Jincheng by high-speed rail, which is very convenient. ★Huangcheng Xiangfu, the teacher of Emperor Kangxi of the Qing Dynasty, the chief reviewer of the 'Kangxi Dictionary', and the Grand Secretary of the Wenyuan Pavilion, the Grand Duke of Guanglu, Chen Tingjing, is the owner of this ancient castle. This is a huge ancient castle building complex with a total area of 36,000 square meters. The building complex as a whole integrates official residences, civilian houses, and military defense. There are 16 courtyards and more than 640 rooms, which are deep and winding. . ★Xiangyu Ancient Castle, the former residence of Sun Jufang and Sun Dingxiang, heavy ministers during the Wanli period of the Ming Dynasty. The date of construction is unknown, and it was completed in the seventh year of Chongzhen in the Ming Dynasty in 1634. The ancient castle is not far from Huangcheng Xiangfu. There is a labyrinth-like soldier hiding cave in the ancient castle, which is known as the pinnacle of folk military engineering. . ★Jue Mountain, 'the first wonder of Jinwei River and Mountain', has the reputation of 'Little Huashan' and 'Little Wudang'. 'Jue Mountain Spits Moon' is one of the four famous sights in Jincheng. The main peak is 973 meters above sea level, and there are 360 stone steps in the Second Heaven Gate. . ★Qinglian Temple, originally named 'Xieshi Temple', is named after its terrain, located in the middle of the mountain cliffs. The temple is divided into two parts, the ancient Qinglian Temple and the new Qinglian Temple, the former is below and the latter is above. Because the Sakyamuni in the temple sits on the lotus seat, it is named Qinglian Temple, the third batch of national protection. . ★Jincheng Jade Emperor Temple, the best preserved and most complete Jade Emperor Temple in Jincheng area, the third batch of national protection. Not only is it known as the 'Astronomical Museum' of ancient times, but it also has many innovations and inspirations in the creation of colored sculpture art. The 260 or so Taoist gods and clay sculptures in it form a system on their own, artistically showing the system of Chinese Taoist gods. Especially the clay sculptures of the Twenty-Eight Mansions are unique in the ancient sculpture relics discovered in the country. . ★Some documentaries about Jincheng China in the Intangible Cultural Heritage 230603 (Shanxi) Between the Mountains and Rivers (Shanxi Travel Variety Show Guest Meng Man) Meet You in Shanxi Aerial Photography China Season 3 Shanxi Sanjin Flavor Shanxi Pasta Documentary Eight Hundred Miles Taihang This is Jincheng National Treasure Shanxi