Weinan Nanny-Level Guide to Explore Stunning Attractions
🗺️ Two Days in Weinan | The Spirit of Mount Hua and the Charm of Guanzhong · A Family-Friendly Travel Guide
Weinan, holding the ruggedness of Mount Hua in its left hand and embracing the softness of the Guanzhong Plain in its right, offers a two-day itinerary that lets you challenge towering peaks and relax with steamed buns, delighting both elders and children alike~
🌞 Day 1: Experience Local Life at the Foot of Mount Hua, Find Serenity in Shaohua Mountain
Morning: Breathe Fresh Air and Refresh Your Lungs at Shaohua Mountain
📍 Shaohua Mountain National Forest Park (4A)
- Highlights: Gentler than Mount Hua, with gentle trails and babbling streams. Elders can take the cable car (80 RMB/person) to the summit to overlook the "Sea of Stones" (granite boulder clusters); children can splash in the mountain streams, chase butterflies, and spot small fish in the shallow waters.
- 🕙 Opening Hours: 8:00 AM - 5:00 PM, recommended to arrive before 9 AM to avoid hiking crowds
- 💰 Tickets: 60 RMB/person (free for seniors over 65 and children under 1.2 meters), round-trip cable car 150 RMB/person
- 📸 Photo Spot: Qianlong Temple Viewing Platform (capture misty mountain streams resembling ink paintings)
- 💡 Tips: Bring water guns! Kids can play all day in the valley; elders can stroll the "Secluded Path," which is mostly flat and shaded.
Noon: Eat Paomo on Huayin Old Street
- Must-Try: Mount Hua Paomo (25 RMB/bowl): Tear the bread yourself, or elders can ask the shop to tear it into small pieces. The soup is made from lamb bones, fresh without gaminess, and kids can have smaller portions.
- Pair with a bowl of Mashi Vegetable Soup (10 RMB/bowl): Dumplings shaped like cat ears, with carrots and tofu cubes, soft and chewy, perfect for children.
Afternoon: Worship the God of Mount Hua at Xiyue Temple
📍 Xiyue Temple (4A)
- Highlights: Known as the "Little Forbidden City," this ancient complex with red walls and yellow tiles rivals Beijing’s Forbidden City. Elders can admire the dougong brackets and plaques while listening to the story of Emperor Wu of Han’s Heaven worship; children can chase pigeons in the square and watch Taoists practice Tai Chi.
- 💰 Tickets: 50 RMB/person (free for seniors over 65)
- 💡 Tips: The site is flat and wheelchair accessible; free guided tours at 3 PM narrate the legend of the "Mount Hua God’s Sacrifice," making the visit more engaging than exploring alone.
Evening: Stay in Huayin City
- Recommended: Mount Hua Inn (around 300 RMB/night): Family rooms available, breakfast included, 5-minute walk to the night market.
- Night Market Must-Eats: Stir-fried cold noodles (8 RMB/serving, sour and spicy), vegetable pockets (3 RMB each, chive and egg filling, crispy outside and tender inside). Kids love munching on these while walking around happily.
🌄 Day 2: Play with Clay at the Pottery Village, Snack on Oil Cakes at the Old City Root
Morning: Mold Clay at Fuping Pottery Village
📍 Fuping Pottery Village (4A)
- Highlights: Hands-on pottery making; elders can try wheel throwing with a master’s guidance, kids love "shaping little animals" like puppies and rabbits, which can be fired and taken home (50 RMB/item).
- 💰 Tickets: 90 RMB/person (includes pottery experience), half price for children under 1.2 meters
- 🕙 Experience Duration: Recommended 2 hours to enjoy without rushing
- 💡 Tips: Wear old clothes! Clay can get messy; aprons are provided but can’t fully protect the "little mud monkeys."
Noon: Eat "Nine-Hole Lotus Root" at the Pottery Village
- Fuping specialty nine-hole lotus root, crunchy when stir-fried and soft in soups. Recommended dishes: Stir-fried lotus root with meat (28 RMB), honey-glazed lotus root (18 RMB), loved by both elders and kids for being refreshing and not greasy.
Afternoon: Stroll Through Weinan Old Town Alleys
- The old town is free to enter, with blue bricks and gray tiles. Elders can visit the Weinan Drum Tower (Ming Dynasty architecture) and listen to old artists sing Qin opera; kids can explore narrow alleys, read old slogans on walls, and buy oil cakes (2 RMB each) — hot with brown sugar filling, golden fried crust, bursting with sweet juice. Pair with a bowl of tofu pudding (5 RMB) for comfort.
- Must-Buy Souvenir: Fuping persimmon cakes (30 RMB/jin), with a flowing sweet and sticky center, not overly sweet, suitable for elders and kids.
✨ Family-Friendly Guide
1. Elder-Friendly: Shaohua Mountain cable car saves energy, Xiyue Temple is flat and easy to explore, pottery village offers seated clay play.
2. Kid-Friendly: Splashing in Shaohua streams, molding clay at pottery village, chasing pigeons in the old town keep kids entertained all day.
3. Food-Friendly: Paomo, mashi, and lotus root are soft; oil cakes and persimmon cakes are sweet but not greasy, pleasing the whole family’s palate.
The charm of Weinan lies in its balance of strength and softness — for those who want to climb, Shaohua Mountain offers gentle slopes; for those who want to relax, the old alleys provide leisure. Bringing the whole family, you’ll always find your own pace~