Yuci
Introduction
Yuci District is part of Jinzhong in Shanxi, China, and it is where the Jinzhong municipal government has its seat. If you are travelling through this part of Shanxi, you are heading into the administrative heart of the city rather than a separate destination.
Before you go
Jinzhong sits in the east-central part of Shanxi Province, roughly 32 km southeast of Taiyuan, bordered by the Grand Taihang Canyon to the east and the Fen River to the west. The climate is a warm temperate continental semi-arid monsoon one, with four distinct seasons: spring is dry and windy, summer hot and rainy, autumn clear and crisp, and winter cold with little snow. Spring and autumn are short, while winter and summer run long, so plan your layers around whichever season you visit. The region's identity is bound up with Jin merchant culture, which shaped everything from business philosophy and professional ethics to bookkeeping and abacus techniques, and left its mark on the "four cities" (Taigu City, Pingyao Ancient City, Qixian historical and cultural city and Yuci Old City) and the "six courts" of grand merchant mansions. Pingyao Ancient City has been a World Cultural Heritage site since 1997, and the Pingyao International Photography Exhibition keeps its international profile alive. Folk traditions are equally deep here: the Cold Food Festival originated in Jiexiu, the Cowherd and Weaver Girl legend in Heshun, and Shouyang County is known as the hometown of the birthday boy, alongside Zuoquan Xiaohua opera, Qitai Yangge and Yushe Bawangbian.Getting there
To reach Jinzhong by air, fly into Taiyuan Wusu International Airport, which sits just outside the city's municipal boundaries. From there, buses run between the airport and the city centre several times a day. The city has two main railway stations, both in the Yuci District. Jinzhong Railway Station on Hongmaying Street handles high-speed services and is served by local bus routes 1, 201 and 205. Yuci Railway Station on Yingbin Street serves only regular-speed trains but sits closer to the city centre; local buses 1, 2, 4 (both inner and outer circle routes), 5, 15, 203, 207 and 801 stop there. Because Jinzhong lies so close to Taiyuan, some Taiyuan-based public buses cross into the city — bus no. 901, for example, runs from Taiyuan Railway Station to the centre of Jinzhong. Jinzhong Bus Terminal, at the southeast corner of the intersection of National Highway 108 and Longhu Street, is the main central bus station, reachable on local routes 3, 101, 106 and 205. Departures from here are limited and mostly serve nearby towns, so for longer journeys you will likely need one of the bus stations in Taiyuan.Getting around
Yuci District doubles as the seat of the Jinzhong municipal government, so the area's main railway stations and central bus terminal sit inside the district itself. That makes orientation straightforward: you can treat Yuci and wider Jinzhong as one place. Yuci also borders Taiyuan, and public transport links the two, so it is practical to move between them as a single area. The district has two railway stations with distinct roles. Jinzhong Railway Station, on Hongmaying Street, handles high-speed services and is served by local bus routes 1, 201 and 205. Yuci Railway Station, at 103 Yingbin Street, takes only regular-speed trains but sits closer to the city centre, with bus routes 1, 2, 4 (inner and outer circle), 5, 15, 203, 207 and 801. Choose Jinzhong for high-speed departures and Yuci for proximity to the centre on a regular-speed train.
Local buses are the workhorse of getting around, with routes such as 1, 2, 4, 5, 15, 201, 203, 205, 207 and 801 threading through the district and connecting the stations to the rest of the city. Because Jinzhong sits so close to Taiyuan, some Taiyuan-based buses cross into Jinzhong; bus no. 901 runs from Taiyuan Railway Station to central Jinzhong. For longer-distance coach travel, Jinzhong Bus Terminal sits at the southeast corner of the intersection of National Highway 108 and Longhu Street, served by local routes 3, 101, 106 and 205, but it mostly handles services to nearby towns, so for longer routes you will likely need one of Taiyuan's bus stations. If your goal is the region's famous sights, a special tourist bus runs from Yuci Old Town with stops including Yuci Old Town, the Chang Family Compound, the Qiao Family Compound, Pingyao Old Town, Mianshan and the Wang Family Compound. The central area is compact enough that walking suits short hops near the centre, with buses for anything longer. From Taiyuan Wusu International Airport, the nearest airport, buses run to the city centre roughly eight times a day, or you can take a taxi.
Where to stay
If you don't read Chinese, your choice of accommodation in the city itself is limited. The options that do exist cluster around the Xinjian North Road and Wenhua Street area near Shanxi Media College and Shanxi Medical University, and along Dongrui Creative Street, where you'll find a mix of hotels and serviced apartments. A cinema apartment building sits near Wanda Plaza on Longhu Street. All of these are straightforward, functional places to sleep rather than destinations in themselves, so pick based on which part of town you want to wake up in. Further afield, Yun Zhu Village in Yun Tu Town, out in Yushe County, has a B&B if you'd rather base yourself in a rural setting. For Pingyao County, a separate guide covers where to stay there.Food & drink
For a taste of local tradition, seek out Pingyao beef, a specialty of neighbouring Pingyao County that has been recognised as a Chinese National Geographic product and once served as a tribute to the Qing dynasty imperial palace. Equally rooted in the region's past is Guanxian, also called filling sugar, a crisp, sweet treat from Jiexiu counted among the area's traditional delicacies and sold across the country since the late Ming and early Qing dynasties. Other local staples include Pingyao bowl holder, a long-standing pasta snack valued for its gluten texture and smooth, satisfying bite, and the baked cake by hanging stove, praised for its crisp exterior and tender interior and named a traditional famous food by the industry and commerce authorities. You can also try pearl porridge, a common millet and mung bean porridge, or Shouyang County tea, a crispy, mooncake-shaped snack traditionally eaten with pancakes for breakfast. For drinks, Yuci has a handful of relaxed spots. Yu Sheng Ballad Public house is a folk-themed bar in the basement shopping mall on Yunhua Street, while Jehoo Day Coffee and Night Wine on Ding Yang Road serves coffee by day and cocktails or beer by night in an atmosphere well suited to lingering. Summer Club in Vanke Plaza opens in the afternoon and keeps a resident singer on hand in the evenings. If you prefer a quieter setting, Blue Mountain Coffee on An Ning Street offers afternoon tea and also serves food at dinner time.What to see and do
Yuci District is the base for exploring central Jinzhong. The Chang Family Compound in Chewang Village, southwest of the district, is the largest of the Shanxi merchant family manors, built over generations by a wealthy clan and now reduced to a quarter of its original extent. Its courtyards line a kilometre-long road, each with grey buildings, archways, gardens and fine brick, stone and wood carvings; one garden holds a collection of carved stone lions, and the 29-m Guanji Tower at the rear offers sweeping views. The Jinzhong City Museum on Guang'an Street is a modern museum worth a stop, while Yuci Old Town on Fuxing Road recalls the town's past as a prosperous merchant centre. Much of its architecture was rebuilt or heavily renovated after damage in the mid-twentieth century, but the Yuci City God Temple survives from the Yuan Dynasty and is considered one of the best-preserved city god temples in China.
Beyond the district, the wider Jinzhong region holds several major sites. In Jiexiu City you can visit the Ming Dynasty Jiexiu City God Temple, climb Mount Mian for its natural scenery and cultural and religious relics, or explore Zhangbi Castle, a fortified settlement founded in the Sixteen Kingdoms period with gates laid out according to geomantic principles. Lingshi County is home to the Wang Family Compound, a vast merchant complex of 54 courtyards and over a thousand rooms known for its lattice screens, shaped openings and carvings in stone, brick and wood, as well as the Red Cliff Grand Canyon, a scenic area of forests, meadows and waterfalls with walking and rafting on offer. In Pingyao County, the UNESCO-listed Pingyao Ancient City is a largely intact Ming and Qing town, laid out symmetrically around South Street, with the county office, temples and old residences to wander among.
When to go
Yuci has a warm temperate continental semi-arid monsoon climate, with four distinct seasons but a marked imbalance between them: springs and autumns are short, while winters and summers run long. That shape should guide your timing, because the two long seasons are the least forgiving and the two short ones are where the comfortable weather sits.
- Spring: Short, dry and windy. Expect dusty, blustery conditions rather than mild settled weather.
- Summer: Long, hot and rainy. This is the wettest stretch of the year, so bring rain gear if you visit then.
- Autumn: Short, clear and crisp, offering the most comfortable, settled conditions of the year for sightseeing.
- Winter: Long, cold and snowless, with persistent cold and dry air and little snowfall to break it up.
If your priority is sightseeing in dependable weather, aim for autumn. If you travel in summer, plan around the rain; if you travel in winter, plan for sustained cold and dry air.
Three days in Yuci
Day one: Base yourself in Yuci District, part of Jinzhong in Shanxi Province, and start with Yuci Old City, where the streets and old buildings give you a feel for the district's past. From there, walk or ride along Hongmaying Street and Yingbin Street to see how the old and new parts of town sit side by side. If you arrive by train, Yuci Railway Station and Jinzhong Railway Station are both in the city, and Taiyuan Wusu International Airport lies a short trip away in Taiyuan.
Day two: Head out of the city toward Pingyao Ancient City, a World Cultural Heritage site, and take in its walls and lanes; if your visit falls during the Pingyao International Photography Exhibition, the town fills with photography shows. On the way back you can pass through Qixian and Taigu City, both within Jinzhong. In spring, the Cold Food Festival is observed in this part of Shanxi, and Jiexiu, south of Pingyao, is associated with the festival's origins.
Day three: Go further afield into the countryside and hills. Heshon and Shouyang County lie to the east, and Zuoquan Xiaohua offers mountain scenery. If you have time, the Grand Taihang Canyon makes a longer excursion, while the Fen River runs through the wider region. Local folk traditions include Qitai Yangge and Yushe Bawangbian, and the story of the Cowherd and the Weaver Girl is told in this area. For your return, Jinzhong Bus Terminal and the National Highway connect the district to Taiyuan and beyond, with Taiyuan Railway Station as a main rail hub.