Stand at the top of Yanmen Pass and the Great Wall runs away from you in both directions, ridge after ridge, with the old fortification walls folded into the mountain itself. That single view explains why this stretch of northern Shanxi was worth defending, and why travellers still come this far north.
Xinzhou suits travellers who are drawn to Buddhist mountain country, Great Wall passes and open highland scenery rather than city sightseeing. The places worth your time are spread across the prefecture, so plan on moving between them rather than treating Xinzhou city as a single base.
This guide covers the sights named in the source material, ordered with the strongest first, followed by a one-day plan and answers to the questions travellers ask most often.
Top things to do in Xinzhou
1. Mount Wutai
Mount Wutai ranks first among the four famous Buddhist mountains in China, alongside Mount Putuo in Zhejiang, Jiuhua Mountain in Anhui and Mount Emei in Sichuan. It is included in the World Cultural Heritage List and is regarded as one of the world's five most sacred Buddhist sites, together with Lumbini Garden in Nepal, Sarnath in India, Bodh Gaya and Kusinaga. It is the highest peak in North China, known as the "Roof of North China", and the top of the platform is marked by intertwined peaks and ridges.
Give it the better part of a day rather than an afternoon, and expect cooler, windier conditions on the summit than in the valleys below. Because it is a sacred Buddhist mountain rather than a single viewpoint, the walking between its temples and terraces is the experience.
2. Yanmen Pass
Yanmen Pass, also known as Xixing Pass, is an AAAAA-rated attraction in Dai County and one of the main central passages on the Great Wall. It is famous for its dangerous terrain, sitting high on Gouzhu Mountain, and is counted together with Ningwuguan and Pianguan as the "Three Outer Passes". The old saying goes that there are nine fortresses in the world and Yanmen is the leader.
The pass lies in Yanmen Mountain, about 20 km north of Dai County, so combine it with time in the county rather than treating it as a city stop. The name itself comes from the geese that fly north each spring and circle here until the reed leaves they carry fall — the reason for the saying that in Yanmen Mountain, geese fly out of it.
3. Luya Mountain
Luya Mountain sits in the middle of Ningwu County and is a scenic area that combines a national geological park, national forest park, national nature reserve and national water conservancy scenic area, and it appears on the UNESCO World Heritage Tentative list. It is named for its shape, which resembles a reed bud, and it is the source of water in North China as well as the home of the brown-eared pheasant.
On a stone flat of about 10 m2 at the top of the main peak stands the Prince's Palace, a stone building that research identifies as the top of the Vairocana Buddha's dojo in China. The peak is high and exposed, so treat the climb as a full outing and check conditions before setting out.
4. King Yu Cave
King Yu Cave is on the hillside of Xizhou Mountain, 20 km south of Xinzhou City, and takes its name from the legend that King Yu lived here while controlling floods. Outside, the mountains are majestic; inside, the cave twists through nine turns past stone flowers, stone waterfalls, stalagmites, stone Buddhas, stone towers, stone pillars and stalactites. The widest part can hold six or seven hundred people, while the narrowest admits only one person at a time.
More than 700 metres of cave have been renovated and over 50 scenic spots established, including Yuwang Palace, Hall 3, the ten caves, "Lions Welcoming Guests", "The Golden Turtle Coming Out of the Cave", "Yaochi Wonderland", "Penglai Fairy Island", "Zhenhai Pagoda" and "King Yu Watching the Waterfall". Winding roads and a cableway were built to reach it, so it works well as a half-day trip from the city.
5. Laoniuwan
Laoniuwan lies at the junction of Shanxi Province and Inner Mongolia, bounded by the Yellow River, with Pianguan County to the south, Qingshuihe County on the north bank and Jungar Banner on the Ordos Plateau to the west — a spot where three cities meet. This is where the Great Wall shakes hands with the Yellow River, and it is counted among the ten most beautiful canyons in China.
The tourist area is made up of three bays and one valley: Baozi Pagoda Bay, Lao Niu Bay, Si Zuo Pagoda Bay and Yangjiachuan Small Canyon. Because it sits on a provincial border, plan the approach carefully and allow time to take in more than one of the bays.
6. Guanchuishan
Guanchuishan is in Dongzhai Town, Ningwu County, and draws in parts of Wuzhai, Shenchi, Kelan and Jingle counties along with Dashidong, Zhuqiangou, Majiazhuang, Gaoqiaowa, Yanjia Village and Huaidao Forest Farm. The park holds more than 50 tourist attractions and is known as the "Home of Spruce" and "Hometown of North China Larch".
It is also home to nationally protected animals including the brown-eared pheasant, leopard, sika deer and golden eagle. Come for the forest rather than a single sight, and pair it with the rest of your Ningwu County time.
7. Phoenix Mountains
Phoenix Mountains, known in ancient times as Biaoshan, lies in the Tangtou Hot Spring Development Zone at the junction of Xinfu District, Dingxiang County and Yuanping City. The main area is made up of the 10,000-acre ecological botanical garden and the Millennium Shentangdu Hot Spring Lehuo Garden, with hot spring health care, ecological tourism, leisure vacation, accommodation, dining, shopping and conference services all on site.
This is the easiest of the sights to treat as a rest day, since you can stay, eat and bathe in one place. It is a national agricultural tourism demonstration site and a national three-star leisure agriculture creation unit.
If you only have one day
Morning: Start early at Yanmen Pass in Dai County, about 20 km north of the county seat, and walk the fortification on Gouzhu Mountain while the light is still low and the ridges are clear.
Afternoon: Continue to King Yu Cave on the hillside of Xizhou Mountain, 20 km south of Xinzhou City, for the cave's nine turns, stone flowers and stone Buddhas, and the cableway up.
Evening: Finish at Phoenix Mountains in the Tangtou Hot Spring Development Zone, where the hot spring garden and on-site dining let you end the day without travelling further.
Frequently asked questions
When is the best time of year to visit Xinzhou?
Xinzhou has a continental, monsoon-influenced semi-arid climate, with cold, very dry winters and warm, somewhat humid summers. Close to three-fourths of the annual precipitation falls from June to September, so if you want dry walking conditions on the mountains, aim outside that window.
Which sights are rated most highly?
Yanmen Pass is an AAAAA Tourist Attractions of China site, and Mount Wutai is included in the World Cultural Heritage List and rated among the Top Ten Cultural Tourism Brands in China. Luya Mountain appears on the UNESCO World Heritage Tentative list.
How do I reach Xinzhou?
Xinzhou is served by Xinzhou Wutaishan Airport, and by China National Highway 108, China National Highway 208, the G1812 Cangyu Expressway and the G55 Erenhot–Guangzhou Expressway.
Are the main sights close to Xinzhou city itself?
No. Yanmen Pass is in Dai County, Luya Mountain and Guanchuishan are in Ningwu County, Laoniuwan sits on the Inner Mongolia border, and Phoenix Mountains lies at the junction of Xinfu District, Dingxiang County and Yuanping City. Plan your route around the counties rather than a single base.
Work out which of these lie along one route, then start planning your days around the mountains and the pass rather than the city.