Stand on Taobei Middle Street in the Cheng District on a winter morning and the air is dry and sharp, the sky a hard Loess Plateau blue over the Taihang Mountains to the east. This is an industrial city in eastern Shanxi, and it does not dress itself up for visitors — which is exactly why the sights around it reward the effort of getting here.
Yangquan suits travellers who are already comfortable in Shanxi and want mountains, old temples, springs and a stretch of Great Wall without crowds. Most of the best places sit outside the urban districts, in the hills and valleys toward the Hebei border, so plan on day trips rather than a walking itinerary.
This guide covers the sights named in the source material, plus a one-day plan that strings the closest ones together.
Top things to do in Yangquan
1. Niangzi Pass
Niangzi Pass is the anchor sight of the region, a mountain pass on the old route between Shanxi and Hebei. The Wikipedia entry for Yangquan lists it as Niangziguan Pass and calls it "the Ninth Pass on the Great Wall", which tells you what kind of place it is: a fortified gap in the Taihang Mountains rather than a rebuilt tourist wall.
Pair it with Niangziguan Waterfall, which is in the same area, and give yourself the better part of a day. The waterfall is at its fullest after the summer rains, when most of the year's precipitation has fallen.
2. Niangziguan Waterfall
The waterfall shares its name with the pass and sits in the same eastern corner of the city. It is worth combining with Niangzi Pass in a single outing rather than treating as a separate trip.
Because more than 70% of the annual rainfall falls between June and September, late summer is when the water is at its most convincing. Outside those months, expect a thinner flow.
3. Guguan Great Wall
Guguan Great Wall is the other fortified stretch in the source material, listed on Wikivoyage alongside the pass. If you have time for only one section of wall, choose based on which side of the city you are already heading; both are mountain crossings rather than showpieces.
Wear shoes with grip. These are mountain sites, and the terrain around Yangquan is mainly mountainous, with hills and plains making up the rest.
4. Zang Mountain Scenic Area
Zang Mountain Scenic Area, listed as 藏山, is a mountain scenic area in the city's territory. It is one of the larger natural outings available and works well as a half-day or full-day trip depending on how far you walk.
Go in the warmer half of the year. Winters here are cold and very dry, with January averaging around −3.2 °C, and the frost-free period runs only 130 to 180 days.
5. Shinaoshan Mountain Forest Park
Shinaoshan Mountain Forest Park, 狮脑山公园, is the forest park closest to the urban area and the easiest of the mountain options to fit into a short visit. It is also where you will find the Monument to the Hundred-Regiment Campaign, which the Wikipedia attractions list names separately.
Combine the two in one walk. The monument gives the park its historical weight, and the park gives you the view back over the city.
6. Monument to the Hundred-Regiment Campaign
This monument on Shinaoshan is one of the few named historical sites within easy reach of central Yangquan. It commemorates a campaign of the Second World War period in China and is listed among the city's attractions.
Visit it as part of your trip to Shinaoshan Mountain Forest Park rather than as a standalone stop, and allow time to look out over the city from the hill.
7. Guan Mountain
Guan Mountain, 冠山, is listed on Wikivoyage among the places to see. It is a mountain outing in the same family as the other hill sites around Yangquan, and the source material gives no further detail beyond its name.
Treat it as a walking destination and check locally before setting out, since the source material does not record facilities or access details.
8. Liangjiazhai Hot Springs
Liangjiazhai Hot Springs, 梁家寨温泉, appears in both the Wikipedia attractions list and the Wikivoyage see list. Hot springs are a sensible counterweight to a day of mountain walking, and this is the one bathing site the sources name.
Yangquan's water supply is drawn largely from Niangziguan Spring in the east, so the region's springs are a genuine feature of the landscape rather than a resort invention. Bring your own towel if you are unsure of what is provided.
9. Yaolin Temple
Yaolin Temple, 药林寺, is named in both source lists. It is one of several temples in the city's territory, alongside Guanwang Temple, Dawang Temple, Fujun Temple, Kaihe Temple, Potou Taishan Mountain Temple and Tining Temple Twin Towers.
If you are temple-minded, group your day around two or three of these rather than trying to reach all of them; they are spread across a large, mountainous area.
10. Northern Wei Grottoes
The Northern Wei Grottoes are listed among Yangquan's attractions. The name places them in the Northern Wei period, which makes them the oldest category of site named in the source material.
Combine them with a temple visit in the same outing if you can, and plan your transport in advance, as the sources give no location detail.
11. Yuxian Caves
Yuxian Caves appear on the Wikivoyage see list. They are a cave site rather than a mountain or temple, and they add variety to an itinerary that is otherwise heavy on peaks and shrines.
Check conditions before you go. The source material records no access details, opening times or facilities.
12. Shuilian Dong Waterfall
Shuilian Dong Waterfall is the second waterfall named on the Wikivoyage list, distinct from Niangziguan Waterfall. Like the other water features here, it depends on rainfall.
Time it for the June-to-September wet season, when the bulk of the year's rain falls, and combine it with whichever mountain or temple site is nearest on the day.
13. Nanshan Park
Nanshan Park, 南山公园, is on Xinhua East Street in the city and is the most urban of the entries on this list. It is the practical choice when you have an hour rather than a day.
Use it for an early walk before heading out to the mountains, or as an evening stroll after returning to the city.
14. Yangquan Museum
Yangquan Museum, 阳泉市博物馆, is at 1 Taobei Middle Street in the Cheng District, reachable on bus nos. 10, 102 and 703 and on the airport bus. It is free to enter and closes on Mondays, with morning hours of 08:30 to 11:30 and afternoon hours of 14:00 to 18:00 in winter and 14:30 to 18:30 in summer.
Start your trip here if you have just arrived. It gives context to the industrial and mining history of the city before you head out to the mountain sites, and the phone number listed is +86 353 2565339.
15. Yangquan's local specialties
Yangquan is known for walnut and walnut oil, pepper, dried cucumber, coal carving, casserole and vinegar. Coal carving is the most distinctive of these, given the city's identity as a coal and iron centre, and it makes a compact, packable purchase.
Look for these in the city rather than at the mountain sites, and treat a casserole meal as your evening plan after a day outdoors.
If you only have one day
Morning. Begin at Yangquan Museum on Taobei Middle Street in the Cheng District, arriving for the 08:30 opening. It is free, closes on Mondays, and takes an hour or so. From there, head to Nanshan Park on Xinhua East Street for a short walk before leaving the city.
Afternoon. Go east to Niangzi Pass and Niangziguan Waterfall, the pair that defines a visit to this part of Shanxi. The pass is the "Ninth Pass on the Great Wall" and the waterfall is in the same area, so the two fit naturally into one afternoon. If you have time and energy left, Guguan Great Wall is the other fortified site in the source material.
Evening. Return to the city for a casserole dinner, one of Yangquan's named local specialties, and finish with a look at coal carving if you want something to take home.
Frequently asked questions
When is the best time of year to visit Yangquan?
For the waterfalls and the greenest mountain scenery, come between June and September, when more than 70% of the annual rainfall falls. Be aware that winters are cold and very dry, with January averaging around −3.2 °C, and that summers are hot and somewhat humid.
How do I reach Yangquan?
The Shijiazhuang–Taiyuan railway runs through downtown Yangquan. Yangquan North railway station on the Shijiazhuang–Taiyuan high-speed railway opened in 2009 in Yu County, and the newer Yangquan East railway station opened in 2020, connected to Yangquan North by the Yangquan–Dazhai railway. The city is also served by the G20 Qingdao–Yinchuan Expressway and by China National Highways 307, 207 and 239.
Is the Yangquan Museum open every day?
No. It is closed on Mondays. Opening hours are 08:30 to 11:30 and 14:00 to 18:00 in winter, and 08:30 to 11:30 and 14:30 to 18:30 in summer. Entry is free, and it is at 1 Taobei Middle Street in the Cheng District, reachable on bus nos. 10, 102 and 703 and on the airport bus.
What should I buy or eat in Yangquan?
The city is known for walnut and walnut oil, pepper, dried cucumber, coal carving, casserole and vinegar. Coal carving is the most distinctive local purchase, and casserole is the easiest specialty to try in a single meal.
Decide which of the mountain sites matters most to you, check the season against the waterfalls, and start building your route from there.