# Xinzhou

Xinzhou (忻州市, Xīnzhōu) is a city in Shanxi Province in China famous for its old town and handicrafts.

## Understand

As of the end of 2022, the permanent population of Xinzhou City was 2.7 million.

### History

Xinzhou has a long history, with ancestors living here as early as the Neolithic Age. During the Spring and Autumn Period, the Xinzhou area belonged to the territory of the Jin State. During the Warring States Period, the State of Zhao occupied this place. After Qin unified the six kingdoms, Xin County was established, which was the beginning of the establishment of Xinzhou. In the Han Dynasty, Xinzhou belonged to the Bingzhou Governor's Department and established Wuyuan, Loufan and other counties. In the Jin Dynasty, Xinzhou County was established. In the Tang Dynasty, Xinzhou became part of Hedong Road. During the Northern Song Dynasty, Xinzhou Road was established in Xinzhou. In the Yuan Dynasty, Xinzhou was upgraded to Xinzhou Prefecture. During the Ming and Qing Dynasties, Xinzhou Prefecture was subordinate to the Shanxi Chief Envoy Department.
Xinzhou is rich in historical and cultural sites, such as Wutai Mountain, Yanmen Pass, Yanmen Village, Chongfu Temple, etc. Mount Wutai is one of the four famous Buddhist mountains in China and is known as the "Roof of North China". Yanmen Pass is a famous pass in Chinese history and is known as "the first pass in the world". Yanmen Village is an important part of the Great Wall and is known as the "First Village of the Great Wall". Chongfu Temple is located in Xinfu District, Xinzhou City. It is a famous Buddhist temple in northern China. It was first built in the Eastern Han Dynasty.

### Topography

Xinzhou City is surrounded by mountains and diverse landforms. Mountainous areas and plateaus account for about 87% of the city's area, and Kawachi accounts for 13%. It is surrounded by mountains on three sides to the south, west and north. In the south, it is connected to Zhoushan and Yinshan Mountains, and is a branch of the Taihang Mountains. The main peaks include Liulinjian Mountain, Xiaowutai, Guanmao Mountain, Ping'an Mountain, and Matou Mountain, all with an altitude of more than 1,500 meters; in the west, Yunzhong Mountain and Maquan Mountain are connected to the Luliang Mountains. In the remaining branches, the main peaks include Yunzhong Mountain, Gushan, Wangfeng Mountain, Maquan Mountain, Longwangnao, etc., all with an altitude of more than 1,600 meters; in the north, Jinshan and Daqingshan are branches of Wutai Mountain, with an altitude of more than 1,000 meters. From north to south, there are Hengshan Mountain, Wutai Mountain, Taihang Mountain, and Xizhoushan Mountain in the east, and Guanchuan Mountain, Luya Mountain, and Yunzhong Mountain in the middle. The Xinding Basin and Wuzhai Basin have larger areas in Pingchuan.

## Get in

* 38.598112.9821 Xinzhou Wutaishan Airport, 忻州市机场. Xinzhou Wutaishan Airport is a domestic regional airport. (updated Sep 2023)

## See

Xinzhou City has 1 world cultural landscape, 1 national historical and cultural city, and 294 cultural tourist attractions of various types, including 4 national forest parks, 2 national geological parks, 1 national water conservancy scenic spot, and a national nature reserve. 1 place. Mount Wutai was rated as one of the “Top Ten Cultural Tourism Brands in China” and included in the World Cultural Heritage List.
* 39.081389113.5669441 Mount Wutai. It ranks first among the four famous Buddhist mountains in China. Together with Mount Putuo in Zhejiang, Jiuhua Mountain in Anhui, and Mount Emei in Sichuan, it is collectively known as the "Four Most Famous Buddhist Mountains in China". Daming Mountain", together with Lumbini Garden in Nepal, Sarnath in India, Bodh Gaya and Kusinaga, is known as the world's five most sacred Buddhist sites. It is the highest peak in North China and is known as the "Roof of North China". The top of the platform is majestic and majestic, with intertwined peaks and ridges. Nature has created many unique landscapes for it. (updated Sep 2023)
* Yanmen Pass: "There are nine fortresses in the world, and Yanmen is the leader." Yanmen Pass, also known as Xixing Pass, is famous for its danger. "The first pass among the nine fortresses", Xiongguan has a dangerous terrain and is located high on Gouzhu Mountain. It is one of the main central passages for wild geese traveling from south to north. Together with Ningwuguan and Pianguan, it is called the "Three Outer Passes". Yanmen Pass is in Yanmen Mountain, about 20 km north of Dai County, Xinzhou City. It is an important pass on the Great Wall. Yanmen Mountain was called Gouzhu Mountain in ancient times. Legend has it that when spring comes every year, geese from the south fly north, carrying reed leaves in their mouths, and fly to Yanmen and hover for a long time, until the leaves fall before they can pass. Therefore, there is a saying that "in Yanmen Mountain, geese fly out of it".
* Guanchuishan: Located in Dongzhai Town, Ningwu County, including Wuzhai, Shenchi, Kelan, Jingle and other counties, it is composed of parts of Dashidong, Zhuqiangou, Majiazhuang, Gaoqiaowa, Yanjia Village and Huaidao Forest Farm. It is 42 km long from north to south and 22 km wide from east to west, with a total area of 44,230 hectares and a forest area of 22,700 hectares. There are more than 50 tourist attractions in the park and it is rich in animal and plant resources. It is known as the "Home of Spruce" and "Hometown of North China Larch". It is home to national first-class protected animals such as brown-eared pheasant, leopard, sika deer, and golden eagle.
* King Yu Cave: It is located on the hillside of Xizhou Mountain, 20 km south of Xinzhou City. According to legend, King Yu lived here when he was controlling floods, hence the name. In old times, it was called Immortal Cave. Outside the cave, the mountains are majestic and the scenery is beautiful; inside the cave, there are nine twists and turns and strange bamboo shoots and rocks. The wide part of the cave can accommodate six to seven hundred people, but only one person can pass through the narrow part. Stone flowers, stone waterfalls, stalagmites, stone Buddhas, stone towers, stone pillars, stalactites, etc. can be seen everywhere. According to the "Xinzhou Chronicle" written by Wanli of the Ming Dynasty, the cave can lead to Pingshan County, Hebei. In 1992, the Xinzhou Municipal Government and the local garrison jointly developed this tourism resource, built winding roads and cableways, renovated more than 700 meters of caves, and established more than 50 scenic spots including Yuwang Palace, Hall 3, 10 caves, including "Lions Welcoming Guests", "The Golden Turtle Coming Out of the Cave", "The Game of Two Immortals", "Yaochi Wonderland", "Penglai Fairy Island", "Zhenhai Pagoda", "King Yu Watching the Waterfall", etc.
* Luya Mountain: Located in the middle of Ningwu County, with an area of 321 m$^2$, it is a scenic spot integrating national geological park, national forest park, national nature reserve, national water conservancy scenic area and Chinese folk culture tourism demonstration area. It is the mother of the three Jin Dynasties. River, the source of water in North China, the hometown of North China larch, and the home of spruce. It is also the main protection site for Vairocana Buddha's monastery in China and the world's rare bird Brown-eared Pheasant. Luya Mountain is named after its shape resembling a "Reed Bud". It is 2,736 meters above sea level. On a stone flat of about 10 m$^2$ at the top of the main peak, there is a majestic stone building - the Prince's Palace. According to research, Luya Mountain is the Vairocana Buddha's dojo in China, and the Prince's Hall is the top of the Buddha.
* Laoniuwan: Located at the junction of Shanxi Province and Inner Mongolia, bounded by the Yellow River, it is bordered by Pianguan County in Shanxi to the south, Qingshuihe County in Inner Mongolia on the north bank, and Jungar Banner on the Ordos Plateau to the west. It is a place with three cities. This is where the Great Wall shakes hands with the Yellow River and is one of the ten most beautiful canyons in China. The entire Laoniu Bay tourist area is composed of three bays and one valley, namely Baozi Pagoda Bay, Lao Niu Bay, Si Zuo Pagoda Bay and Yangjiachuan Small Canyon.
* Phoenix Mountains: Known as Biaoshan in ancient times, it is located in the hinterland of the tourism hub of northern Shanxi, in the Tangtou Hot Spring Development Zone at the junction of Xinfu District, Dingxiang County and Yuanping City. Shanxi Dingxiang Fenghuang Mountain Ecological Tourism Area is China's first duplex tourist attraction. The main area consists of the 10,000-acre ecological botanical garden and the Millennium Shentangdu Hot Spring Lehuo Garden. It integrates hot spring health care, ecological tourism, leisure vacation, and complete accommodation, dining, It integrates shopping and conference supporting services. It is a national agricultural tourism demonstration site, the best rural tourism destination in China, the first batch of circular economy pilot parks in Shanxi Province, and a national three-star leisure agriculture creation unit.

## Buy

* Clear mud inkstone: One of the four famous inkstones in China, it is processed and fired with special clay. Due to different firing processes and times, it can be of various colors, and some are multi-colored. Particular attention is paid to carving techniques, including relief, semi-embossed, three-dimensional, through and other varieties. Inkstone body shapes include circle, ellipse, semicircle, square, rectangle, and random shapes. The carving styles include trumpets, ear bottles, two turtles sitting on the waves, sea beasts roaring at the moon, eight monsters fighting against water, antique stone canals and pavilion tiles and other three-dimensional inkstones. The plane carvings include landscape figures, grass, trees and flowers, animals and birds; there are also rhinos looking at the moon, Taishan White Pagoda, Chang'e flying to the moon, etc. These carvings, inkstones, knives and pens are concise, exquisite in craftsmanship, imitating the shape of objects, vivid in image, clever and lively, and amusing. Placed on the desk, it is not only one of the four practical treasures in the study room, but also an art treasure for viewing. Chinese and foreign tourists often buy it as a souvenir.
* Ningwu woodcarving: Ningwu wood carving craftsmanship refers to the use of various broad leaves, tree crowns, and tree roots abundant in Guanlui Mountain in Ningwu to carve and create artistic wooden furniture and craft works with natural shapes and artificial carving aesthetics. The natural secondary forest in the Guanlai Mountains in the county is a famous water conservation timber forest base in Shanxi, and also provides a rich supply of raw materials for local wood carving crafts. Wood carving technology is mainly a creative process that uses tools such as carving knives, chisels, saws, files, axes, and sand to design and process various types of hard wood according to artificial conception to produce various furniture, ornaments, and other works of art. The main processes are divided into design, rough carving, drying, fine carving, grinding and polishing, coloring, waxing and painting. The artistic works have natural and lifelike images, vivid expressions, beautiful shapes, and simple and appropriate concepts. They have become precious local furniture collections and tourist souvenirs.
* Dai County Rice: There are more than 50,000 acres of tidal flats on both sides of the Hutuo River in Dai County, starting from Ekou Town in the east and ending at Yangmingbao in the west. The climate here is humid and mild, with a frost-free period of 170 days. These conditions constitute an ideal growing environment for rice. Dai County rice is famous for its large grain size, white and delicate texture, high protein and strong adaptability.

## Eat

* Dingxiang Steamed Pork: A famous dish of the Han people in the northern part of Dingxiang, Shanxi. According to legend, it was a tribute to the local court and is also one of the must-have delicacies for local folk banquets. The ingredients are mainly lean pork, supplemented by starch, vegetable oil and various condiments. It has the characteristics of being fragrant with meat and not getting greasy after eating more.
* Oatmeal noodles: One of the top ten noodles in Shanxi. Among them, Xinzhou's method is the most typical: add double the boiling or cold water to make the noodles, push one on the smooth surface with the palm of your hand, and roll it with your index finger to make a tube shape like a "cat's ear", about 2.5 cm long, as thin as leaves, light yellow in color.
* Baode bowl holder: It is a traditional Han snack in Baode County, Xinzhou, Shanxi Province. The unique flavor makes it a top-quality snack. Bowl holder, as the name suggests, is made by putting the paste made of soba noodles into a bowl, steaming it in a basket and letting it cool, and then pull out a "bowl" that is similar in shape to the bowl. The buckwheat noodles used in the authentic Botoku "Wantuo" are sifted out the thick and black ones, leaving the white and thin ones, which are called "upper buckwheat noodles". Baode County is rich in buckwheat, and the buckwheat noodle bowls made from it are crystal clear and bright, pinkish white and slightly green, with fine texture, soft, smooth, tender, fragrant and sharp taste.

## Drink

Shanxi Xinzhou Camellia oleifera is a delicacy with a long history and unique taste. Its legend and history are long, and it is said that it can be traced back to the Tang Dynasty. At that time, a Taoist priest was hungry while walking in the mountains, so he mixed some tree fruits, tea leaves, peanuts and other materials together and cooked it into a delicious drink. This delicacy began to spread and developed into a local traditional specialty food, and it has become a representative delicacy in Shanxi Province.

## Sleep

* Xinzhou Fanhua Hotel
* Days Hotel Xinzhou
* Xinzhou Yunzhonghe Fangcao RV Campground

## Go next

* Taiyuan The Jinci Park - It comprises of over 100 halls, towers, pavilions, terraces, and bridges