Yuncheng

Yuncheng (运城; Yùnchéng) is a city in Shanxi Province in China.

Get in

Yuncheng is connected to the China high speed rail network via Yuncheng North station. There are frequent services to Xi'an, Taiyuan and Beijing. Daily direct services connect Yuncheng with Chengdu (and on to Kunming), Chongqing, Qingdao, Jinan and Lanzhou. Those wishing to travel south via Zhengzhou will need to change in Xi'an or take a bus to SanMenXia station to connect with the high speed rail network there. There is also Yuncheng railway station which caters for the regular trains which travel generally overnight to other destinations. If you are travelling onwards to Luoyang, taking a bus is recommended as the only direct trains take 6 hours and the bus is just over 2½ hours.

From Yuncheng North Station, you can take a local bus (number 7) to the center of Yuncheng, it passes the central bus station (if you need to go to SanMenXia) and on to the regular slow train station. Number 14 will take you to Nanfeng Square via Walmart (both have Western food options). There is no direct bus link between the North Station and the airport, however a taxi will cost around ¥20.

Yuncheng Guangong Airport (YCU) has flights from Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and several other key cities with at least a once a day service. Its popularity has waned in view of the increased long-distance services using the high speed rail network but it is a good option if time is critical.

Bus service number 2 will take you from the airport bus station (across the road from the airport arrivals) to the main bus station, it is ¥2. A taxi will cost around ¥30.

Get around

There is an efficient local bus service covering the majority of tourist attractions. Fares generally are ¥1-2 depending on the distance. Taxis are plentiful, although it helps to have the destination in Chinese and ensure the driver uses the meter.

See

• 1 Yongle Palace (Yongle Temple), 78 Yongle Street North, Ruicheng County (芮城县永乐北街78号) (68 km from the Yuncheng urban area; take a bus to Ruicheng County from Yuncheng Central Bus Station. The temple is about 3 km north of the Ruicheng County Bus Station), ☏ +86 359-3011491. 08ː00-18ː00. Yongle Palace ("Palace of Eternal Joy") is renowned for its many Yuan Dynasty murals, which are considered to be some of the finest artistic treasures in China. It is the largest of all Taoist temples remaining from the Yuan Dynasty. This important Taoist temple complex was not always located where it is now; it was moved brick-by-brick, painting-by-painting from 1959 - 1964 to allow for the construction of the Sanmen Gorge Reservoir on the Yellow River. Fortunately, the priceless murals for which the palace is best known were well preserved in the move. The original monastery was built between 1247 and 1262 to commemorate Lu Dongbin, one of the eight Taoist imortals, who was born in the town of Yongle in 789. The full complex took 111 years to build and was complted in 1358. The palace comprises of several buildings constructed along a line running from south to north. In each of the main halls, the walls are covered by vivid paintings which are considered the most outstanding examples of Taoist painting in China. ¥60.  

Guan Di Temple.

• 2 Haizhou Guan Di Temple (解州关帝祖庙, Hàizhōu guān dì zǔ miào), 145 Wu Yi Road, Haizhou Town, Yanhu District (盐湖区解州镇五一路145号) (catch bus no. 11 from Yuncheng Railway Station), ☏ +86 359 2808369. April to November: 08:00-18:00; December to March: 09:00-17:00. There are countless Guan Di temples in China and overseas, but the Guan Di Temple in Shanxi's Haizhou County is undoubtedly the finest and most famous. This is because Guan Yu (often called the "God of War" in the West), to whom the temple is dedicated, was born in nearby Changping Village, making this a logical place for the main ancestral temple honoring this popular god. The complex is divided into southern and northern sections. Visitors first enter from the southern section, which consists primarily of gardens, rockeries, and an archway. The main part of the Guan Di Temple is in the northern section, which in turn is divided into front and back parts. the temple was buit by imperial decree in the year 589, during the Sui Dynasty, and resembles a palace, befitting Guan Yu's status as a "Saintly Emperor" in the Taoist religion. After passing through the main gate, one proceeds in a straight line from one gate or hall to another. Built in 1718, the Chongning Hall is the main temple to Guan Yu in the complex. At the back of the palace is the Spring and Autumn Building, a magnificent wooden structure built during the Ming Dynasty and rebuilt in 1807. April to November: ¥60; December to March: ¥50.  
• 3 Yuncheng Museum (运城博物馆), Intersection of Yuxi Road and Weinan Street, Yanhu District (盐湖区禹西路与魏南街交汇处) (Bus routes 14, 15, 77, and 88), ☏ +86 359 6359888, ycbwgzyz@163.com. Tu-Su 09:00-17:00, no entry after 16:00, closed on Mondays. Free. (updated Nov 2018)

Do

Guan Di Temple and the Yuncheng Salt Lakes are the major attractions.

Eat

There are many restaurants in Yuncheng, the majority cater to the local market, however there is a McDonald's and numerous KFC outlets. A Starbucks is being built. Nanfeng Square is where the majority of these establishments can be found. There used to be a western restaurant catering to expats but that has now closed, although there are other offerings if you need a fix of western food.

Sleep

There are numerous hotels ranging in price and quality. Most will not accept foreign guests, so check first. A good choice is the Green Tree Inn which is opposite the main bus station. Reasonably priced and very central.

Connect

Yuncheng North Station is on the China high-speed rail network. See the comments in the get in section.

Go next

Depending on your travel direction, either Pingyao, Luoyang or Xi'an.