Dragon Boat Festival Holiday Trip

Taking advantage of the Dragon Boat Festival holiday, I chose nearby Yuncheng, Shanxi as my travel destination. Over two days, I visited some famous attractions. On the first day, I arrived at Yongji North Station around noon and took the tourist shuttle to Pujiu Temple. Although I've never read "The Romance of the Western Chamber," the saying "All temples avoid romance, except Pujiu in Shanxi" establishes its special status. For lunch, I tried Yingying Restaurant opposite the scenic area - their dumplings and marou soup are truly worth trying. In the afternoon, I continued by tourist shuttle to Stork Tower. The scenic area is small, with the tower itself being the main attraction. While visually impressive, it's unfortunate the original structure was destroyed long ago without even ruins remaining. In the evening, I took a high-speed train to Yuncheng North Station, then a bus to Galaxy Commercial Street for the famous Rock Fried Chicken. Be sure to find the original store in the alley - spicy but delicious, generous portions at reasonable prices, and don't miss the cold dishes at the entrance. After dinner, I checked into Lavande Hotel (Yuncheng Yongle Street High-Speed Rail Station Branch) where the front desk provided warm service and even offered local attraction postcards with stamps for collection. The next morning's hotel breakfast buffet offered wide variety and good taste. As the attractions were remote and scattered, I rented a car for my tour. First stop was Yuncheng Guan Gong's Hometown Cultural Tourism Area - my favorite site showcasing Guan Yu's life story and later generations' reverence, with exquisite architecture worth savoring. Next was Yongle Palace - don't miss the murals, cultural relics so precious the Japanese searched for seven years unsuccessfully, leaving me in awe of ancient artisans' skills. My third stop was Yuncheng Salt Lake, where I was lucky to see the giant Guan Yu statue en route. The salt lake is best appreciated via drone or with prior research on viewing spots - otherwise you might leave disappointed like us, though Salt Pond Avenue's No. 006 streetlight makes a great photo spot. For dinner, I tried local specialty Lamb Hubo, similar to lamb paomo but with shredded pancakes, offering rich flavor. Unfortunately, due to time constraints, I missed Feiyun Tower in the city center and Wanrong County - a slight regret for next time.