The Royal Residence of the Prime Minister. [Photo by Wang Zhuangfei/China Daily]

Day 5: Jincheng — Royal Residence of the Prime Minister

With a sightseeing area of more than 10,000 square meters, the Royal Residence of the Prime Minister in Yangcheng county is hard to see as simply a residence. A casual walking tour around the grounds showed that an self-sufficient city could exist within its walls.

Having arrived early on a drizzly, wet day also helped give my visit a ghost-town feel. It was quiet, and it almost seemed as though I had the place to myself. The rose gardens, a live musical performance and the grand finale performance depicting the arrival of Emperor Kangxi were a few of the highlights.

If days were wishes

My five-day visit to Shanxi will forever remain a wonderful memory of my time living in China. I know now that this trip only scratched the surface of a place that deserves to be called a land of splendors. My future visits will definitely include the Yungang Grottoes, the Hukou Waterfall, the Ten-Thousand-Year Ice Cave and the Xuankong Temple — just to name a few amazing sights. A motorcycle tour along the Guoliang Cliff Road in Hui county is a wish I will soon trade in for another day in North China’s Shanxi province.