Voices of foreigners

In July a group of 14 foreign journalists, travel writers, diplomats and press photographers traveled to Shanxi at the invitation of China Daily and the Shanxi Tourism Authority. The five-day tour included some of the most popular destinations in the North China province - the ancient city of Pingyao, Qiao's Grand Courtyard, the Hanging Monastery, Wutai Mountain and the Yungang Grottoes. The following are impressions from the group members. Find more about the trip at www.chinadaily.com.cn/regional/2015discoveringchina.html

While expanding business sectors are gradually changing the cityscapes into metropolitan areas of international standard, the calmer side of Shanxi still remains and is ready to be explored. This is where the real cultural treasures of the province are to be discovered and from where traditional customs, stories and myths have spread all over China, becoming an integral part of the country's historical past.

Marcel Schneider, attach, Switzerland

As a food lover, I was lucky to sample all kinds of local dishes, from noodles to fried buns with red bean paste and dishes with meat that melted on my tongue. I especially remember the cold noodles with vegetables and vinegar; which I could definitely eat every day. My opinion of Shanxi has changed, in a positive way. I now know Shanxi has a lot more to offer than just the Yungang Grottoes and Pingyao. I would love to go hiking and camping in Shanxi one day and would recommend others do so also.

Yvonne Horst, travel blogger, Netherlands

Shanxi's history is a rich one. From China's first banks to its tofu barons, it offers a mass amount of cultural spectacle; but its cuisine runs as deep as its mines, unearthing gastronomic gems for even the most precious of palates.

Luigi Di Gennaro, teacher, Canada

The Yungang Grottoes are the largest example of their kind in the world. The cave walls look like charming 3-D paintings with no space wasted. These fascinating images spoke to me of stories from ancient times and the peacefulness of the site made me want to stay longer.

Liubov Kosachevskaya, travel blogger, Russia

Qiao's Grand Courtyard and Pingyao in Shanxi province impress tourists with their cultural history, architecture and food, and the Shanxi residents also leave visitors with lasting memories. They treat tourists, especially foreigners, with warmth and friendliness. During my time in Shanxi, I always felt warmly welcomed by the local people. The province left me with unforgettable memories.

Thanin Yous, freelance photographer, Cambodia

Shanxi boasts a new and extensive highway system, again with destination names also in Latin script. While the larger cities such as Taiyuan and Datong have their share of road congestion, as do all Chinese cities, the highways were relatively free of excessive traffic build-up and offered fantastic scenery to travelers. Impressive and frequent rest stops allow for creature comforts and make for a welcome break while traveling.

Holger Briel, director of communications department of Xi'an Jiaotong-Liverpool University, Germany

Over the past 2,000 years, Wutai Mountain has come to be respected not just among Chinese monks, but also across Asia, with Indian monks earlier on and later, Tibetan and Mongolian monks also making pilgrimages to the site. Wutai Mountain is a perfect example of harmony between Han and Tibetan Buddhism. The site has also had lamaseries and nunneries, some of which remain today, where only the best get the opportunity to study, coming from all over China. It has functioned as the nucleus of Han Buddhism and is in some ways the most sacred of the four Buddhist holy mountains.

Deepankar Aron, consul, India

(China Daily 08/13/2015 page6)