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Where the past still feels present

Shanxi reveals how enduring landscapes and ancient communities preserve the country's cultural identity across generations, Michael Rhys Card reports.

By Michael Rhys Card | China Daily | Updated: 2026-08-08 10:57

A view of the bell tower at Yong'an Temple. [Photo by Michael Rhys Card/China Daily]

A different kind of tourism

Today, historic destinations face a difficult challenge: how to welcome visitors while protecting what makes them special. Tourism plays an important role. It supports local communities, encourages preservation and allows more people to experience cultural heritage. But when places become overly commercialized, they risk losing the authenticity that made them valuable in the first place.

Compared with China's most famous destinations, such as Beijing or Shanghai, Shanxi's tourism industry often requires more patience from visitors. Long journeys across the province lead through dramatic landscapes, and the destinations themselves reward those willing to explore.

There are visitors, but many places still retain a sense of peace. They do not feel like artificial re-creations designed only for tourism. Instead, they feel like genuine places where history has continued, and that balance is what allows visitors to truly experience them.

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