Roaming Shanxi: An Encounter with Autumn Hues (Northern Shanxi)

秋意渐浓，正是出游好时节。山西的秋天，仿佛一幅徐徐展开的斑斓画卷，尤其是晋北地区，在金风的吹拂下，展现出苍茫而绚烂的独特气质。不妨放慢脚步，走进这片土地，感受秋日里最动人的景致。

As autumn deepens, it becomes the perfect season for travel. The autumn in Shanxi unfolds like a slowly spreading, brilliantly colored scroll, especially in the northern part, which, under the caress of the cool autumn breeze, reveals a unique character—both vast and vibrant. Why not slow your pace, step into this land, and experience its most moving seasonal scenery.

大同土林：黄土高原上的秋日奇观

Datong Soil Forest: An Autumn Marvel on the Loess Plateau

大同土林位于大同市云州区杜庄村，是华北地区唯一的土林景观。历经风雨侵蚀，这里形成了似古堡非古堡、似雕塑非雕塑的奇异地貌，被誉为“黄土高原上的魔鬼之城”。

Located in Du Village, Yunzhou District, Datong City, the Datong Soil Forest is the only such landscape in North China. Sculpted by years of wind and water erosion, it forms a strange topography resembling ancient castles yet not quite, resembling sculptures yet not quite, earning it the title “Devil’s City on the Loess Plateau.”

秋日的大同土林更显苍凉壮美。植被稀疏，土台、土柱、土崖在夕阳的映照下，呈现出红、黄、灰等多重色调。光影流转间，时而如金辉洒落，时而似火焰燃烧，时而又如深渊般沉静，构成一幅荒凉而原始的秋日画卷。

In autumn, the Datong Soil Forest appears even more desolate and majestic. With sparse vegetation, the earthen platforms, pillars, cliffs, and ridges display hues of red, yellow, and gray under the setting sun. As light and shadow shift, the scene transforms—sometimes golden, sometimes flaming red, sometimes deep as an abyss—composing a stark, primitive, and magnificent autumn picture.

偏关老牛湾：黄河与长城的秋日交响

Pianguan Laoniuwan: An Autumn Symphony of the Yellow River and the Great Wall

偏关老牛湾地处忻州市偏关县，是黄河进入山西的第一站，也是长城与黄河唯一交汇之处，素有“中国最美十大峡谷”之一的美誉。

Pianguan Laoniuwan is situated in Pianguan County, Xinzhou City. It is the first place where the Yellow River enters Shanxi and the only point where the Great Wall and the Yellow River meet, often described as their “handshake.” It is renowned as one of “China’s Top Ten Most Beautiful Gorges.”

秋色中的老牛湾，山崖黄褐，秋叶斑斓，与碧蓝的黄河水形成鲜明对比，诗意而壮阔。站在高处远眺，可见黄河在峡谷间拐出一个近乎直角的大弯，静谧而蜿蜒。山脚下的老牛湾古村，石屋古朴，烽火台巍然，秋风吹过，仿佛能听见历史深处的回响。

Clad in autumn colors, Laoniuwan presents a striking contrast between the yellow-brown cliffs, multicolored autumn leaves, and the turquoise waters of the Yellow River, creating a poetic and spectacular vista. From a high vantage point, one can overlook the Yellow River making an almost right-angled bend through the steep gorge, its waters flowing quietly and sinuously. Below, the ancient village of Laoniuwan, built entirely of stone, sits under the ancient beacon tower. As the autumn wind blows, it feels as if one can hear echoes from the depths of history.