If you finished Black Myth: Wukong and immediately Googled "where is that temple?", you are not alone. The 2024 action-RPG 鈥?China's first true AAA title, built by Shenzhen studio Game Science and inspired by the 16th-century novel Journey to the West 鈥?did more than top Steam charts worldwide. It sent a wave of travelers to the real places behind its landscapes. Of the 36 real-world locations recreated in the game, 27 are in a single province: Shanxi.
This guide is for foreign tourists who want to turn a screen obsession into a real trip. We cover exactly which sites appear in the game, how to reach them, when to go, what to book in advance, and a realistic 5-day "Wukong route" you can actually follow in 2026.
When Black Myth: Wukong launched on August 20, 2024, it became an overnight global phenomenon 鈥?over 2.2 million concurrent players on Steam within a day, and critical praise for its world-class art. But the game did something unusual for a video game: it turned into a tourism campaign. Shanxi Province quietly holds the densest collection of surviving pre-modern wooden architecture in China (well over half of the country's oldest wooden structures stand here), yet it had long flown under the international radar compared with Beijing or Xi'an.
The numbers tell the story. According to the Shanxi Provincial Department of Culture and Tourism, searches for "Shanxi" on Ctrip jumped more than 10% the day after launch, and bookings at one featured filming location rose 236% year-on-year. On August 23, 2024, visitor numbers across the 27 Shanxi sites in the game jumped 22% to 126,600 in a single day. On August 22, the province launched "Traveling with Wukong in Shanxi" (璺熺潃鎮熺┖娓稿北瑗? 鈥?three themed routes plus an eight-day self-driving tour built entirely around the game's real locations.
For foreign travelers, this is the moment to visit: the sights are world-class, the infrastructure is improving fast, and you'll arrive before the rest of the world catches on.
The game's Shanxi locations sprawl across the province, but for first-time visitors the practical cluster is in the north (Datong), the center (Taiyuan & Jinzhong/Pingyao), and a longer southern stretch (Changzhi & Jincheng). You do not need to see all 27. The smart move is to focus on the Datong鈥揟aiyuan鈥揚ingyao spine, which is fully connected by high-speed rail and contains the most iconic Wukong backdrops.
| Must-See (core) | Worth-It (if time allows) | Deep-Cut (southern Shanxi) |
|---|---|---|
| Yungang Grottoes, Hanging Temple, Huayan Temple (Datong); Jinci (Taiyuan); Pingyao Ancient City | Yingxian Wooden Pagoda, Datong City Wall | Guangsheng Temple, southeastern colored-sculpture temples (Changzhi/Jincheng) |
Datong, a former Northern Wei and Liao鈥揓in capital in northern Shanxi, is where the game's most jaw-dropping architecture lives. Budget two full days here.
A UNESCO World Heritage site and the province's headline attraction. Carved in the 5th century, the complex holds 252 caves and more than 51,000 Buddha statues. Cave 20's colossal open-air seated Buddha 鈥?sunlight on weathered sandstone 鈥?is the image most players recognize. Allow 3鈥? hours; arrive at opening (about 9 a.m.) to beat both heat and crowds. It sits roughly 16 km west of Datong city; a dedicated tourist bus or DiDi gets you there in 40 minutes.
About 1.5 hours south of Datong in Hunyuan County, this is the single most "is this real?" sight in Shanxi. A temple complex clings to a sheer cliff on Hengshan Mountain, supported by wooden crossbeams driven into the rock some 1,500 years ago. It is the only temple in China that blends Buddhism, Taoism, and Confucianism under one roof. Book the timed ticket several days ahead in peak season 鈥?the upper plank-walk section (the part that appears in the game) sells out first and has separate, limited tickets.
Inside Datong city, this Liao- and Jin-dynasty temple complex is a masterclass in wooden architecture: towering halls, vivid colored statues, and a famous upside-down pavilion. Easier to reach than the Grottoes or Hanging Temple, it's a perfect half-day between train arrivals.
About an hour from Datong (in Shuozhou's Yingxian County), this is the world's oldest and tallest wooden pagoda 鈥?roughly 67 meters, built in 1056 during the Liao dynasty, and constructed without a single nail. It has survived earthquakes and wars for nearly a millennium. You can no longer climb it (structural conservation), but viewing it from the ground is unforgettable. Pair it with a morning at the Grottoes or Hanging Temple as a side trip.
Shanxi's capital, Taiyuan, is the transport hub and home to Jinci Temple (鏅嬬) in its southwest suburbs. Founded over 1,400 years ago and rebuilt across dynasties, Jinci is dedicated to the second son of the founder of the Zhou dynasty. Its "three treasures" are the ever-flowing Nanlao Spring, the 42 beautifully carved Song-dynasty maid sculptures, and the graceful cross-shaped "Flying Bridge" over the water. Jinci is older and, to many, more atmospheric than the flashier northern sites 鈥?and it is right on the rail line between Datong and Pingyao.
A short high-speed rail hop from Taiyuan, Pingyao Ancient City (骞抽仴鍙ゅ煄) is a fully intact Ming鈥換ing walled county town and a UNESCO site. Unlike open-air museums, Pingyao is lived-in: you can walk or cycle the 6 km city wall, explore the Rishengchang draft bank (China's first), wander the Ming鈥換ing Street bazaar, and watch the immersive 鍙堣骞抽仴 (See Pingyao Again) show. It makes an ideal relaxed base after the monument-heavy north, and its lantern-lit lanes at night feel straight out of a period drama.
The province's tourism board packaged the game's locations into three signposted themed routes. You can follow them loosely even without a car.
| Route | Theme | Key Stops |
|---|---|---|
| Route 1 鈥?North | Grotto & cliff architecture | Datong: Yungang Grottoes, Hanging Temple, Huayan Temple, plus Yingxian Wooden Pagoda |
| Route 2 鈥?Center | Jin merchants & walled cities | Taiyuan (Jinci), Pingyao Ancient City, surrounding merchant courtyards |
| Route 3 鈥?South | Colored sculpture & temple art | Changzhi / Jincheng: Guangsheng Temple and the southeastern sculpted temples |
There is also an official eight-day self-driving tour that strings all three together. For foreign tourists without a Chinese driving license, the rail-plus-driver combination is easier: the Datong鈥揟aiyuan鈥揚ingyao spine is fully on high-speed rail, and you can hire a local car for the grotto-and-pagoda day trips around Datong.
Fly into Datong Yungang Airport (limited international connections 鈥?most visitors connect via Beijing or Xi'an) or, more reliably, take the train. The upgraded Beijing鈥揇atong high-speed rail now gets you to Datong in about 2 hours; Taiyuan is a major hub with frequent services; and Xi'an鈥揟aiyuan is roughly 3 hours by bullet train. See our China High-Speed Rail Guide 2026 for booking walkthroughs.
The sweet spots are May鈥揓une and September鈥揙ctober: mild temperatures, blue skies, and good light for photography. Summer is hot (Datong stays a pleasant ~26掳C, but Taiyuan and Pingyao are stickier). Winter is brutally cold yet spectacular 鈥?snow on the grottoes and a near-empty Hanging Temple. Check our Best Time to Visit China 2026 guide for a month-by-month breakdown.
Five days (Datong 2, Taiyuan 1, Pingyao 1鈥?) is the sweet spot for the core Wukong sites. Eight days lets you add the southern route and travel at a slower pace.
Datong (Yungang, Hanging Temple, Huayan) 鈫?Yingxian Pagoda 鈫?Taiyuan (Jinci) 鈫?Pingyao. Best for first-timers and tight schedules.
Adds the southern sculpted-temple route (Changzhi/Jincheng) and more buffer time. Best if you're a devoted player or photographer.
Not at all. The architecture, sculpture, and history stand entirely on their own. Playing the game just adds a fun "I recognize that!" layer 鈥?and gives you a great story for why you came.
Very safe, and increasingly used to visitors thanks to the Wukong boom. English is limited outside the big sites, so a translation app and a little patience go a long way.
Yes. Rail booking, DiDi, and major attractions all work with translation tools, and Trip.com lists the headline sites in English. Hiring a local guide at Datong elevates the experience considerably.
Black Myth: Zhong Kui was announced at Gamescom 2025, so expect renewed interest in Shanxi's heritage 鈥?and possibly new "Wukong-adjacent" routes 鈥?through 2026 and beyond.