The Yungang Caves, carved in a sandstone cliff outside the city of Datong, feature 53 major caves with 51,000 niches, all filled with statues. Five massive stone Buddhas between 30 & 60 feet tall thought to resemble that first rulers of the Northern Wei dynasty are the centre pieces of this unique Buddhist cave structure.

Afterwards, we visit Pingyao, one of China's best preserved traditional towns. Almost the entirety of this 2,700 year-old walled city in northern China consists of traditional cobbled streets and classically-styled courtyard homes. When Pingyao became China's pre-eminent banking centre two hundred years ago, and as a result one of its most affluent and handsome towns, wealthy industrialists built imposing mansions in its suburbs. One such residence not to be missed is that of the Qiao Family, whose austerely beautiful home became the setting for Zhang Yimou's famous 1991 movie Raise the Red Lantern.