Yangquan
Eastern Shanxi city on the Taiyuan–Shijiazhuang rail corridor — a break-of-journey stop for Niangzi Pass and the restored Guguan Great Wall in the Taihang, with Xiaohe stone village nearby.
Gate Tower Above, Waterfall Below: How to See Niangzi Pass in Half a Day
Niangzi Pass on the Shanxi–Hebei border combines a Ming gate fort with a spring-fed waterfall and riverside village on one four-site ticket; allow three to four hours, climb to the gate first and finish by the water.
Restored Ramparts in the Taihang: Is Guguan Great Wall Worth Adding to Niangzi Pass?
Guguan in Xinguan village, Pingding, is a recently restored Ming wall-and-gate site with a Great Wall museum; add it to Niangzi Pass if you want to walk actual wall, budget two hours, and confirm the ticket and hours by phone.
Model Commune or Old Stone Village: Dazhai or Xiaohe as a Side Trip from Yangquan?
Pick Xiaohe if you want a Ming–Qing stone village and Shi Pingmei's ancestral home just outside Yangquan city; pick Dazhai, across the line in Xiyang County, if you want the Mao-era model-farming story told on its own terraces.
Get Off Halfway: Using Yangquan as a Stop Between Taiyuan and Shijiazhuang
Yangquan North sits roughly 40 minutes by high-speed rail from both Taiyuan South and Shijiazhuang, so you can break the journey for Niangzi Pass and Guguan in one day by hired car, or stay a night and add Xiaohe or Dazhai.