The Old Town of Pingyao.[Photo by Khalid Sharif/For chinadaily.com.cn]

In April, I learned through WeChat that China Daily and Shanxi province were inviting foreigners to visit on three different trips. The third seemed the most suitable for me and I was selected to join the group as a photographer. I was excited, as I had never had the opportunity to visit this part of China.

On Sept 21, I flew to Taiyuan, where I was met by China Daily staff, taken to the hotel and received a briefing about the trip. We then had dinner, where we learned about the local noodles and watched them being made.

The next morning, we started our journey at the Old Town of Pingyao, founded in the 14th century and renowned for its well-preserved city walls, which we learned were constructed in the third year of the Hongwu Emperor, in 1370.

Being a photographer, it was a very interesting location for me but a rainy day made me a little disappointed. Even though the weather was not ideal, it was a worthwhile experience to walk on the city wall and I managed to take some good photos.