Shanxi Province travel guide

Taiyuan · 2–4 hours

Jinci Temple was first built during the Northern Wei dynasty and was once the ancestral shrine of Ji Yu, the founding ruler of the State of Jin. After many rounds of construction and expansion, it has become a scenic site where natural landscape and historical relics intertwine. Half-hidden among lush trees, clear spring water winds through its shrines and halls, drawing constant praise from visitors. There are three must-see highlights, known as the “Three Wonders of Jinci.” The first is the Ancient Cypresses of Zhou and the Tang Locust, planted during the Northern Zhou dynasty. More than 900 years ago, Ouyang Xiu praised them in verse: “The land's spirit nourishes the grasses and trees, and the ancient cypresses breathe a hazy green.” They still stand tall and vigorous today. The second is the Song-dynasty painted sculptures inside the Holy Mother Hall. The Holy Mother Hall is the main building of Jinci Temple, magnificent and grand, and it houses 43 painted clay sculptures. Their postures are natural and their craftsmanship is exquisite, making them masterpieces in the history of Chinese sculpture. The third is Nanlao Spring, the main source of the Jin River, which flows ceaselessly day and night. Also within Jinci is the stele bearing the “Inscription of Jinci Temple,” personally composed by Emperor Taizong of the Tang dynasty, Li Shimin. It is a particularly precious famous stele.

Pingyao · 2–4 hours

The Pingyao Ancient City Wall is one of the few complete ancient county-level city walls still standing in China. The earliest rammed-earth walls are said to have been built by Yin Jifu, a great general of the Western Zhou dynasty. During the Hongwu era of the Ming dynasty, the wall was expanded on the old foundation into the brick-and-stone structure seen today. The city’s overall layout is shaped like a tortoise, giving rise to the saying “the tortoise plays in the water, mountains face the sun,” which is why Pingyao is also commonly called “Tortoise City.” The old town has six gates, each with its own symbolism: the South Gate is the tortoise’s head, facing the Zhongdu River; outside the city there were originally two wells, likened to the tortoise’s eyes; the North Gate is the tortoise’s tail and the lowest point of the town, so all the city’s rainwater drains out through it; the four gates and barbicans in the east and west are like the tortoise’s paws stretched forward. Only the outer gate of the barbican at the East Lower Gate opens straight to the east. Legend has it that the builders feared the tortoise would crawl away, so they straightened its left leg and tied it to the Lutai Pagoda in Cisi Temple outside the city. The city wall is said to have 3,000 crenellations and 72 small watchtowers, symbolizing Confucius’s 3,000 disciples and 72 sages, so that this bustling commercial city would never lack literary refinement.