『Shanxi Province』

hanxi province, abbreviated as “Jin”, is situated in Northern China, and adjacent to Hebei, Henan, Inner Mongolia and Shaanxi. It is so called for the reason of its location on the west side of Taihang mountains. Covering an area of over 150,000 square kilometers, Shanxi has a population of 32,97 million, which includes the Hans, Huis, Manchurians, Mongolians and other ethnic peoples. Taiyuan is the capital city of the province.

Shanxi, on eastern side of the middle reaches of the Yellow river has an average altitude of 1,000 meters and mountains make up 70% of the total area of the province, so it is generally known as the Shanxi plateau. The main mountains in the province are Taihang, Luliang, Zhongtiao and the famous buddhist mountain –Wutai mountain.
Shanxi is a province with many historical sites and cultural relics, as well as scenic areas. Datong, Pingyao, Xinjiang, Daixian and Qixian are listed as the national historical and cultural cities. Main tourist spots are ancient city of Pingyao and Yungang Grottoes, which are on the list of the world cultural heritages; scenic spots of Wutai mountain, Hengshan mountain and Hukou waterfalls on the Yellow river; cultural and historical sites such as jin shrine in Taiyuan, Shuanglin temple in Pingyao, wooden pagoda of Yingxian, Huayan temple in Datong, Midair(Hanging) temple in Hunyuan, Niangzi, Pingxing and Yanmen passes of the great wall .

The Ancient City Of PingYao

Situated in the middle of Shanxi province, Pingyao has a history of over 2,700 years. It was firstly built during the Zhou dynasty (1066bc -221bc) and was expanded in 1370, the third year of the reign period of Ming emperor Hongwu. It is the earliest and largest ancient city in China, and reputed as “the history museum of architectural art of the Ming and Qing dynasties”.

Jin Shrine

The Jin shrine stands at the foot of Xuanweng mountain, 25 kilometers southwest of Taiyuan. It was built in memory of Shu Yu, the founder of the state of jin. The jin shrine is famous for its scenic beauty. All buildings in the shrine were laid out ingeniously and surrounded by ancient trees. In the hall of holy mother there are 43 statues of young maids sculptured in the song dynasty. The statues, the pines planted during the zhou dynasty and the Nanlao spring are known as the three rarities of the Jin shrine.

Wooden Pagoda

The wooden pagoda, standing in the temple of buddhist palace in Ying county, was originally built in 1056 in Liao dynasty. The octagonal pagoda is 67.13 meter high and 30.27 meters in diameter at the foundation, which makes it the oldest and tallest of its kind. from the outside, the pagoda appears to be a five-storied building with six layers of eaves, but there are another four stories hidden. It houses many cultural relics such as color-sculptures and frescoes.

Midair Temple

First built during the northern Wei dynasty, the midair temple is located at the cliff between the peaks of Tianfengling and the Cuipingfeng of the Hengshan mountains. The whole temple was built on the rock face of a sheer cliff and the highest place in the temple is about 50 meters above ground, like a palace suspending on the cliff face. The temple has more than 40 halls and rooms, house 78 bronze, iron, colored clay and stone statues.

YunGang Grottoes

The Yungang grottoes, one of the largest grottoes in China, lies on the mount Wuzhou in Datong city. Consisting of a number of honeycomb-shaped grottoes, it was carved into the slope of the mountain, extending about one kilometer from east to west. With the construction of it beginning in 453, the grottoes have a history of more than 1,500 years. there are 53 caves, over 1,100 buddhist niches and 51,000 sculptures altogether. In 2001 the yungang grottoes had been put on the list of the world heritage of the unesco. .

WuTai Mountain

Located in the north west of Wutai county, the mountain is one of the four most famous buddhist mountains in China. It consists of five terrace-like peaks, hence the name. The highest peak, north terrace, has an altitude of 3,058 meters, so it is nicknamed as the “roof of north china”. As early as in the eastern Han dynasty, there were temples built here. The 47 temples and the monasteries existing at present, built in different dynasties with various styles, have turned the Wutai mountain into a center of activities for Chinese buddhist. 

HengShan Mountain

Hengshan mountian, the northern sacred mountain, is located about 10 kilometers southward of Hunyuan county and famed as “the famous mountain of the strategic importance”. The mountain consists of two peaks: the Tianfengling on the east and the Cuipingfeng on the west with an altitude of 2,017 meters. The two peaks stand facing each other and form a precipitous natural barrier, where was the just place many strategists contested for. the terrain of the mountain is characterized by “parallel lines of mountains”. The Hengshan mountain scenic area was inscribed on the fist list of major scenic areas and historical sites in the country proclaimed by the state council. major tourist attractions include the midair temple, hall of pure trinity, nine-heaven palace, flying-stone grottoes and so on.

HuKou Waterfalls

Hukou waterfalls is situated at 25 kilometers west of Jixian county. when the Yellow river flows to the place, the water of the river is squeezed by mountains on both banks into a narrow gorge like the spout of a pot and rush rapidly, forming the grand waterfalls with a height of 20 meters. The mountains echo with the deafening sound of the roaring water, which could be heard several kilometers away.