Shanxi (山西) Province
 

Shanxi (山西) is to the southwest of Beijing. The name means "west of the Taihang Mountains, as it is separated from the Huabei Plains by the Taihang mountains. It is often referred to as the Coal Sea because it is rich in coal. The province is mostly covered by ranges of hills: the western regions border the Loess Plateaus of Shaanxi and Inner Mongolia, and exhibits the characteristic rolling hills of yellow earth, heavily eroded by rain and flash floods.

Most areas are accessible by bus or by train.  See the train schedule.

The Fen River (Fen He in Chinese) starts in the north, collecting what little rain runs off the parched earth, and meanders down the central valley to meet with the Yellow River (Huang He in Chinese), in the South-western tip of the province. The south of the province, nestling in the bends of the Yellow River, is one of the ancient cultural centers of China. About 200 Palaeolithic and 500 Neolithic sites have been unearthed in the region, as well as 500 tombs, and other ancient rooms.

The capital city, Taiyuan, is in the center of Shanxi (山西). Taiyuan was founded in the Western Zhou (1066 – 771 B.C.). It is one of the main industrial centers in northern central China, with one of the largest steel works in the country, and it is also important for chemicals and heavy industry. Vinegar and spirits from this region are famous throughout China.

Hukou Falls (Movie)

Hukou Falls, pictured on the old 50 RMB note, is a famous location in Shanxi (山西) Province.

Buddhist Grottos, Datong

Hundreds of years ago Buddhists moved to Northern Shanxi (山西) Province where they carved out of the mountains their thousands of Buddhas over the years.  The impressive effort is one similar to a site in Henan Province prepared by the same group of monks years earlier.

Heng Shan, on the the five Buddhist mountains in China is located in Northeast Shanxi (山西) Province.  While it is not one of the more impressive mountains in China, it is a healthy climb at about 2200 meters above sea level.  Like nearly all mountains in China, it has stairs all they way to the top.  Carved into the side of the mountain are several monasteries, still operated today.

Despite the rather drab appearance, there are a number of interesting sites in the center of the city; the remains of the old city walls can still be seen in few places, and there is a rapidly diminishing area of splendid traditional courtyard houses. The main tourist sites include:

1. Jinci Temple

2. Tianlong Mountain

3. Shuangta Temple (Twin Pagoda Temple)

4. Xuanzhong Monastery

5. Longquan Temple

6. Nanshan Temple

7. Puhua Temple
    

Pingyao Historical Town

Originally founded in the 8^th century B.C., Pingyao flourished during the Ming and Qing dynasties, when it became China’s premiere banking center. But as coastal cities rose in prominence in the 20^th century, Pingyao’s importance dwindled and it was left behind in the race for modernization.

As a result, Pingyao is an amazingly well preserved town filled with outstanding examples of Ming and Qing architecture. In fact, Pingyao has retained so many of the features of the 19^th century Han Chinese city that Zhang Yimou’s (director) film, The Red Lantern, was shot here, and the town was recently named a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Like in Datong, there is a large drum tower in the canter of the city. Many of the old streets still remain. Chinese visitors may be more familiar with the area as one in which some of the more decisive battles were fought during the revolution.

Twin Forest Temple, (Shuang Lin Si in Chinese), is a short ride outside the town. The temple houses some stunning woodcarvings, with walls decorated with statues floating in aesthetic atmosphere of delicately carved clouds.
 

Wang’s Houses Courtyard

Wang’s Houses Courtyard is located 12 km East of Lingshi County, which was built in the Qing dynasty, covering an area of 150 000 square meters. The buildings were opened to the public as a gallery of civilian houses on August 18, 1997. It has 26 courtyards, 218 rooms, totalling 11 728 square meters. The Hongmenbu Buildings were opened to the public as Wang’s museum on August 18^th, 1998, it was built between 1762 and 1793, consisting of 28 courtyards, 540 rooms, and covering 19 800 square meters. Wang’s courtyard consists of two parts: Gaojiaya Buildings and the Hongmenbu buildings. It also has spectacular brick carvings, woodcarvings and stone carvings.

Yao Temple

It is said that Yao Temple was originally built during the Jin dynasty. It is located in the Northwestern part of Linfen City. In 658, it moved to the south of the town, it has a history of over 1000 years, and it was rebuilt several times. The Wufeng Pavilion, Yaojin Pavilion, Guangyun Palace, Bedroom Palace and stone carvings dating from Yuan, Ming and Qing dynasties are well preserved.

The Yao Miao Square, which is in front of the Yao Temple, was finished in September 2002. Outside the Yao Temple new old-style Chinese buildings were erected, including a small-scale replica of the Temple of Heaven, etc.
 

Guangsheng Temple

Guangsheng Temple is located 45 kilometres north of Linfen, the temple was originally built in Eastern Han dynasty (147. A.D.), and it has a history of more than 1800 years. The temple consists of three parts: upper, lower and Water God Temples.  Guangsheng Temple has many cultural relics and splendid ancient buildings. The well-preserved pagoda – Flying Rainbow Pagoda -- is the biggest in China. The only large-scale treasure frescoes of the traditional Chinese operas in the country are also found here.

Susan Prison

Susan prison is located in the South of the ancient Scholar Tree of the Hongtong County, with an area of 610 square meters. It was first built in the Ming dynasty (1396), and is the only well preserved prison from the Ming dynasty in existence today.

Susan, whose story is well known all over China, was imprisoned in this jail, hence the name. It is an important place for studying the rules and regulations of the ancient penal system in the feudal China.

Susan’s story has inspired several well known Chinese operas, the Yu Tang Chun, The Women Guards, and The Trial on Three Courts.

Susan was a famous courtier during the Ming dynasty. A young man, who was later to become an important official at the imperial court, fell in love with her. Later Susan was wrongly accused of trying to poison her landlord. She was convicted and thrown to a prison, which later was to carry her name. Luckily enough her former suitor came to her rescue and overturned her sentence.
 

The Great Chinese Scholar Tree

The Great Chinese Scholar Tree is located in the Hongtong County, the Guanji Temple was first built in Tang dynasty, beside an ancient Chinese Scholar Tree from Han dynasty.. The ancient broad road once run under the tree and the old storks made nests on the tree. At the beginning of the Ming dynasty (1368 – 1644), a bureau was set up to handle immigration (many people were sent all over China into the new settlements).

When immigrants set out, they were reluctant to leave their hometown, and looked back again and again. What they could remember their hometown was the great Chinese Scholar Tree and the storks’ nests on the tree.

 For this reason the tree and the nest on the tree became the symbol of leaving one’s birth birthplace against one’s own will. On the day of the Qing Ming Festival every year, the old storks come in large numbers; they stand on the ancient Chinese Scholar Tree, which is a real spectacle for the viewers.

The Great Chinese Scholar Tree Garden is important for the Chinese seeking their roots and worshipping ancestors. The place is located on the northern suburb of the Hongtong County, about 30 minutes from Linfen City. This is the place where the roots of 100,000 Chinese people are, and where many Chinese gather every year to seek their roots. There is a screen wall that bears the inscription “Gen” (root), written by Zhang Ding, the president of the All China Industrial Art School. Since 1911, from April 1^st to April 10^th, a festival of seeking roots and worshipping ancestors is held.

Shanxi (山西) Province covers an area of 156 300 square kilometers. It has a population of 3 000 million.

Taiyuan is the provincial capital; other major cities include Datong, Yangquan, Changzhi, Linfen, etc. Shanxi (山西) is a major coal producing area, it as has both steel and machine building industries, as well as fairly highly developed farming and animal husbandry industries. Educational establishments include the Shanxi (山西) University, Taiyuan Engineering University and the Taiyuan Heavy Machinery Institute. The Shanxi (山西) Teacher’s University is the most important university training teachers. Places to visit include the Yuengang Grottoes with one-thousand-year-old Buddhist rock carvings, the Jinci Temple near Taiyuan City, the Wutai Mountains, the Nine-Dragon Screen at Datong, the Huayan Temple, Xuankong Temple, the Wooden Pagoda in Yingxian County, and the Yongle Palace.