A Buddha 162 Years Older Than the Leshan Giant Buddha ------ Mengshan is located in Kaihua Gully, with its main peak standing at an altitude of 1,325 meters. It is a sacred Buddhist site and summer retreat in Jinyang, boasting glorious histories such as the ancient Kaihua Temple, Ganquan Temple, and the summer palace of Liu Zhiyuan, Emperor of the Northern Han Dynasty. Emperor Xiaojing of the Eastern Wei Dynasty once decreed that Tanluan, the founder of the Pure Land Sect of Buddhism, reside at Dayan Temple (…
The ancient city of Jinyang was established in the mid-to-late Spring and Autumn Period (497 BC). Dong Anyu, a retainer of Zhao Jianzi, a powerful minister of the State of Jin, chose an advantageous location backed by Longshan Mountain to the west and fronted by the Fen River to the east, and built the city of Jinyang, described as “four zhang high with a perimeter of four li.” It has a history of over 2,500 years. It once served as the capital of the State of Yue during the Warring States period, a secondary capital during the Northern Qi Dynasty…
Jinyang Lake is located in Jincheng Town at the southern end of Taiyuan City, the provincial capital. It lies to the east of the Jinci Loop Road, to the west of Taiyuan No. 1 Thermal Power Plant — the largest in the province, and to the south of the historic ancient Jinyang City and the world-renowned Jinci tourist attraction. Originally an artificial reservoir dug for the power plant in the early years of the People’s Republic of China, it has now been developed into a tourist destination. The lake covers a water area of 5.1 square…
Era: Tang and Song Dynasties Address: Sidi Village, Luocheng Subdistrict, Jinyuan District, Taiyuan City The original site of Kaihua Temple is located on the northern peak of Mengshan Mountain. Its founding date is unknown. It was called Dayan Temple because there were rocks behind the temple. In the second year of the Tianbao era of the Northern Qi Dynasty (551 AD), a Buddha statue was carved out of the rock behind the temple, and about 800 meters south of the temple, another temple was built and granted the name “Kaihua”...
Jinyuan Ashoka Pagoda (Fourth Batch of Provincial-Level Protected Sites) Era: Ming Dynasty Address: Guchengying Village, Jinyuan Subdistrict, Jinyuan District, Taiyuan City The Jinyuan Ashoka Pagoda is located in the east of Guchengying Village, Jinyuan Subdistrict, Jinyuan District, Taiyuan City. It was originally an auxiliary structure of Hui Ming Temple. According to the 1551 edition of the Taiyuan Prefecture Records from the Ming Dynasty's 30th year of the Jiajing reign, it was first built in the 2nd year of the Renshou era of the Sui Dynasty (…
Jinyuan Confucius Temple (Jinyuan Confucius Temple / Fourth Batch Provincial-Level Protected Site) Era: Ming Dynasty Address: East Jinyuan Street, Jinyuan Subdistrict Office, Jinyuan District, Taiyuan City The Jinyuan Ashoka Pagoda is located east of Guchengying Village, Jinyuan Subdistrict, Jinyuan District, Taiyuan City. It was originally an auxiliary structure of Hui Ming Temple. According to the 1551 Taiyuan Prefecture Annals from the Ming Dynasty's 30th year of the Jiajing reign…
Tai Shan Longquan Temple Tai Shan Longquan Temple (Fourth Batch Provincial Protected Site) Era: Ming and Qing Dynasties Address: Tai Shan, Fengyu Valley, Jinyuan District, Taiyuan City Tai Shan Longquan Temple is located on the sunny side of Tai Shan within Fengyu Valley, Jinyuan District, Taiyuan City. The temple faces south and measures 129 meters from north to south and 49 meters from east to west, covering an area of 6,300 square meters. According to historical records and inscriptions within the temple…
Mingxiu Temple (Sixth Batch of National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units) Era: Ming to Qing Dynasties Address: Wangguo Village, Jinci Town, Jinyuan District, Taiyuan City Originally built during the Han Dynasty, it was destroyed in war and rebuilt in the 21st year of the Jiajing reign of the Ming Dynasty (1541). The temple faces east and has a westward orientation. Existing structures include the front hall, side halls, and the main hall, covering a total area of 1,144 square meters. The main hall is five bays wide and three bays deep…
The Changchun Temple in Taiyuan was originally built during the Yuan Dynasty, commonly known as Shangting Temple, and has a history of over 800 years. It was constructed by Song Defang, also known as Pi Yunzi, the fifth disciple of Qiu Chuji and a renowned Taoist priest. He also rebuilt the Longshan Haotian Temple and expanded the Taoist grottoes on Longshan Mountain. Currently, the Changchun Temple in Taiyuan is a municipal-level cultural heritage site. Located in Jinyuan District, Taiyuan City...
The Tomb of Yu Hong from the Sui Dynasty is located south of Wangguo Village in Jinci Town. In the summer of 1999, villager Wang Qiusheng discovered it while clearing the path in front of his house. It was designated by the National Cultural Heritage Administration as one of the top ten archaeological discoveries in China for 1999. The tomb is a single-chamber brick structure with a sloping passageway. The chamber has an arc-sided square floor plan. The remaining artifacts include a white marble stone outer coffin, an octagonal white marble stone column...
During the spring and summer of 1988, a grand tomb from the late Spring and Autumn Period was excavated at the foot of Longshan Mountain, 3 kilometers northwest of the ancient city of Jinyang. The tomb’s burial system, scale, and the richness and exquisite craftsmanship of its funerary objects were rare in recent archaeological discoveries. The tomb is shaped like an inverted bell (dou-shaped), with stones and charcoal laid above and below the wooden coffin chamber. The upper part of the coffin chamber shows clearly defined layers of charcoal, gravel,...
Stained with Blood—Chiqiao
The Abode of the Northern God of Martial Valor —— Beiji Palace is located 5.5 kilometers from the provincial capital, on the east side of Xinjinci Road within Xizhai Village, 0.5 kilometers west of Jinyang Lake. Also known as the Zhenwu Temple, Beiji Palace enshrines Zhenwu Dadi, the supreme deity of the north in Taoism. Originally built in the early Ming Dynasty, it covers an area of 9,000 square meters and boasts a solemn and majestic presence. In the 1990s...
Shanxi JinongzhiChuang Agricultural Expo Park Co., Ltd. was established in 2005. It is the only comprehensive service-oriented enterprise in our province that integrates agriculture and tourism. It has been successively recognized by provincial and municipal authorities as a “Recommended Tourism Shopping Destination,” “AAAAA-Level Tourism Shopping Center,” “Shanxi Characteristic Agricultural Products (Taiyuan)…”
• In ancient times, Tianlong was famed for its Eight Scenic Spots, boasting beautiful landscapes and the Tianlongshan Grottoes on the mountain. Scenic Introduction: The Tianlong Mountain Scenic Area includes three natural villages—Wupo, Nanping, and Yaotou—in Jinci Town, as well as Nanshan and Beishan (i.e., Tianlong Mountain) at the head of Liuzigou. The area features stunning scenery, tranquility, and cool breezes. Historically celebrated for its "Eight Scenic Spots of Tianlong," it is a renowned tourist destination…
Tai Shan in Taiyuan is located 23 kilometers southwest of Taiyuan City, to the north of Fengyu Valley. Surrounded by lush forests and ancient cypresses, temples are hidden within and not easily seen without ascending. The name "Tai Shan" first appeared in the "Book of Song" written by Shen Yue. Legend has it that during the Northern Han Dynasty, there was a local mountain man named Shi Gandang, known for his bravery, and the mountain where he lived became famous as a result. It is particularly worth mentioning...
• Located within the Jin Temple scenic area, it is the largest existing theater from the Ming and Qing dynasties, with large jars buried at the four corners to amplify sound. Attraction introduction: As you enter the gate of the Jin Temple, the first building you see is the Water-Mirror Stage. It is an ancient stage for theatrical performances, built during the Ming and Qing periods. The Water-Mirror Stage combines the architectural styles of pavilions, platforms, halls, and towers...
• The four small golden figures have remained rust-free for a thousand years and are humorously referred to as ancient stainless steel. Their legendary tales are widely spread in Taiyuan. Attraction introduction: The Golden Statues Terrace, also known as the Lotus Terrace, is located within the tourist area of the Jin Temple in Taiyuan. The so-called "golden people" refer to iron men or iron warriors. Among the four iron figures, the one in the southwest corner is the most...
The Guan Yu Temple was built in a relatively flat pine forest on the mountainside of the eastern peak of Tianlong Mountain, and only the main hall remains today. It is three bays wide and two bays deep, with a flush-gable roof style. The front eaves have a porch, the central bay features a latticed door, and the side bays have latticed windows. Inside the hall, there is an altar with a canopy, housing a seated statue of Guan Yu. Beneath the hall, only one statue of a warrior remains; although its arms are broken and the colors have faded, its heroic spirit still remains. The three inner walls are painted with a continuous mural, created in ink wash, with finely detailed and vivid figures, and the brushwork is highly successful. The mural content is based on descriptions of Guan Yu’s deeds from Luo Guanzhong’s Romance of the Three Kingdoms, such as “Warm Wine and the Beheading of Hua Xiong,” “Passing Through Five Passes and Slaying Six Generals,” and “Single Saber Meeting.” The inscriptions are donated by local patrons and are of considerable value for studying the changes in local villages.
Tianlong Mountain, originally named Fangshan, is a branch of the Lüliang Mountain Range, standing at an elevation of 1,700 meters. It is located 36 kilometers southwest of Taiyuan and 14 kilometers from the Jinci Scenic Area, with a dedicated highway connecting the site. The mountain features towering peaks cloaked in dark green hues, shaded by lush pine and cypress trees, with streams murmuring through valleys and a cool climate. As early as the Eastern Wei Dynasty, Gao Huan built a summer palace here, and during the Northern Qi Dynasty, Emperor Gao Yang constructed Tianlong Temple…