The Heiye Ping Stone Horse Enclosure is located on the mountainside of Heiye Ping in Dong'ershang Village, Qiansuo Township, Wuzhai County. The time of its construction and abandonment is unknown. According to locals, it is a relic from the Song Dynasty. Facing south, it stretches approximately 200 meters from east to west and about 60 meters from north to south, covering an area of around 12,000 square meters. On the southwest side, there is a low stone wall built manually. To the north, it...
The Fengtai Liang Site is located about 200 meters southeast of Zhoujia Village, Yancheng Town, Wuzhai County. It stretches approximately 1,000 meters from east to west and 800 meters from north to south, covering a total area of around 800,000 square meters. The site sits on a riverside terrace, rising in the north and gradually descending toward the south. On the southern cliff, one ash pit was discovered, with a remaining bottom length of about 1.5 meters, a top…
The Dui Fort Ruins are located between Qianduibao Village and Houduibao Village in Hanjialou Township, Wucai County. They stretch approximately 500 meters from east to west and about 100 meters from north to south, covering a total area of 50,000 square meters. The ruins are situated on a terrace along a gully. The depth of the cultural layer is unknown, but surface artifacts are relatively densely distributed. Collected items include fragments of gray pottery and clay-sand red pottery from the Neolithic Age,...
The Daxinzhuang Site is located about 100 meters north of Daxinzhuang Village, Lijiaping Township, Wucai County. It stretches approximately 300 meters from east to west and 200 meters from north to south, covering an area of around 60,000 square meters. The site sits on a riverside terrace on the eastern bank of the Qinglian River, with the terrain higher in the north and lower in the south. Surface collections include fragments of gray pottery made of fine clay, with surfaces either plain or decorated with string patterns,...
For the people of Kelan, the local Bell and Drum Tower is as significant as the Tiananmen Gate is to Beijing. Its importance is evident. The resounding morning bells and evening drums that “echo to the heavens” envelop Mount Lan, inspiring many locals. There is a widely circulated folk tale in Kelan about the Bell and Drum Tower. It is said that during the Qianlong era, three merchants from Ying County, Hunyuan, and Kelan…
Kelan has long been a key transportation route from Taiyuan to Yanmen Pass and on to Inner Mongolia and northern Shaanxi, serving as a protective barrier for the city of Taiyuan. As early as the Northern Qi Dynasty, a section of the Great Wall was built here along with military fortifications, some remnants of which still remain. During the Sui Dynasty, the local area reconstructed parts of the wall along the original Northern Qi foundations. The Song Dynasty Great Wall in Kelan was constructed over a span of more than 700 years through the Northern Qi, Northern Zhou, Sui, and Song dynasties, ultimately taking shape during the Song Dynasty. It has a history of over a thousand years.
Luya Mountain is the main peak of the Guancen Mountain range, located within the territories of Ningwu, Wuzhai, and Kelan counties in Shanxi Province, 26 kilometers southeast of Wuzhai County. It belongs to the Lüliang Mountain range and is described as “connecting to Kelan in the west, stretching toward Ningwu in the east, linking to Jingle in the south, and standing majestically over Wuzhai.” Luya Mountain got its name because its shape resembles a “luya” (a sprouting reed shoot). With an elevation of 2,739 meters, it stands tall and proud among the high mountains and steep ridges...
Heyeping The main peak of Heyeping, located 38 kilometers northeast of the county town, stands at an elevation of 2,784 meters and covers an area of over 30,000 mu, making it the highest point in northwestern Shanxi and the largest alpine meadow in North China. Surrounding Heyeping are 82 mu of pristine secondary forest and 660,000 mu of highland grass slopes. With daytime temperatures around 21 degrees Celsius in summer, it is an ideal destination for escaping the heat and for travel…
Huanghuaping Located 20 kilometers east of the county town, Huanghuaping is a rare subalpine meadow on the Loess Plateau, covering an area of about 15,000 mu, with a meadow thickness of 30–50 centimeters. The meadow is home to various stringy grasses bearing yellow flowers and coexisting medicinal herbs. Visiting Huanghuaping during the fourth and fifth lunar months…
Riverside Park Riverside Park is an urban ecological garden covering an area of 6 hectares, with 5 hectares dedicated to greenery. It features over 5,000 trees of 28 different species, more than 40 acres of lawns, two artificial lakes, and one children's playground. The park boasts an elegant environment and pleasant scenery, making it an ideal spot for locals to relax and visitors to enjoy...
Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center Located in Kelan County, the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center is one of China’s three major satellite launch centers, established in the late 1960s. It is a comprehensive rocket and satellite launch facility equipped with modern testing and launch capabilities as well as high-precision measurement systems. In the center’s historical exhibition hall, visitors can step into the illustrated area...
Martyrs' Cemetery In the solemn and respectful Martyrs' Cemetery, you will see loyal martyrs who, with their sweat and wisdom, youth and lives, composed a magnificent anthem of conquering the universe and dedicating themselves to the nation. In November 1996, the cemetery was approved by the Xinzhou region as a moral education base for local youth. …
The Sanjing Battle Site is located in Sanjing Village, Sanjing Town, Kelan County. On March 10, 1938, two regiments of the 358th and 359th Brigades of the 120th Division of the Eighth Route Army ambushed retreating Japanese forces along the northern bank of the Cungan River as they withdrew from Kelan County towards Wuzhai. Over 300 enemy soldiers were killed, and a large quantity of weapons and ammunition were captured. Among the spoils was a "Type 90" artillery piece, which is now on display at the Military Museum of the Chinese People's Revolution. This was the first artillery piece captured by the 120th Division of the Eighth Route Army during the War of Resistance Against Japan, and was personally named the "Meritorious Cannon" by Marshal He Long. The site spans approximately 500 meters from east to west and about 1,000 meters from north to south, covering an area of around 500,000 square meters. In 2001, it was designated as a county-level cultural relics protection unit by the Kelan County People’s Government.
The Ancient City of Kelan Prefecture is located around Xijie Village in Lanyi Town, Kelan County. The existing ruins date back to the Ming Dynasty. It has a rectangular layout, stretching 1,850 meters from east to west and 1,100 meters from north to south, covering an area of 2.035 million square meters. The remaining sections include the eastern wall at 1,039 meters, the western wall at 947 meters, the southern wall at 1,600 meters, and the northern wall at…
The Immortal Gully Archway Cave is located in the rocky gully of East Mountain, about 500 meters northeast of Dongjie Village, Lan Yi Town, Kelan County. According to inscriptions in the cave, the existing structure dates back to the Qing Dynasty. It faces west and covers an area of 125 square meters. There are two caves, upper and lower, situated 76 meters apart. The upper cave has a roof width of 7 meters and a depth of 5 meters, with a stone plaque inscribed “Qingfeng Cave” (Green Peak Cave) embedded in the cave lintel…
Yangping Guanyin Pavilion is located to the west of Yangping Village, Yangping Township, Kelan County. Its founding date is unknown, but the existing structure features Qing Dynasty architectural style. It faces east with its back to the west and covers an area of 48 square meters. The base consists of a stone-arched passageway foundation, which is 6 meters wide, 8 meters deep, and 3.3 meters high. The pavilion has three bays in width, four rafters in depth, a single-eave gable-and-hip roof, and a five-rafter central-purlin structure with front and rear corridors. Decorative bracket sets (dougong) are installed on both the front and rear eaves, and there is also a...
Daxing Temple is located east of Dahua Village, Shuiyuguan Township, Kelan County. The temple was destroyed in the 1960s, and only the main hall remains today, built in the Qing Dynasty style. It faces south and covers an area of 105 square meters. The brick platform has a width of 13.8 meters, depth of 7.6 meters, and height of 1.3 meters. The structure features five bays in width and five rafters in depth, with a single-eave flush gable roof. Six...
San Guan Temple is located in San Jing Village, San Jing Town, Ke Lan County. Its exact date of establishment is unknown, but the existing structure reflects architectural styles from the Qing Dynasty. It faces south and covers an area of 441 square meters. The temple follows a single-courtyard layout, with the San Guan Hall situated along the central axis, and the Lord Hall and Guanyin Hall on the east and west sides respectively. The San Guan Hall sits atop a stone foundation that is 11 meters wide, 7.4 meters deep, and …
Doushu Temple Pagoda is located approximately 200 meters northeast of Shenshangyan Village in ShenTangping Township, Kelan County. According to the inscriptions on the pagoda, it was built in the 17th year of the Hongzhi reign during the Ming Dynasty (1504), making it a relic from that period. The structure is an octagonal five-story pavilion-style stone pagoda, with an octagonal base. The base measures 0.5 meters on each side, covering a ground area of 1.2 square meters, and stands 5.94 meters tall in total. …
The North Temple Pagoda is located on Yaopoji in Dongjie Village, Lanyi Town, Kelan County. Originally part of the architecture within Tayuan Temple, the temple has since been destroyed, leaving only the brick pagoda, which exhibits Ming Dynasty architectural style. It is a hexagonal, seven-story pavilion-style brick pagoda, covering an area of 18.94 square meters and standing 17 meters tall. The base is hexagonal, featuring a two-tiered belted Sumeru pedestal, atop which sit two layers of upturned lotus petals. The first level of the pagoda body is relatively…