SCENES & SIGHTS

There are a number of tourist zones in Shanxi Provinces. These include Datong, Mount Wutai, Taiyuan, Jinzhong, Linfen, Yuncheng, Changzhi, Jincheng and Yangquan.

Datong Tourist Zone

Major attractions: Yungang Grottoes, Mount hengshan (Northern Holy Mountain), Xuankong (Overhanging) Monastery, and Wooden Pagoda in Yinxian County. Huayan and Shanhua monasteries of the Liao and Nine-Dragon Wall of the Ming are in Datong, the provincial capital. On the outskirts: a section of the Great Wall which served as the boundary between two states in ancient times, watch towers, volcanoes, and the ruins of an ancient battlefield at Jinshatan.

Yungang Grottoes

With some 51,000 sculptures of varying sizes in 53 rock caves, the 1, 500-uear-old Yungang Grottoes in west Datong is the largest cluster of grottoes in China and a world-famous treasure house of art.

Overhanging Monastery

The precipitous and picturesque Mount Hengshan is one of the five holy mountains in China. Midway up its slope is the Xuankong (Overhanging) Monastery, a rare alpine complex built in the late Northern Wei, with 40 or so halls and chambers hanging on the rock face of a sheer cliff.

Wooden Pagoda

At a height of 67.3 metres, the Wooden Pagoda in Yingxian County is China's tallest and oldest multiple-floored Buddhist pagoda constructed entirely of wood. It is also extolled as an outstanding example of Chinese architecture, interior decoration and sculpture.

Mount Wutai

With a vast assemblage of natural scenery, historical and cultural heritage, classic architecture, Buddhism, and peculiar folkways, Mount Wutai Tourist Zone in the county of the same name in northeast Shanxi is a welcome resort for those who come for sightseeing, holidaymaking and recuperation purposes. The center of the zone, Taihuai Town, is nestled in the mountains. Buddhism is thriving at Mount Wutai, which is the domain of Bodhisattva Manjusri. Construction of Buddhist temples began during the Eastern Han, and today 48 of them are still there, with several hundred monks and nuns. Mount Wutai is a showcase of classical Chinese architecture, sculpture and painting. Mount Wutai International Tourist Month is a major tourist event, which takes place annually from July 25 to August 25.

Taiyuan Tourist Zone

The zone consists of Taiyuan, Jiaocheng, Qixian and Pingyao and 5 other counties and cities. Major attractions: Jinci Temple, Tianlong Mountain, Twin Pagoda Temple, Xuanzhong Monastery, the ancient city wall of Pingyao, Shuanglin Temple, Zhenguo Temple, Folklore Museum at Qiaojiabao, and the liquor distilling center, Xinghua (Apricot Blossom) Village. Taiyuan, known in earlier days as Jinyang, is a famous historical city. With 2.7 million residents, it is the capital of Shanxi Province.

Jinci Temple

Built prior to the Northern Wei, Jinci Temple in the southwest of Datong is noted for its "three wonders": two trees (a cypress dating back to the Zhou and a scholar tree planted in the Sui), an ever gurgling spring, and Song-dynasty statues of seven serving maids. The 42 painted female figure sculptures enshrined in the temple, looking lifelike in image and graphic in expression, are acclaimed as paragons of classical Chinese realism.

Ancient City of Pingyao

Pingyao is one of four Chinese ancient cities that have remained largely intact to this day along with Xi'an, Jingzhou and Xingcheng in Liaoning Province.

Qiao Family's Courtyard House

The house, which belonged to a rich and famous Shanxi merchant family, is billed as an emblem of the Shanxi culture that thrived as a result of Burgeoning local commerce.

Linfen Tourist Zone

Linfen is a city with a long history and rich natural resources by the Fenhe River. The Linfen Tourist Zone embraces such tourist destinations as the temple in honour of the legendary king Yao in Linfen; the temple dedicated to the East Holy Mountain in Puxian County; Guangsheng Temple, a giant scholar tree, and the prison where Su Shan, a famed opera heroine, was jailed in Hongdong County; and Folklore Museum at Dingcun Village in Xiangfen. Hukou Waterfall in Jixian County is the most spectacular sight on the Yellow River. The International Yellow River Hukou Rafting Month, an annual event which takes place September 19-October 18 in Jixian County, draws many tourists from around the world.

Yuncheng Tourist Zone

Situated in the southernmost part of Shanxi and known in old days as Hedong (meaning "east of the Yellow River"), Yuncheng is part of a "tourist golden delta" which also includes Xi'an and Luoyang. Attractions: the temple dedicated to Lord Guan and the family temple of Changping in Xiezhou Town, hometown of the legendary General Guanyu, and the Yuan-dynasty murals in Yongle Palace in Ruicheng. The Lord Guan Cultural Festival is an annual event which takes place on October 18 in Lord Guan's Temple in Xiezhou Town. Lord Guan Worship is a salient feature of tourist festivals in Shanxi.