Must-see attractions in Shanxi

  • Jade Emperor Temple

    Shanxi

    This picturesque temple littered with Taoist deities is an enjoyable place to visit by any measure. But what makes it exceptional are the painted…

  • Jinci Temple

    Shanxi

    This sprawling complex sits on the source of the Jin River in arid Shanxi. The earliest structures and the irrigation canal (which still gushes on rainy…

  • Tayuan Temple

    Shanxi

    At the base of Spirit Vulture Peak (灵鹫峰, Língjiù Fēng), Tayuan Temple is the most prominent landmark in Wutai Shan and virtually all pilgrims pass through…

  • Prime Minister Chen’s Castle

    Shanxi

    This well-preserved, magnificent Ming dynasty castle is the former residence of Chen Tingjing, prime minister under Emperor Kangxi in the late 17th…

  • Xiantong Temple

    Shanxi

    Xiantong Temple – the largest temple in town – was erected in AD 68 and was the first Buddhist temple in the area. It comprises more than 100 halls and…

  • Twin Pagoda Temple/Yongzuo Temple

    Shanxi

    These gorgeous twin brick pagodas rise photogenically south of the Nansha River in Taiyuan’s southeast; they're lovely with the wind in their tinkling…

  • Lijia Shan

    Shanxi

    This supremely peaceful 550-year-old village, hugging a hillside with terraces of crops running up it, has hundreds of cave dwellings (窑洞, yáodòng)…

  • Qinglian Temples

    Shanxi

    This pair of Green Lotus Temples are among China's oldest in Pure Land Buddhism. They're celebrated for their gorgeous Tang and Song dynasty painted…

  • Qiao Family Compound

    Shanxi

    This 18th-century complex of courtyards covering 24,000 sq m is a fine example of a traditional private residence in China. Once home to a celebrated…

  • Xiang Yu Castle

    Shanxi

    Xiang Yu Castle's quiet Ming dynasty streets with ornamented arches and empty squares with long shadows are attractive. New buildings also exist here,…

  • Luohou Temple

    Shanxi

    Luohou Temple is one of the earliest sites of Chinese esoteric Buddhism. It dates from the Tang dynasty and underwent restoration in the Ming and Qing…

  • Bianjing Drum Tower

    Shanxi

    Smack in the centre of Daixian old town, this 14th-century drum tower will make up for all the times you felt let down by faux ancient towers or authentic…

  • Jincheng Museum

    Shanxi

    This remarkable museum gives fascinating context to the fort-like settlements, ancient temples, and vernacular housing around Jincheng. Using fine…

  • Foguang Temple

    Shanxi

    This temple's main hall dates to 857 and contains a statue of Sakyamuni surrounded by other colourful statues with 296 arhat (罗汉, luóhàn) in the flanks…

  • Daixian Confucius Temple

    Shanxi

    Raised in the Tang dynasty and restored in the Ming, this serene Confucius Temple features gateway arches with striking green glazed tiles, shapely…

  • Tāngdì Miào

    Shanxi

    Tāngdì Miào, a 600-year-old Taoist temple, is Guoyu's oldest building. It's well preserved with nine rooms and an operatic stage; the latter has Cultural…

  • Nanchan Temple

    Shanxi

    This very quiet temple near Dongye (东冶) contains a strikingly beautiful Great Buddha Hall that dates to 782, making it the most ancient surviving timber…

  • Zhaoyu Ancient City

    Shanxi

    Located 14km southwest of Qiao Family Compound is this refreshingly undeveloped ancient town with a courtyard mansion (渠家大院, Qújiā Dàyuàn) and Qing…

  • Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception

    Shanxi

    Built in 1870, the neoclassical house of worship was badly damaged during the Boxer Rebellion but today stands magnificently amid modern buildings. The…

  • Bishan Temple

    Shanxi

    Bìshān Temple is Wutai Shan's largest shífāng chánsi (十方禪寺): Buddhist monks of any denomination are welcome to stay and eat here for free. The austere…

  • Nanshan Temple

    Shanxi

    For extraordinary views, walk 2.5km south of Dailuo Peak to the isolated, maze-like Nanshan Temple. The six-hectare complex is built on a hillside 1700m…

  • Puhua Temple

    Shanxi

    The buildings at Puhua Temple are relatively young (Republic era), but the temple is home to some interesting stone carvings and the longest screen wall…

  • Wenying Park

    Shanxi

    This large urban park has landscaped gardens and a willow-fringed pond built in the Ming dynasty that in summer is thick with lilies. But the park is also…

  • Shanxi Museum

    Shanxi

    This comprehensive museum has three floors that walk you through various aspects of Shanxi culture, from Neolithic jade and Silk Road Buddhist statues to…

  • Wanshou Gong

    Shanxi

    This street is worth a wander to look at the grey brick historic church at No 5 and the nearby dilapidated remains of the Wanshou Temple (万寿宫, Wànshòu…

  • Yúcì Ancient City

    Shanxi

    A favourite location for Chinese film producers, there are more than 400 rooms and halls to explore in the preserved section of this Ming town. You can…

  • Yuanzhao Temple

    Shanxi

    Yuanzhao Temple contains a 16m stupa surrounded by four smaller ones. It's believed to hold the ashes (舍利子, shèlìzi) of the Indian Buddhist monk Śāriputra…

  • Haihui Temple

    Shanxi

    This Buddhist temple, where Minister Chen studied, is dominated by its two magnificent brick pagodas. The 20m-high Shělì Tǎ (舍利塔) is almost 1100 years old…

  • Zhenhai Temple

    Shanxi

    The centrepiece of this temple, 5km from Taihuai, is a striking 9m-tall Tibetan stupa where the 3rd Changkya Khutukhtu is buried. The Changkya Khutukhtu…

  • Qifo Temple

    Shanxi

    Seven Buddhas Temple honours the Seven Buddhas of Antiquity; namely, Vipassī, Sikhī, Vessabhū, Kakusandha, Koṇāgamana, Kassapa and Gautama. They're…

  • Shuxiang Temple

    Shanxi

    Built in the Yuan dynasty but restored in the Ming, Shuxiang Temple contains Wutai Shan’s largest statue of Manjusri – 10m tall and riding a lion – the…

  • Longquan Temple

    Shanxi

    Several kilometres to the southwest of the village, Dragon Spring Temple was raised in the Song dynasty and restored in the Ming era; most of the wooden…

  • Chongshan Temple

    Shanxi

    The double-eaved wooden hall in this Ming temple contains three magnificent statues: Samantabhadra (the Bodhisattva of Truth), Guanyin (the Goddess of…

  • Wuye Temple

    Shanxi

    Wuye Temple is one of Wutai Shan's busiest, thanks to its reputed spiritual efficacy. Worshippers flock here to make offerings and light incense at the…

  • Black Dragon Temple

    Shanxi

    They say the acoustics of this Ming Taoist temple, with wonderful views of the Yellow River, were so excellent that performances held on its stage were…

  • Santa Temple

    Shanxi

    Before you go looking for Father Christmas at Santa Temple, neighbouring Xiantong Temple to the west of Taihuai, you should know the name actually means…

  • Fenglin Temple

    Shanxi

    Fenglin Temple, located around 5km northwest of town, was built by a monk in the Ming dynasty. The original ancestral pagoda was damaged during the…

  • Guangren Temple

    Shanxi

    Located east of Xiantong Temple in the village, Guangren Temple was built in the Qing dynasty as an extension of its larger neighbour Luohou Temple, to…

  • Dailuo Peak

    Shanxi

    For excellent views of the town and beyond, you can trek, take a chairlift or ride a horse (¥50 one way) up to the temple on Dailuo Peak, on the eastern…

  • Guangzong Temple

    Shanxi

    This Ming dynasty temple has features of both Chinese and Tibetan Buddhism, from the monks' robes to their prayers. The main hall is known as Bronze Tile…

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