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Ask a QuestionTaiyuan was initially established in 497 B.C. as Jinyang city, and in the early Warring States Period was the capital of Zhao State. Though it was later reduced to a municipality under the auspices of the Qin Emperor (Qin Shihuang, the first Emperor of China), it rose again a thousand years later as the capital of the Tang Dynasty, whose ascension marked the beginning of what is known as the zenith of ancient Chinese culture.
Ranking as the top 10 resorts in China, Mount Wutai was listed as a member in the World Heritage Sites by UNESCO in 2009. Mount Wutai is home to some of the oldest existent wooden buildings in China that have survived since the era of the Tang Dynasty (618–907). This includes the main hall of Nanchan Monastery and the East Hall of Fuguang Monastery, built in 782 and 857, respectively. They were discovered in 1937 and 1938 by a team of architectural historians including the prominent early 20th century historian Liang Sicheng.
Attractions in the Mount Wutai include Sea Viewing Peak (Wanghai Peak), Moon Hanging Peak (Guayue Peak), Splendid Peak (Jinxiu Peak), Flourishing Leaves Peak (Yedou Peak), Green Rock Peak (Cuiyan Peak). And the temples here include Xiantong Temple, Tayuan Temple, Manjusri Temple.
Twin Pagoda Temple is originally called Yongzuo Temple; the two great pagodas in this temple were more impressive for people. So people began to call it Shuangta (Twin Pagodas) Temple gradually. With the time past, the Twin Pagodas Temple had replaced the Yongzuo Temple and became famous till now.
The two pagodas of the Twin Pagoda Temple are the symbol of Taiyuan. Each pagoda is an octagon with 13 stories, almost 55 meters high. They are made entirely of bricks and stone. The exterior was sculptured in the shape of an octagon and decorated with the exquisite flying eaves.
Jinci Temple is situated in the southwestern Taiyuan, Shanxi Province. There are more than 10 ancient architectures in this temple. And the quiet environment, charming scenery, marvelous buildings, and the lively article statures make Jinci Temple become famous in the world for decades of years.
The main buildings are distributed along the central axis from east to west. They are the Shuijing Platform, the Huixian Bridge, the Jinren Platform, the Duiyue Hall, the Bell and Drum Towers, the Xian Hall, the Yuzhao Feiliang and other buildings. This temple is very famous to Chinese people. It is a small architecture. But it contains a lot of Chinese culture itself. So it is a good place to get knowledge of the Chinese religious culture.
Shanxi Museum is the first batch of national first-class museums in China, with more than 500,000 pieces of relics in the museum. Shanxi Museum is really worth visiting with its rich collections. Shanxi Museum has more than 500,000 pieces of collection, including 40,282 precious cultural relics(groups), including 2,129 first-class cultural relics(groups), and more than 110,000 books and ancient books. The collection mainly comes from archaeological excavations since the 1920s and the collection and accumulation in the past century, especially bronze, porcelain, stone carvings, Buddhist statues, murals, paintings and calligraphy.
Bell Tower Street is a bustling market with a long history in Taiyuan, which is more lively at night. Located in Yingze District, Taiyuan City of Shanxi Province, Bell Tower Street is the most complete existing ancient commercial district in Taiyuan City. It began in the Song and Yuan Dynasties, flourished in the Ming and Qing Dynasties and flourished in the Republic of China. It completely retains the street pattern of the Song and Yuan Dynasties and the arcade buildings in the Republic of China. There are more than ten century-old brands in the Bell Tower Street including restaurants, snacks, speciality, etc.
Generally speaking, it is recommended that you spend half a day at the Bell Tower Street. At day, you can experience the prosperity of the street. At night, you can enjoy the night view of the Bell Tower Street.
Jinci Temple is the earliest and largest classical garden in Tang and Song Dynasties in China, which has a complete sequence of ancient buildings and complete architectural types. It is the only architectural complex that integrates the essence of ancient buildings in Song, Jin, Yuan, Ming and Qing Dynasties, and is known as the "China Ancient Architecture Museum". Tianlong Mountain is famous for its beautiful scenery and long history. Tianlong Mountain Grottoes is one of the ten most famous grottoes in China, reflecting the brilliant achievements of grotto art from the Southern and Northern Dynasties to the Sui and Tang Dynasties in China. Tianlong Temple is a ancient temple with long history and elegant surroundings.
Day Tour in Taiyuan: Jinci Temple and Shanxi Museum
If you have only a day in Taiyuan, you can visit the Jinci Temple and the Shanxi Museum. You can know about the classical garden of China as well as know about the the history and cultural heritage of Taiyuan and Shanxi.
Plan A Taiyuan Tour with Datong
To visit Taiyuan in Shanxi, you can also add Datong in your travel list. In Datong, you can visit the Yungang Grottoes, Hanging Temple and Yingxian Wooden Pagoda.
Plan A Taiyuan Tour with Pingyao
Recommended Tour: 4 Days Tour from Taiyuan to Pingyao
To visit Taiyuan, you can also visit Pingyap together. In Pingyao, you can visit the Pingyao Ancient City, Qiao Family Courtyard, Shuanglin Temple, Wang Family Courtyard and Zhangbi Ancient Castle.
Plan A Taiyuan Tour with Datong and Pingyao
Recommended Tour: 6 Days Datong, Pingyao and Taiyuan Tour
Planning a Shanxi Tour, you can visit the Taiyuan, Pingyao and Datong together to experience the highlights of Shanxi Province. In this 6 days Shanxi tour, you can visit the Yungang Grottoes and Hanging Temple of Datong, Pingyao Ancient City and Chang Family Manor of Pingyao and Jinci Temple of Taiyuan.
More Attractions in Taiyuan: Taiyuan Attractions
Highly Recommended Tours: Taiyuan Tours
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