Taiyuan Guide

Both pagodas are over 50 metres tall and have become a symbol of the city in China. The grounds of the temple are home to peony trees, one of which is supposed to date back to the building of the pagodas themselves. The Jinci temple, 16m southwest of the city, is a complex of temples dating back to around the 7th century for the oldest buildings.

The Hall of the Holy Mother is one of the best known buildings and was built a thousand years ago. As well as the many ancient structures, there is also a cypress tree said to be 3000 years old from the Zhou dynasty. It is worth exploring the shops and cuisine of Taiyuan.

The area is famous for its Jinci vinegar, Shanxi noodles and Yangji sausage, and a visit to the Taiyuan Food Street will be the perfect opportunity to try these with its many snack bars and food shops. Local crafts to look out for include paper-cutting and polished lacquered wooden artefacts. An opportunity to see these crafts is also available at the Shanxi Taiyuan International Folk Arts Festival held every other year in September.

There is also drama and acrobatics to enjoy as well as seeing the wealth of historic costumes. There has been an improvement in the range of hotels available in Taiyuan in recent years as tourism has become more popular, ranging from the high end World Trade Hotel and Shanxi Jinci Hotel, to the more modest Jingjiang Inn and Jinguang Express Hotel.