Shanxi Guide

Taking a travel to Shanxi, maybe you can understand what traditional China is, and perhaps China would not be so mysterious as mentioned in the textbooks or guidebooks. Shanxi Province is located to the east of the Yellow River, neighbors on Hebei, Henan, Shaanxi province and Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. It got the name due to its location to the west of Taihang Mountain. Shanxi is reputed as the "hometown of coal" in China, with abundant mineral resources. It also boasts rich mineral resources such as iron, aluminum and copper. So Shanxi’s economy is predominated by energy, heavy and chemical industries.

Generally speaking, the best travel period in Shanxi is between May and October. However, the climates in all of the main traveller areas are highly variable, so you need to check out their individual weather guide before arriving. Rapid progress in ransport has been made recent years, with the exploiting of its ancient travel attractions and newly discovered coal resources. As one of the birth places of Chinese civilization, it has a long history and traditional culture. Therefore, Shanxi is often called the 'Chinese Ancient Architecture Museum'. Shanxi is also famous for its various cuisines. Their food made of wheat flour is well known both at home and abroad.

The long history and glory culture of Shanxi has left it the abundant travel resources. The popular scenic spots include the Wutai Mountain, one of the four largest Buddhist scared places; Hen Mountain, one of the Five Famous Mountains in China; the Yellow River Hukou Waterfall with majestic vigor. Some other historic sites: the Hanging Temple with wonderful article excelling nature, Yingxian Wooden Tower and Jinci Temple enjoy a great reputation at home and abroad. The well preserved ancient Pingyao City and Yungang Grottoes, one of the three largest grottoes in the country, are listed into the World Cultural Heritage Records. For more details, welcome to read the following travel guide to Shanxi attractions.