Jinci Temple

Jinci Temple, 25 km southwest of Taiyuan at the foot of Xuanweng Mountain, is the greatest single site in the province and the main reason most visitors come to the capital. The complex accumulated buildings over more than a millennium — the earliest structures predate the Tang — and contains over a hundred individual structures, sculptures, steles, and bridges arranged across a large park-like grounds fed by natural springs.

The centrepiece is the Hall of the Holy Mother (Shengmu Dian), a Song-dynasty hall of exceptional quality whose eight outer pillars are wrapped in carved wooden dragons and whose interior is lined with 42 clay attendant figures. These figures — made in the early eleventh century — are among the finest examples of Song clay sculpture: each is individualised, with specific poses, costumes, and expressions that suggest portraiture rather than convention. A 3,000-year-old cypress in the garden near the hall is one of the most venerable trees in northern China. Allow at least half a day for a thorough visit.

things to do sight
A story
The springs that rise in the Jinci Temple complex were the source of the Jin River, which gave the state of Jin — and later the province of Shanxi — their names. Worshippers have come to this spot for at least three thousand years, making it one of the oldest continuously venerated sites in China. The Tang emperors Li Yuan and Li Shimin assembled their armies here before marching south to found the dynasty — Li Shimin later wrote a famous inscription at the temple commemorating his parents' support.