Yingze District is the commercial and administrative heart of Taiyuan, containing the main shopping streets, Wuyi Square, the long-distance railway station, and most of the city's hotels and restaurants. Yingze Avenue, the main east-west boulevard, runs through the district and is lined with department stores, banks, and restaurants. The neighbourhood has been heavily redeveloped over the last twenty years and has little remaining historic fabric, but it is where the city's daily commerce happens and is the most convenient base for visitors.
The eastern end of Yingze Avenue, where it approaches the railway station, is particularly dense with noodle shops, street food vendors, and the mid-range hotels that serve transit travellers. Chongshan Temple and the ancient mosque are both within walking distance of the district's northern edge.