Shanxi
This picturesque temple littered with Taoist deities is an enjoyable place to visit by any measure. But what makes it exceptional are the painted…
Must-see attractions in Shanxi
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Shanxi
This sprawling complex sits on the source of the Jin River in arid Shanxi. The earliest structures and the irrigation canal (which still gushes on rainy…
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Shanxi
At the base of Spirit Vulture Peak (灵鹫峰, Língjiù Fēng), Tayuan Temple is the most prominent landmark in Wutai Shan and virtually all pilgrims pass through…
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Shanxi
This well-preserved, magnificent Ming dynasty castle is the former residence of Chen Tingjing, prime minister under Emperor Kangxi in the late 17th…
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Shanxi
Xiantong Temple – the largest temple in town – was erected in AD 68 and was the first Buddhist temple in the area. It comprises more than 100 halls and…
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Twin Pagoda Temple/Yongzuo Temple
Shanxi
These gorgeous twin brick pagodas rise photogenically south of the Nansha River in Taiyuan’s southeast; they're lovely with the wind in their tinkling…
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Shanxi
This supremely peaceful 550-year-old village, hugging a hillside with terraces of crops running up it, has hundreds of cave dwellings (窑洞, yáodòng)…
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Shanxi
This pair of Green Lotus Temples are among China's oldest in Pure Land Buddhism. They're celebrated for their gorgeous Tang and Song dynasty painted…
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Shanxi
This 18th-century complex of courtyards covering 24,000 sq m is a fine example of a traditional private residence in China. Once home to a celebrated…
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Shanxi
Xiang Yu Castle's quiet Ming dynasty streets with ornamented arches and empty squares with long shadows are attractive. New buildings also exist here,…
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Shanxi
Luohou Temple is one of the earliest sites of Chinese esoteric Buddhism. It dates from the Tang dynasty and underwent restoration in the Ming and Qing…
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Shanxi
Smack in the centre of Daixian old town, this 14th-century drum tower will make up for all the times you felt let down by faux ancient towers or authentic…
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Shanxi
This remarkable museum gives fascinating context to the fort-like settlements, ancient temples, and vernacular housing around Jincheng. Using fine…
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Shanxi
This temple's main hall dates to 857 and contains a statue of Sakyamuni surrounded by other colourful statues with 296 arhat (罗汉, luóhàn) in the flanks…
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Shanxi
Raised in the Tang dynasty and restored in the Ming, this serene Confucius Temple features gateway arches with striking green glazed tiles, shapely…
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Shanxi
Tāngdì Miào, a 600-year-old Taoist temple, is Guoyu's oldest building. It's well preserved with nine rooms and an operatic stage; the latter has Cultural…
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Shanxi
This very quiet temple near Dongye (东冶) contains a strikingly beautiful Great Buddha Hall that dates to 782, making it the most ancient surviving timber…
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Shanxi
Located 14km southwest of Qiao Family Compound is this refreshingly undeveloped ancient town with a courtyard mansion (渠家大院, Qújiā Dàyuàn) and Qing…
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Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception
Shanxi
Built in 1870, the neoclassical house of worship was badly damaged during the Boxer Rebellion but today stands magnificently amid modern buildings. The…
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Shanxi
Bìshān Temple is Wutai Shan's largest shífāng chánsi (十方禪寺): Buddhist monks of any denomination are welcome to stay and eat here for free. The austere…
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Shanxi
For extraordinary views, walk 2.5km south of Dailuo Peak to the isolated, maze-like Nanshan Temple. The six-hectare complex is built on a hillside 1700m…
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Shanxi
The buildings at Puhua Temple are relatively young (Republic era), but the temple is home to some interesting stone carvings and the longest screen wall…
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Shanxi
This large urban park has landscaped gardens and a willow-fringed pond built in the Ming dynasty that in summer is thick with lilies. But the park is also…
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Shanxi
This comprehensive museum has three floors that walk you through various aspects of Shanxi culture, from Neolithic jade and Silk Road Buddhist statues to…
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Shanxi
This street is worth a wander to look at the grey brick historic church at No 5 and the nearby dilapidated remains of the Wanshou Temple (万寿宫, Wànshòu…
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Shanxi
A favourite location for Chinese film producers, there are more than 400 rooms and halls to explore in the preserved section of this Ming town. You can…
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Shanxi
Yuanzhao Temple contains a 16m stupa surrounded by four smaller ones. It's believed to hold the ashes (舍利子, shèlìzi) of the Indian Buddhist monk Śāriputra…
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Shanxi
This Buddhist temple, where Minister Chen studied, is dominated by its two magnificent brick pagodas. The 20m-high Shělì Tǎ (舍利塔) is almost 1100 years old…
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Shanxi
The centrepiece of this temple, 5km from Taihuai, is a striking 9m-tall Tibetan stupa where the 3rd Changkya Khutukhtu is buried. The Changkya Khutukhtu…
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Shanxi
Seven Buddhas Temple honours the Seven Buddhas of Antiquity; namely, Vipassī, Sikhī, Vessabhū, Kakusandha, Koṇāgamana, Kassapa and Gautama. They're…
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Shanxi
Built in the Yuan dynasty but restored in the Ming, Shuxiang Temple contains Wutai Shan’s largest statue of Manjusri – 10m tall and riding a lion – the…
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Shanxi
Several kilometres to the southwest of the village, Dragon Spring Temple was raised in the Song dynasty and restored in the Ming era; most of the wooden…
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Shanxi
The double-eaved wooden hall in this Ming temple contains three magnificent statues: Samantabhadra (the Bodhisattva of Truth), Guanyin (the Goddess of…
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Shanxi
Wuye Temple is one of Wutai Shan's busiest, thanks to its reputed spiritual efficacy. Worshippers flock here to make offerings and light incense at the…
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Shanxi
They say the acoustics of this Ming Taoist temple, with wonderful views of the Yellow River, were so excellent that performances held on its stage were…
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Shanxi
Before you go looking for Father Christmas at Santa Temple, neighbouring Xiantong Temple to the west of Taihuai, you should know the name actually means…
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Shanxi
Fenglin Temple, located around 5km northwest of town, was built by a monk in the Ming dynasty. The original ancestral pagoda was damaged during the…
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Shanxi
Located east of Xiantong Temple in the village, Guangren Temple was built in the Qing dynasty as an extension of its larger neighbour Luohou Temple, to…
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Shanxi
For excellent views of the town and beyond, you can trek, take a chairlift or ride a horse (¥50 one way) up to the temple on Dailuo Peak, on the eastern…
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Shanxi
This Ming dynasty temple has features of both Chinese and Tibetan Buddhism, from the monks' robes to their prayers. The main hall is known as Bronze Tile…
