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
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…
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…
Shanxi
This well-preserved, magnificent Ming dynasty castle is the former residence of Chen Tingjing, prime minister under Emperor Kangxi in the late 17th…
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…
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…
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)…
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…
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…
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,…
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…
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…
Shanxi
This remarkable museum gives fascinating context to the fort-like settlements, ancient temples, and vernacular housing around Jincheng. Using fine…
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…
Shanxi
Raised in the Tang dynasty and restored in the Ming, this serene Confucius Temple features gateway arches with striking green glazed tiles, shapely…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
Shanxi
Seven Buddhas Temple honours the Seven Buddhas of Antiquity; namely, Vipassī, Sikhī, Vessabhū, Kakusandha, Koṇāgamana, Kassapa and Gautama. They're…
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…
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…
Shanxi
The double-eaved wooden hall in this Ming temple contains three magnificent statues: Samantabhadra (the Bodhisattva of Truth), Guanyin (the Goddess of…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
