Jinci Temple

Jinci Temple lies in Jinci Town, Jinyuan District, about 25 km southwest of central Taiyuan in Shanxi, China, at the foot of Xuanweng Mountain. Originally founded as an ancestral shrine to Tang Shuyu, the first ruler of the Jin state, it grew over more than a thousand years into a sprawling garden-like complex of halls, pavilions, bridges and springs. The centrepiece is the Hall of the Holy Mother, dating to the Northern Song dynasty, with its upturned eaves, coiled dragon columns and a set of 43 lifelike clay maidens that rank among the finest Song sculpture. In front, the cross-shaped Fei Liang bridge spans a square lotus pond, and the Nanlao spring and Ever-young spring feed the pools and canals. Ancient cypresses, some of them reputedly about 3,000 years old, lean across the grounds. Visitors can also see the Jinci Museum, Tang and Song halls, and the Iron Men statues of Song date at the corners of a terrace. A typical visit lasts two to three hours, and the site is large enough that many people wander slowly through its gardens. The best views are from the Holy Mother Hall terrace and the bridge, and photographers favour the cypress courtyards in morning light. Crowds peak on weekends, holidays and mid-summer, and mornings on weekdays are quietest. The site is reached by city bus from Taiyuan or by a Didi taxi in about 40 minutes.