Shanxi is a landlocked province on the Loess Plateau of north China, west of the Taihang Mountains and east of the Yellow River. It holds more surviving pre-modern timber buildings than any other Chinese province, three UNESCO World Heritage Sites (the Yungang Grottoes, the Ancient City of Pingyao and Mount Wutai), the cliff-clinging Hanging Monastery, the 1056 wooden pagoda of Ying County, the Qing-era merchant mansions of the Jin traders and the thundering Hukou Waterfall on the Yellow River.
From the Jin state and Northern Wei capital at Datong to the draft banks of Qing Pingyao, Shanxi's past survives in cave temples, timber halls, walled towns and merchant mansions.
Historical timeline
Key moments that shaped Shanxi.
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1
Taosi culture
Early walled settlement near Xiangfen suggests the earliest state-level society on the Yellow River
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2
Jin state founded
Shuyu is enfeoffed at Tang, the origin of Shanxi's name Jin and of the shrine later enlarged at Jinci
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3
Jin partitioned
Han, Zhao and Wei divide the state, beginning the Warring States period
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4
Northern Wei
Datong (Pingcheng) serves as capital; the Yungang Grottoes are carved from about 460
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5
Nanchan Temple built
Its Great Buddha Hall becomes the oldest surviving timber building in China
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6
Foguang Temple East Hall
Largest surviving Tang timber hall
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7
Yingxian Wooden Pagoda
Liao-dynasty wooden pagoda completed
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8
Pingyao wall rebuilt
Ming dynasty brick rebuild of the city wall
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9
Rishengchang draft bank
First draft bank opens in Pingyao, launching the Shanxi banks era
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10
Pingyao UNESCO listing
Ancient City of Pingyao inscribed on the World Heritage list; Yungang (2001) and Mount Wutai (2009) follow
Historical eras
The chapters of Shanxi's past.
Early states and Jin (to 453 BCE)
Taosi and the Jin state
Northern Wei (386-534)
Datong as capital and the Yungang Grottoes
Tang-Liao-Song timber era (618-1279)
Nanchan, Foguang, Jinci and Yingxian
Ming-Qing merchant era (1368-1912)
Pingyao walls, draft banks and courtyard mansions of the Jin merchants
Historical sites
Places where Shanxi's past comes alive.
Yungang Grottoes
More than 250 caves and 51,000 statues carved along a sandstone cliff.
Where: Yungang District, Datong
Admission: About ¥120 (about $18 USD) April-October; ¥100 (about $15 USD) November-March
Ancient City of Pingyao
The best-preserved Ming-Qing walled county town in China, home to the first draft banks.
Where: Pingyao County, Jinzhong
Admission: Free streets; combined ticket ¥125 (about $18 USD) valid 3 days
Foguang Temple
Its East Hall is the largest surviving Tang timber hall, with original Tang sculptures and murals.
Where: Wutai County, Xinzhou
Admission: About ¥15 (about $2 USD); confirm on arrival
Nanchan Temple
Small village temple whose Great Buddha Hall is the oldest surviving timber building in China.
Where: Wutai County, Xinzhou
Admission: About ¥20 (about $3 USD) reported in 2025
Yingxian Wooden Pagoda (Sakyamuni Pagoda)
Nine-level octagonal timber pagoda of about 67 m, the tallest surviving wooden structure in the world.
Where: Ying County, Shuozhou
Admission: ¥50 (about $7 USD) April-October; ¥40 (about $6 USD) November-March
Jinci Temple
Ancestral temple of the Jin state with a Song-dynasty Hall of the Holy Mother and 43 painted clay figures.
Where: Jinyuan District, Taiyuan
Admission: ¥80 (about $12 USD)
Zhenguo Temple
Its Wanfo Hall is one of the oldest surviving timber halls, with painted statues of the period.
Where: Pingyao County, Jinzhong
Admission: About ¥25 (about $4 USD)
Yongle Palace
Taoist temple complex famed for its Yuan-dynasty wall paintings of over 1,000 sq m.
Where: Ruicheng County, Yuncheng
Admission: About ¥60 (about $9 USD)
Museums
Curated collections that tell Shanxi's story.
Shanxi Museum
Admission: Free with passport reservation; closed Mondays
Rishengchang Draft Bank Museum
Admission: Included in the ¥125 (about $18 USD) Pingyao combined ticket
Historical tours
Guided experiences that bring history to life.
Datong to Yungang self-guided day
City bus 603 or Didi from central Datong to the grottoes, then back for the old-city walls