Taiyuan

Taiyuan, the capital of Shanxi Province, is located in the middle of Shanxi and is the birthplace of the Three Jins culture. It is also known as Jin Yang because it was located north of the Jin River in ancient times.

The Source of the Three Jins

King Cheng of Zhou granted the land of Taiyuan to Shu Yu (叔虞), younger brother of the King, in 1030 BC. After Shu Yu’s death, his son renamed the state “Jin”, which gave rise to the story of the Partition of Jin. To commemorate Shu Yu and his mother Yi Jiang (邑姜 daughter of Jiang Ziya), people built a shrine by the Jin River, which is now known as the Jinci Temple.

Jinci Temple

Song Dynasty Legacies

Located southwest of Taiyuan City, Jin Ci Temple was built before the Northern Wei Dynasty to commemorate Shu Yu, son of King Wu of Zhou. Inside the temple, there are historical monuments such as the Hall of the Goddess, Flying Bridge Across Fish Ponds and the Tang Shuyu Temple, as well as painted maid statues in Song Dynasty, the Nanlao Spring and the 3,000-year-old Zhou Cypress.

Buddhist Beliefs in Taiyuan

Buddhism was prevalent during the Northern and Southern Dynasties. As an important city in northern China, Taiyuan has left behind many grottoes, stone carvings and Buddhist temples, including the Yongzuo Temple, the Great Buddha of Mengshan and the Tianlong Mountain Grottoes. Shanxi Museum is one of the most famous museums in China, it has a large collection of high-quality Buddhist art.