China Travel Reference

The Ancient City of Pingyao
	Situated in the middle of Shanxi Province, Pingyao has a history of over 2,700 years. It was firstly built during the Zhou Dynasty (1066BC -221BC) and was expanded in 1370, the third year of the reign period of Ming Emperor Hongwu. It is the earliest and largest ancient city in China, and reputed as “the History Museum of Architectural Art of the Ming and Qing Dynasties”.

Jin Shrine
	The Jin Shrine stands at the foot of Xuanweng Mountain, 25 kilometers southwest of Taiyuan. It was built in memory of Shu Yu, the founder of the State of Jin. The Jin Shrine is famous for its scenic beauty. All buildings in the shrine were laid out ingeniously and surrounded by ancient trees. In the Hall of Holy Mother there are 43 statues of Young maids sculptured in the Song Dynasty. The statues, the pines planted during the Zhou Dynasty and the Nanlao Spring are known as the three rarities of the Jin Shrine.

Wooden Pagoda
	The Wooden Pagoda, standing in the Temple of Buddhist Palace in Ying County, was originally built in 1056 in Liao Dynasty. The octagonal pagoda is 67.13 meter high and 30.27 meters in diameter at the foundation, which makes it the oldest and tallest of its kind. From the outside, the pagoda appears to be a five-storied building with six layers of eaves, but there are another four stories hidden. It houses many cultural relics such as color-sculptures and frescoes.

Midair Temple
	First built during the Northern Wei Dynasty, the Midair Temple is located at the cliff between the peaks of Tianfengling and the Cuipingfeng of the Hengshan Mountains. The whole temple was built on the rock face of a sheer cliff and the highest place in the temple is about 50 meters above ground, like a palace suspending on the cliff face. The temple has more than 40 halls and rooms, house 78 bronze, iron, colored clay and stone statues.