Bounded on three sides by mountains, Taiyuan is the capital of Shanxi Province and one of the most important energy and industrial bases in China. Comparing Taiyuan with any ancient capital in China, it is not inferior. With a history of more than 2,500 years, Taiyuan once was an important political, military, economic, and cultural center in ancient North China.
It boasts abundant tourism resources varying from famous mountains to grottoes, temples, lakes, caves, ancient buildings and relics. Among them, the statues of the maid of the Song Dynasty (960 - 1279) in the Jinci Temple show different postures vividly; the grottoes and statues of the Sui and Tang Dynasties (581 - 907) in the Tianlong Mountain and the two pagodas standing at Yongyou Temple have always attracted visitors' attention. In the evening, you can go to Liu Alley which has the largest night market in northern China, to taste local delicacies and buy special products. It is also very convenient to transfer to other hot Shanxi tourism spots from Taiyuan such as Mount Wutai, Yungang Grottoes, Mt. Taihang, Ancient City of Pingyao and Hukou Waterfalls.