5 Days in Taiyuan

Morning at Jinci — the Goddess Hall of 1023-1032, the Everlasting Spring and the ancient cypress. A short hop east, the Taishan temple above Jinyuan keeps a Tang-style hall and a gilded reclining Buddha; its reliquary casket made headlines when opened in 2008.

1. taiyuan jinci temple
2. taiyuan taishan temple

The Mengshan cliff Buddha carved from 551 stands re-exposed on its hillside; over the next ridge, Longshan's caves of the 13th century are rare Taoist carving in rock — small, quiet and a short drive apart.

1. taiyuan mengshan buddha
2. taiyuan longshan grottoes

Bronzes and painted sculpture at Shanxi Museum (reserve, closed Mondays), the Ming hall at Chongshan temple, Chunyang Gong's cloisters, then Food Street — lamb offal soup, tofu noodles and vinegar everything.

1. taiyuan shanxi museum
2. taiyuan chongshan temple
3. taiyuan chunyang gong
4. taiyuan food street

Up the mountain road to the Tianlongshan caves, carved from the Eastern Wei through the Tang across about 25 caves; a Buddha head lost for nearly a century returned here in 2020. Evening among the walls of the rebuilt Ming-county grid beside Jinyang's old lake.

1. Tianlongshan Grottoes
2. taiyuan ancient county city

The emblematic twin pagodas of about 55 metres, then the Coal Museum's simulated shaft — the province's story in one ride — before the HSR platform. Pingyao and the Five-Terrace Mountain runs live in the longer plans.

1. taiyuan yongzuo twin pagodas
2. taiyuan coal museum