Perfect examples of Ming Dynasty architecture, these 13 story Pagodas are home to a rare collection of steles from ancient Chinese calligraphers Wang Xizhi (303-361), Yan Zhenqing (709-785), Liu Zongyuan (773-819), and Su Dongpo (1037-1101). Visitors to the temple are welcome to ascend the stairs to the 53 meter (150 feet) pinnacle and take in views of the surroundings. The temple is made entirely of brick and stone and was ordered built by Emperor Wan Li in 1608. The best time to visit the Twin Pagoda Temple (Shuang Ta Si) is definitely springtime. In April and May, the peonies and cloves coating the hillsides are in full bloom, adding their delicate beauty to an already handsome complex. more >>

  If you're just passing through Taiyuan and only have time to take in a single sight, this'll be the one to check out. The Chongshan Monastery, known in Chinese as the "Temple for Appreciating Kindliness" is an ancient structure built in the Tang Dynasty. After its expansion and re-dedication in 1391, the monastery covered an area of 16 hectares (about 40 acres), and made for a magnificent sight. It persisted in its full majesty until the reign of Emperor Tongzhi (1856-1875) of the Qing Dynasty, when it was almost entirely reduced to ashes. Today, only one fortieth of the temple remains. Within the surviving buildings, three splendid treasures can still be found. Frescoes dubbed the "Gem Paintings" for vibrant colors which have persisted for an amazing 500 years can be found here. Also resident are three eight-meter (26 feet) gilded statues of t... more >>

A five-hour drive from Taiyuan, Wutai Shan, officially declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2009, has long ranked among history-rich Shanxi Province's top attractions. Also known as Qingling Shan, Wutai Shan—comprised of five rugged peaks, the tallest of which rises to 3,061 m (10,043 ft) above sea level—represents some the holiest land in all of Chinese Buddhism, with over 50 monasteries and temples scattered throughout the area, many dating back some 2,000 years. Xiantong Temple is the most prestigious of Wutai Shan's temples. Seven palatial structures are linked by courtyards and overlooked by a bell tower housing a copper bell weighing an astonishing ten metric tons whose booming tones ring out over the peaks as they have for centuries. Wutai Shan is crisscrossed by trails between temples and natural scenic spots, making it excellent for hiking, with low-budg... more >>

This once strategic pass in the Great Wall, Gu Guan (Gǔ Guān, 谷关), also known as Guguan Pass, has largely fallen to ruin like most of the Great Wall across the northern borders of China. Proud locals began restoring the wall in the 1990s and later efforts to the fort and towers at the pass largely brought it to its former state. Beyond the restored sections, the original wall is little more than a line of crumbled stone and dirt. Cannon replicas look out from guard posts over the path through the gate, which still bears the wheelruts from ancient cannon. The wall stretches up along the mountain ridges riding up on either side of the gate, dotted with watch towers. The wall at Gu Guan has long been an important location, occupying a valley breaking through the region's mountains (the name literally means "valley pass"). First built in 369 BC, the wall would later be... more >>

The Ningwu Guan (Níngwǔ Guān, 宁武关) garrison in central Shanxi Province, just north of Taiyuan, was a vital defensive linchpin in the Great Wall of China. Along with Pian Guan Gate, which flanked it to the west, and Yanmen Guan Gate to the east, Ningwu Guan was part of one of the most heavily fortified sections of the Great Wall. The garrison was built up during the Ming Dynasty and protected the southern heartland until 1644, when the Ming Dynasty fell to rebels and Manchu forces from the north. Ningwu Guan played an important role in the fall of the Ming: Farmers and laborers who settled in the area were dissatisfied with life along the dangerous northern border and rebelled under the leadership of Li Zicheng. The rebel army stormed the garrison and then marched on the capital. They took Beijing and distracted the Ming forces enough to allow the Manchu armies to penetrate... more >>

Yanmen Guan (Yànmén Guān, 雁门关) is part of the Outer Great Wall in Shanxi Province, just north of Taiyuan, and forms a chokepoint with Ningwu Guan as the central linchpin (and garrison base) and Pian Guan as the westernmost stronghold. As the stronghold on the eastern flank, Yanmen Guan saw a lot of fighting throughout the centuries. It was first built during the Zhou Dynasty and then fortified over subsequent dynasties, especially the Tang and the Ming dynasties. It is a spectacular section of the wall, made up of three fortresses, the central fortress is built over a tiny pass between two hills and is called Yanmen (Yàn, 雁 means "wild goose"—the fort and pass are named after the wild geese that migrate through this area each year). The western gate is called Di Li (Dì Lì, 地利) which is the second half of a Chinese quotation,... more >>

Pian Guan (Piān Guān, 偏关) is remarkeable for being the first time the Great Wall touches the Yellow River. Fortifications like this one, with a natural barrier on one side and a long snaking wall on the other, are strategic linchpins in the Great Wall. Pian Guan is located northwest from Taiyuan, in Pian Guan Country, along the foothills of the Guancen Mountains and just south of Inner Mongolia. It is the point where the Outer Wall rejoins the Inner Wall and where the mountains meet the river. Pian Guan is one of the most picturesque sections of the wall: a lone, deserted tower perched above cliffs that descend into the flowing Yellow River below. Pian Guan is the western link in the Inner Wall of the Shanxi Great Wall, built 1500 years ago during the Warring States period.The center is held by Ningwu Guan, the site of this section's garrison and the eastern flank is held by Yanm... more >>

This Great Wall of China fortress hugging the cliffside along the Peach River (Táo Hé, 桃河) has long been a strategic point for control of northern China. Occupying a key point on the border of Hebei and Shanxi near the latter's provincial capital at Taiyuan, Niangzi Guan (Niángzi Guān, 娘子关) proved its use even into the middle of the 20th century. Inside, the renovated fortress consists of clustered buildings and narrow lanes. The similarly renovated wall runs up along the cliffside on either side of the fortress. A number of springs and waterfalls flow in the area around the fort, including the wide waterfall over Water Curtain Cave (Shuǐlián Dòng，你水帘洞), which is some 300 m (328 yd) east of the fort's gate. First established as Weize County during the Sui Dynasty, the pass would also figure in Sui's downfall. The future Princess Ping Yang, ... more >>