The dubious honorific of "coal-mining capital of China" doesn't ruffle any feathers among Taiyuan folk—these are a hardy people, and their foggy city has endured more than its fair share of abuse over the years. Sitting in a valley beside the Fen River in the well-worn "invasion corridor" that bridges the lands of the north and south, Taiyuan's millenial battlegrounds have suffered the ravages of Mongolian hordes, maurauding Huns, nomadic Turks, the rise and fall of dynasties, the Boxer Rebellion and the Imperial Japanese. 

The capital of Shanxi Province is now a sprawling industrial city that functions as the political, economic and cultural center of the province. And while Taiyuan won't top manyh lists of must-see destinations, it's not a bad place to spend a couple days while on route to the Wutai Shan or Pingyao.

Downtown Taiyuan is small enough to be explored on foot and offers a good range of Taiyuan hotels and restaurants. The area in and around Yingze Daijie is best situated for accomodation and visiting many of Taiyuan's attractions, including the Shanxi Provincial Art Museum, the Minsu Museum, Chongshan Temple, Shuangta Temple and the delightful food street of Shipin Jie.

History

The site of countless battles, Taiyuan's history is awash in invasions, conquests and heroic defenses. It's unforunate location, straddling the preferred route of northern invaders, guaranteed its involvement in military actions that would span the ages. Attesting to the central role armed conflict played in Taiyuanese culture is the fact that at one time it was home to no less than 27 temples dedicated to the god of war.

Taiyuan's role in mlitary history begins as early as 200 BC, when locals faced the invading Mongolian Huns. Later, it would be settled by nomadic Turks and made into an ancient capital by the name of Jinyang. 

By the 13th century, the city had become a prosperous centre of trade and industry.

Later, Taiyuan was site of the worst massacres of the Boxer Rebellion when the provincial government ordered the deaths of all the city's foreign missionaries and their families.

It was also the furthest inland city to be reached by the Japanese during the Sino-Japanese War. The Japanese contributed to Taiyuan's modern reputation as a pre-eminent coal producer by constructing the first extensive coal mines in 1940.

Climate

Taiyuan is subject to a variety of climatic conditions depending on the season. During winter the temperature can drop to lows of  minus 8°C and in summer the temperature averages a comfortable 25°C. The  best weather conditions are found from May through September.

Most hotels are located along Yingze Dajie in the city center. The eastern end is more lively and noisy than then the western end of the street.

The best cheap place to stay is Tielu Binguan (dorms 20-50 RMB). For inexpensive single and double rooms including breakfast, Changtai Fandian, is a good choice (200-300 RMB). The once luxurious Yingze Binguan is well located and reasonably priced (280-580 RMB).

Other worthwhile places to check out are the Shanxi Grand Hotel Taiyuan, the Yunshan hotel, the Huayuan hotel, the Guofang hotel and the Bingzhou hotel.
 

Getting Around

The base rate for taxis is 8 RMB for the first three kilometers and then 1.1 RMB per additional kilometer during the daytime. From 9:00 p.m. to 5:00 a. m., the base rate is 8.6 RMB for the first three kilometers and then 1.3 RMB per additional kilometer.

To and from Taiyuan

Air

Taiyuan Wusu International Airport is located in the southern suburbs, about 18 km from downtown. There are direct flights to major domestic cities including Beijing, Tianjin, Shanghai, Chengdu, Guilin, Nanjing, Shenyang and Xian. Shuttle buses run between the ticket office at No. 158, Yingze Dajie and the airport and cost 10 RMB. Taxis to the airport will put you back about 50 RMB leaving from downtown.

Train

Taiyuan is the terminal station of the Beijing-Yuanping Railway line and Shijiazhuang-Taiyuan Railway and is also the  first station on the Taiyuan-Jiaozuo line. There are more than 20 trains stopping or passing through Taiyuan daily, connecting Taiyuan with dozens of cities like Beijing, Shanghai, Xian, Chengdu and Baotou.

The Taiyuan Railway Station is located at the eastern end of Yingze Dajie and the ticket office is in the south of the station. There are also several ticket offices downtown.

Bus

The Taiyuan-Jiuguan Freeway is the first freeway in Shanxi province. This freeway starts from Wusu, Taiyuan, via Yuci City, Shouyang County, Yangquan City, Pingding County and finally reaches Jiuguan, where Shanxi province and Hebei province meet. After passing Jiuguan, the freeway meets the Shijiazhuang-Beijing freeway. Going from Taiyuan to Beijing takes about five hours via this freeway. Buses leave from the Taiyuan Long-distance Bus Station in the eastern part of Yingze Dajie and arrive at Lizeqiao Long-distance Bus Station in Beijing.

The Taiyuan-Yuanping Freeway has brought much convenience to travelers from Taiyuan to Wutai Shan. Tourists may also hire cars in the long-distance bus station on Yingze Dajie to Wutai Shan. Buses to Datong are also available outside Electric Power Mansion, the trip takes about 5 hours in total. Besides these routes, there are also freeways connecting Taiyuan with Gujiao and Wenshui.

Buses to the ancient city of Pingyao are also in operation in the Taiyuan Long-distance Bus Station and the trip takes about two hours.