Jinci Temple

The Jinci Temple is situated where the Jmshui River uses at the foot of the Xuanweng Mountain 25 kilometers southwest of Taiyuan. It originally served as the ancestral temple for a prince in the Western Zhou Dynasty (1100-771 BC), although the modern temple was first built in the Northern Wei Dynasty (386-534 AD).

The temple is basically divided into three parts, the north, the center and the south, and the whole is filled with halls (most noticeably the Goddess Mother Hall [Shengmu dian], the oldest wooden construction in the city), terraces (including the first that you will come across upon entering, the Ming Dynasty [1368-1644 AD] Mirror Terrace [Shui jing tai]), pavilions, corridors and bridges. The temple feels a little like the more impressive of the Suzhou gardens, especially with the streams that run through the complex, although the litter somewhat ruins this effect.

It is a famous garden of ancient buildings, skirted by the mountain and the river, where ancient trees soar to unbelievable heights. It is warm in winter and cool in summer, and the buildings look elegant in a classical style. The temple is one of the most original and oldest in this region of northeastern China, and was recently listed as a state protected sight of cultural heritage.



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