Jin Ancestral Temple（晉祠）

Jin Ancestral Temple [File photo]

Located 25 kilometers southwest of Taiyuan, the Jin Ancestral Temple boasts several ancient structures set in a tranquil environment. It is famous for its combination of solemn architecture and skillfully-carved sculptures. Its combination of buildings, gardens, sculptures, murals and stone tablets make the temple a precious Chinese cultural heritage resource.

It is said that if you don't visit Jin Ancestral Temple when you come to Taiyuan, it's like not visiting the Forbidden City when you travel to Beijing. Construction of the temple began prior to the Northern Wei Dynasty (A.D. 386-557) to memorialize Shu Yu, the second child of the emperor. Holy Mother Hall, the oldest building in Jin Ancestral Temple, is one of the temple's main attractions. An added draw of the temple is that many emperors and poets left inscriptions on tablets erected here. The most famous of these stele inscriptions was written by Emperor Taizong of the Tang Dynasty (A.D. 618-907) in 646.

Admission: 70 yuan (US$11.27)/person