Brief information on Jinci Temple  

Located 25 miles to the southwest of Taiyuan City, Jinci Temple is famous for its historical cultural relic and beautiful landscape. Jinci Temple has a long history that can be traced back to the Western Zhou Dynasty.

According to historical records and research, Jinci has a history of at least 1500 years. It is a famous scenic spots with a set of natural landscape, traditional gardens, and sculptures. It was announced as national cultural relic protection unit in 1961, and national 4A level scenic spot.

Jinci is China’s oldest classical ancestral hall, preserving 98 buildings, 110 sculptures, 300 blocks and 37 cast arts which are all over 300 hundred years. It is rare that so many fine relics are preserved in one cultural heritage. Jinci is a collection of stately grandeur and elegant beauty, ancestral architecture and natural landscape.

Saint Mother Hall, one of the main reasons that so many visitors come to the temple, is the oldest building in the temple, together with the Flying Bridge across the Fish Pond and the Offerings Hall, and the three elegant buildings provide the evidence of a new era in Chinese architecture.

There are three additional wonders that draw visitors from across the world to the temple. They are: The Figures of The Maidservants, the Zhou Cypress and the Never Aging Spring. Each Maidservants Figure that stands in the Saint Mother Hall is unique.

Jinci Temple was an imperial garden. Accordingly, about three hundred steles were inscribed for it with writings by emperors, officials and poets, and these now line a wonderful scenic path in the temple. The most famous one was written by the Emperor Taizong of the Tang Dynasty in 646, and now it was kept in Zhen Guan Bao Han Pavilion. Taizong was one of the most famous and great emperors of Chinese history. The time from which he inherited the throne was known as the Prosperity of Zhenguan, and people referred to the calligraphy written by him as Bao Han, meaning treasures.

*You can download the bilingual note to show it to a taxi driver or someone else to find your way to Jinci Temple if you plan to visit Jinci Temple and have language problems.

   

Chinese Pinyin: jin ci
Opening Time: 7:30 - 18:30
Ticket Price: CNY 40
How to Get to:  Bus No. 804