太原市

Why this place

Taiyuan is an old walled city on the Fen River that became one of China's heavy-industry centres. It is not beautiful in the classical sense, but it is the practical base for the finest concentration of early wooden architecture in China — the Tang and Song temples scattered through Shanxi, and the merchant courtyard mansions of Pingyao and the Jinzhong plain.

What to see

• Jinci Temple, a complex of halls and springs dating back over 1,400 years
• Shanxi Museum, which holds bronzes and Buddhist sculpture from the whole province
• The twin pagodas of Yongzuo Temple, the city's symbol

What to eat

• Knife-cut noodles (daoxiaomian) — Shanxi is China's noodle province; this is the classic
• Shanxi aged vinegar, drunk as a condiment with everything and sold in every shop
• Tounao — a thick mutton and yam soup eaten for breakfast

How to plan

Use Taiyuan as a base: one day for the city, one day for Pingyao, one day for the Jinci and Tianlongshan grottoes.

Best time

April–May and September–October

Practical tips

• Shanxi's great temples are scattered outside the cities — plan on hiring a car and driver for the day