A Trip to Jinci Temple

Located at the foot of Xuanweng Mountain, 25 km southwest of Taiyuan City, and at the source of the Jin River, Jinci Temple is not only one of the oldest and most elaborate temple complexes in ancient China, but also a beautiful classical Chinese garden. It boasts over 100 buildings, including halls, towers, pavilions, terraces, bridges, and kiosks, dating from the Northern Song, Jin, Yuan, Ming, Qing, and Republican periods. There are also over 100 sculptures from the Song and Yuan dynasties, over 30 cast art pieces, over 400 stone inscriptions from various dynasties, over 200 poems, inscriptions, and plaques, and 96 ancient and famous trees, 30 of which are over a thousand years old. The central area of Jinci Temple houses the main attractions, including the Water Mirror Stage, Meeting Fairies Bridge, Golden Man Terrace, Duiyue Archway, Xian Hall, Flying Bridge Across Fish Pond, and the main hall, Shengmu Hall. Must-sees at Jinci Temple: Three national treasures: Shengmu Hall, Flying Bridge Across Fish Pond, and Xian Hall. Three wonders of Jinci: Nanlao Spring, Song Dynasty colored sculptures, and Zhou Cypress. Three famous plaques of Jinci: Water Mirror Stage, Duiyue, and Nanlao. Opening hours: Peak season 8:30 am–6:00 pm; Off-season 9:00 am–5:00 pm. Tickets: Full price CNY 80/person, half price CNY 40/person, discounts available for specific groups. The guided tour route within Jinci Temple is: Jinci East Gate Archway - Feilong Pavilion - Longxing Jinyang Sculpture - Water Mirror Stage - Xian Hall - Flying Bridge Across Fish Pond - Shengmu Hall - Zhou Cypress - Tang Shuyu Shrine - Inscription of Jinci Temple and Preface Stele - Nanlao Spring - Shuimu Building - Jinxi Academy. The tour lasts 90 mins, and the guide fee is generally CNY 100/tour.