Taiyuan is the capital city of Shanxi Province, located in north China about 550 km southwest of Beijing. The city has a long history dating back to the Spring & Autumn Period. In ancient times, it was known as an important military fortress of northern China. The city has been the birthplace of many emperors, and is sometimes referred to as "Dragon City" for that reason. A label that Shanxi has worn for many years is "Sea of Coal" – a reference to the province's vast deposits of coal which have been the industrial backbone of Taiyuan from the 1950s onwards. Coal is still vitally important, with sales revenues reaching 13.17 billion RMB in 2006, but Taiyuan's industrial profile is more sophisticated these days, with metallurgy, machinery manufacture and chemicals all contributing in a big way to the city's 11.5% economic growth rate in 2006.

The city borders on the Taihang Mountains to the east and the Luliang Mountains to the west, while the Fenhe River flows through the city providing a pleasant natural setting. However, the weather is not so forgiving, with frigid winters and notoriously windy spring weather. Locals will tell all travelers that the best time to visit the city is in the autumn, when the leaves are changing, the weather is pleasantly cool, and the city is the venue for the Taiyuan International Wheat Product Festival and Shanxi Taiyuan International Folk Festival.

As a major transportation hub, the city is easily reached by air and land. Currently, the city is revamping its airport in order to serve as a supplementary gateway in 2008 for the Beijing Olympics. Most domestic travelers arrive in Taiyuan by train, but bus travel is also possible. Much of its local transportation relies heavily on buses and taxis.

Since the city has been re-inventing itself, many travelers are heading to Taiyuan not only for business but also for pleasure. It now attracts more visitors from outside of China who come to see the renowned Jinci Temple, an ancient and well-preserved complex which is slated for World Heritage status. There is also the ancient Chongshan Monastery which houses the enchanting Goddess of Mercy, and a fine collection of ancient religious sculpture in the Tianlongshan Grottoes, some of it as old as 1700 years. The city is also home to one of China's best new museums, the Shanxi Museum, which provides a fine and well-curated overview of the rich historic and artistic legacy of the Shanxi region. No-one with an interest in Chinese history should miss the opportunity of visiting this excellent new institution.

Visitors roaming Taiyuan will come to appreciate the hearty local Shanxi cuisine, like steamed dumplings, sausages, mutton soup, and Shanxi noodles, which are particularly well-loved, and are delicious with some of the local vinegar. The locals will also proudly extol the qualities of Shanxi wine. By all means try it, but don't expect a delicate table wine in the European style: the Chinese word for wine ("jiu") is a generic word for all forms of alcohol from grape wine to tequila. Shanxi "wine" is actually grain spirit: it's an acquired taste but a fine social lubricant! Two famous Shanxi "wine" brands are Fen Jiu and Zhuye Qing, and you can find out more about them at the Shanxi Wine Beverage Exhibition & Wine Culture Festival.

As one of the oldest cities in northern China, the city has much to offer in terms of local products. Taiyuan is a good place to add to one's collection of the “four treasures of study" with the purchase of a Duanmu Ink Stone (Wenshan Stone). Tiayuan is known to have some of the best in the land. Paper-cut figures are another Shanxi specialty, and can be seen everywhere in the holiday season. Paper cuts usually adorn windows during the Chinese New Year; however, many can be used as delicate art pieces and are a lovely lightweight gift to take home.

Warning：The use of any news and articles published on eChinacities.com without written permission from eChinacities.com constitutes copyright infringement, and legal action can be taken.