3 Days in Taiyuan: What to Do and See in Taiyuan

Day 1 | Morning

Jinci Museum

Opening Hours: Open from 4/1-10/7,8:00am-6:00pm;Open from 10/8-3/31,8:30am-5:00pm

Ticket Price: 65 RMB

Recommended Length of Stay: 2-4 Hours

Location: Jinci Town, Jinyuan District, Taiyuan City

Jinci Museum is located along the Jin River in the foothills of Taiyuan, Taiyuan. The building commemorates Tang Shuyu, the founder of the Jin State, and was built as an ancestral hall. Jin Ancestral Hall is home to “3 treasures”: the temple, a bridge over a fish pond, and the Goddess Hall. The “3 unique features” of the Ancestral Hall are ancient trees, Nanlao Spring, and painted clay figurines. To the south is Shifang Fengsheng Temple in the south which, according to legend, was originally the villa of the Tang Dynasty general Yu Chigong.

Reviews from Real Guests:

Trip.com User: It's a bit inconvenient to go from Taiyuan, but it's a beautiful place to go. I visited this place three times as a Korean

Trip.com User: It is a good place to visit. The museum is huge and worth for your money. Highly recommended.

Day 1 | Afternoon

Chinese Coal Museum nearby is the top choice before you leave Jinci Museum and hit the road.

Chinese Coal Museum

Opening Hours: Open on Thu,Sun,10:00am-5:00pm;Open on Mon-Wed,12:00am-5:00pm

Ticket Price: 60 RMB

Recommended Length of Stay: 2-3 Hours

Location: No. 2 Yingze West Street, Wanbailin District, Taiyuan City

The Chinese Coal Museum is located in Taiyuan City on the west bank of Fenhe Park. Every day our lives are affected by coal. Do you know where coal comes from, how it is formed, or how it is excavated from deep beneath the surface of the earth's crust? A visit to the Chinese Coal Museum will help answer some of these questions along with many other questions you never knew you had. One of the most interesting features of the museum is the Coal Palace. The Coal Palace is a is an underground facility built to replicate a real mine at a scale that is true to life. You can put on a miner's suit and hat and go down an elevator and passageways similar to ones coal miners use to work. This experience provides a new understanding of the hardship and dangers miners face every day while working.

Day 1 | Evening

If you want to explore other popular attractions later, Parkview Hotel is a suitable place for you to stay and refresh.

Parkview Hotel

Reviews from Real Guests:

Guest User: Complete facilities, free parking, located next to Yingze Park, overlooking the entire park at high altitude; the room is large, clean and tidy, and the toiletries are very easy to use; the front desk staff is friendly, especially July Song (Song Guoyu) is attentive and enthusiastic, especially worthy of praise 👍 Breakfast 128 yuan is expensive, but the variety is monotonous, the taste is average, there is no local characteristics, not recommended!

Guest User: Due to the epidemic situation, I couldn’t go out during the holiday. I came to Taiyuan to play with my family. After comparing with the same type of hotel, I finally chose to stay in the lakeside. The hotel environment is very good. You can go directly to Yingze Park for a walk. The room and service are even better. All aspects feel better than Hainan's resort hotel. I refreshed my impression of the provincial hotel. From the manager to the customer service to the concierge waiter, I was very considerate and thoughtful. I also gave children gifts when I left. Thank you for Xiao Wang's care during the store. It is worthwhile to stay again!

Day 2 | Morning

Taiyuan Zoo

Opening Hours: 7:30-18:00

Ticket Price: 10 RMB

Recommended Length of Stay: 2-3 Hours

Location: No. 2 Dongshan Road, Xinghualing District, Taiyuan City

The Taiyuan Zoo is located in the northern part of downtown Taiyuan. It is an ideal place for bringing small children. The zoo is full of lush green trees, potted plants and flowers. At the Taiyuan City Zoo visitors can see precious wildlife, such as snub-nosed monkeys, Siberian tigers and red-crowned cranes. There are also many precious wild animals from the rest of the world, such as white rhinos, giraffes, baboons and zebras. While at the Taiyuan City Zoo you can also watch the Sea Lion Show, Elephant Show, a circus and many other kinds of animal performances.

Day 2 | Afternoon

Having the chance to enjoy the charming Taiyuan Zoo, Mengshan Giant Buddha next to it is another great place that you will never want to miss!

Mengshan Giant Buddha

Opening Hours: Open from 8:00am-6:30pm

Ticket Price: 35 RMB

Recommended Length of Stay: 2-4 Hours

Location: Luocheng Temple Village, Jinyuan District, Taiyuan City

The Mengshan Giant Buddha is also known as the Giant Buddha of the Western Mountains. It was built in the Northern Qi Dynasty during the reign of the Tianbao Emperor, making for over a thousand years of history. The Mengshan Giant Buddha was originally carved into the cliff face to the rear of Mengshan’s Kaihua Temple. During the later years of the Yuan Dynasty, the Mengshan Giant Buddha was damaged. It was rediscovered in 1980 but, at the time, the head of the Buddha was missing. A new head has since been carved for the giant Buddha. The Mengshan Buddha is incredibly majestic. From the bottom of his legs to his neck is about 30 meters. Based on the proportions of the human body, it is assumed that the original statue (including the missing head) would have been 46 meters tall.

Day 2 | Evening

After visiting the glorious Mengshan Giant Buddha, Longyi Hot Spring Resort nearby is the best place to stay.

Longyi Hot Spring Resort

The Longyi Hot Spring Resort is an ideal spot for travelers wanting to discover the city. The Longyi Hot Spring Resort is an ideal choice for travelers who want to take in the sights and sounds of Taiyuan.

Boasting a convenient location, the hotel is just 13km from Taiyuan South Railway Station and 24km from Taiyuan Wusu International Airport. This hotel is located near many of Taiyuan's attractions including Shendu Resort, Long Yin Hot Spring and Tianjisaiche Park.

After a long day of sightseeing, guests can retire to the comfort of the hotel. This Taiyuan hotel provides parking on site.

Day 3 | Morning

Shuangta Temple (Twin Pagoda Temple)

Opening Hours: 8:30-17:30

Ticket Price: 30 RMB

Recommended Length of Stay: 1-2 Hours

Location: The southeast of Taiyuan City is about 4 kilometers away from the city center.

Shuangta Temple, in the southern suburbs of Taiyuan City, is one of the landmark buildings in Taiyuan City and the motif on the city emblem. Originally called "Yongzuo Temple", Shuangta Temple was built in the middle of the Ming Dynasty (1597-1602). Because there are two pagodas in the temple, the locals are also used to calling it the Shuangta Temple. The two pagodas are in the southernmost part of the temple, both in masonry structures with beautiful carvings. In the square flower bed in front of the Daxiong Hall in the temple, there are peony flowers planted in the Ming Dynasty. Every spring, when peony flowers bloom, visiting Shuangta Temple to watch peony flowers is a great pleasure for Taiyuan citizens.

Day 3 | Afternoon

Now we come to another great highlight in the city: Chunyang Palace.

Chunyang Palace

Opening Hours: Open on Tue-Sun,9:00am-4:30pm;Closed from 1/1-12/31

Ticket Price: 30 RMB

Recommended Length of Stay: 1-2 Hours

Location: No. 1 Qifeng Street, Yingze District, Taiyuan City

Chunyang Palace is located on the west side of Wuyi Square in the downtown of Taiyuan. In the present times, it is known as the Shanxi Provincial Art Museum. When you walk through the gate of the Chunyang Palace, you will be able to catch sight of an elegant wooden archway standing right in front of you. To the west of the archway, you will be able to spot the four statues of the Ming dynasty. The major attraction is the comparison of the "Dragon King Statue" in the middle, which is very admirable.

* All reviews in the blog are machine-translated.