- China Destination Guide

Follow us:

China Destination Guide - Jin Si 金丝

Jin Si temple, 25km south west of the Shanxi provincial capital of Taiyuan, was built to commemorate the Duke of Jin who was leader of one of the Warring States around 700BC. Little of the temple dates back more than 900 years now but it is in remarkable condition and all the better for not having been extensively restored like so many Chinese temples. The complex is large and consists of gardens and numerous buildings and can easily take up to half a day to see.

➤ TCTC Tip: Jin Si is usually visited during the transfer to and from Taiyuan and Pingyao.

What there is to see at Jin Si:

Jin Si has many temple buildings and many have English explanations of what they are for.
The architecture demonstrates the melding of the three significant religious philosophical traditions of China - Confucianism, Daoism, and Buddhism. This is partly as Shanxi has retained a significant importance through much of Chinese history.
The temple grounds are studded with Cyprus trees said to be up to 3,000 years old.

Best time to visit Jinsi

April and May as well as September and October are the best months but the temple can be visited at any time of year and looks particularly magical after a dusting of snow.

Best reason to visit Jinsi

To see a relatively unrestored yet substantial temple complex that has a unique architectural style to it.

Our last word on Jinsi

Often visited and easily slotted into a program in conjunction with the wonderful Pingyao.