Jinci 晋祠

About Jinci

Its Hall of the Holy Mother is especially rewarding for the coiled wooden dragons outside and the individually modelled Song-period attendants within. The Flying Bridge across the Fish Pond changes the way you approach the hall, while the Hall of Offerings forms another distinct architectural stop. Follow these connected structures slowly instead of treating the garden as a passage to one famous photograph.

Jinci was built to honor Tang Shuyu (唐叔虞), founding lord of the state of Jin under the Zhou dynasty, and his mother Yijiang (邑姜), and is considered the oldest surviving royal sacrificial garden in China. It is first recorded in the Northern Wei dynasty. In the Northern Song dynasty, Emperor Renzong posthumously honored Tang Shuyu as Prince of Fendong (汾东王) and built a large Hall of the Holy Mother for Yijiang, around which the temple's central axis later took shape.

The Zhou-dynasty cypress (周柏), the Never-Aging Spring (难老泉) and its Song-dynasty clay attendant figures are known together as the 'Three Wonders of Jinci', while the Hall of the Holy Mother, the Flying Bridge over the Fish Pond and the Hall of Offerings (献殿) form its 'Three Treasures'. The Hall of Offerings, built in 1168, in the Dading era (大定) of the Jin dynasty, stands 9.75 metres high on a plan three bays wide, praised by the architectural historian Liang Sicheng in 1934 for its simple, enduring frame.

Jinci is a Major Historical and Cultural Site Protected at the National Level, a first-class national museum, and a national 5A-level tourist area, having previously been among the first national AAAA-level tourist areas. Its Water Mirror Terrace (水镜台), an old opera stage, still hosts activities during the Jinci temple fair.

What to look for

• The Hall of the Holy Mother's dragon-wrapped columns and expressive clay attendants.
• The Flying Bridge across the Fish Pond and the separate Hall of Offerings.

The surrounding area

Provincial city base for Jinci, museums and the Zhonglou Street food-and-walking district.

Location & getting there

Getting to Jinci

Go to Jinci at the Jin Springs below Xuanweng Mountain, southwest of Taiyuan, and identify the historic museum entrance within the wider park destination.

• The adjoining public park and the historic building complex are different parts of the visit; confirm access to the halls.