Shanxi Province is located in northern China, bordering Hebei to the east, Henan to the south, Shaanxi to the west, and Inner Mongolia to the north. It is about 200 miles from Beijing. The provincial capital, Taiyuan, is the political, economic and cultural center of Shanxi. Shanxi has a long history and is one of the birthplaces of Chinese civilization, with a rich cultural heritage. The population is about 37 million, and the annual GDP is about US$440 billion. The five major cities in the province include Taiyuan太原, Datong大同, Yangquan阳泉, Changzhi长治 and Jinzhong晋中. Shanxi’s major industries include coal, electricity, metallurgy, machinery manufacturing and cultural tourism. Its unique above-ground cultural relics and underground coal resources have earned it the reputation of “China’s Ancient Architecture Museum” and “Coal Sea”. Top 10 tourist attractions in Shanxi: Pingyao Ancient City平遥古城, Yungang Grottoes云冈石窟, Mount Wutai五台山, Mount Heng恒山, Yingxian Wooden Pagoda应县木塔, Jinci Temple晋祠, Zhangbi Ancient Fortress张壁古堡, Qixian Ancient City祁县古城, Yao Temple in Linfen临汾尧庙, and Shanxi Museum山西博物院.
