On Feb 4, Taiyuan's culture and tourism bureau announced a series of renovated and newly built tourist attractions that people can visit during the Spring Festival holiday from Feb 11 to 17.
1. Taiyuan Botanical Garden
Visitors view various plants at Taiyuan Botanical Garden. [Photo/Shanxi Daily]
Taiyuan Botanical Garden is the only comprehensive botanical garden in Shanxi province that integrates scientific research, science education, horticulture and cultural tourism.
There are 2,381 types of plant resources in Shanxi province, of which 1,031 kinds are featured in the garden. There are 110 rare and endangered species in the province, among which more than 60 types have been collected and cultivated in Taiyuan Botanical Garden.
The total area of the botanical garden is about 182 hectares. Visitors can take a 60-meter-long escalator to a large cantilever viewing platform in the garden, overlooking the beautiful scenery of the entire park.
2. Taiyuan Zoo
After upgrading and expanding, Taiyuan Zoo's area increased from the original 72.8 hectares to 135.48 hectares. The zoo's area now ranks second among urban zoos in North China.
The zoo is divided into 11 viewing areas, including a bird display area, a large animal display area and a primate display area. The Asia, Oceania and African herbivore areas and the Asian and African ferocious animal areas are presented to tourists in a free-range form.
3. Jinshang Museum
Jinshang Museum, located in the city's Xinghualing district and covering a floor space of 30,000 square meters, displays items related to the famed Shanxi merchants or Jinshang. The facility showcases – in detail – the development of the Jinshang.
Shanxi is known for its historical commerce that the Jinshang developed. Jinshang dominated commercial circles in North China for about 500 years during the Ming (1368-1644) and Qing (1644-1911) dynasties.
Many of these successful merchants started out as small vendors. They made their fortune by selling goods like tea, silk and porcelain in regions as far away as Russia.
4. Shanxi Bronze Museum
An exhibition of traditional Shanxi silver ornaments is staged at Shanxi Bronze Museum. [Photo/Shanxi Daily]
The first bronze-themed museum at the provincial level in China, Shanxi Bronze Museum, is located within the five marvelous red inverted-cone shaped buildings of the Taiyuan Museum, constituting a landmark of the city.
An exhibition of traditional Shanxi silver ornaments is being staged in the museum from Jan 26 to April 20. The exhibition displays more than 600 traditional silver ornaments from various periods in Shanxi's history.
5. Jinci Park
6. Fenhe Wandu
Fenhe Wandu's sightseeing platform [Photo/Shanxi Daily]
Fenhe Wandu scenic spot has been developed while maintaining an appreciation for the original landscape. Located in the water sports area of the third phase of the Fenhe River scenic area, the sightseeing platform allows visitors to enjoy stunning sunsets and spectacular views of the Fenhe River, Jinyang Bridge and Xishan Mountain.