{"id":10161,"date":"2014-07-14T08:00:28","date_gmt":"2014-07-14T12:00:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/chinese\/?p=10161"},"modified":"2014-07-12T19:07:16","modified_gmt":"2014-07-12T23:07:16","slug":"better-know-a-province-shanxi","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/chinese\/better-know-a-province-shanxi\/","title":{"rendered":"Better Know a… Province (Shanxi)"},"content":{"rendered":"

It’s been a while since our last post in this ongoing series that’s taking us around China one province at a time. Last time, we visited Shandong province<\/a> – home of Confucius and Tsingtao beer. From there it only makes sense for us to head next to the province that is “West of the Mountains” and visit Shanxi province<\/strong> (\u5c71\u897f\u7701 – sh\u0101n x\u012b sh\u011bng).<\/p>\n

\"Shanxi,<\/a>

Shanxi, China.<\/p><\/div>\n

History<\/h2>\n

If you’re interested in Chinese history, Shanxi is right up your alley. The early ancestors of Chinese people were growing plants in this region as far back as the 5th millennium BC. During the Spring and Autumn Period (722-403 BC), this area was home to the powerful state of Jin<\/strong> (\u664b – j\u00ecn), as established by the Zhou Dynasty. Eventually, the Jin split up into three states – Han, Zhao, and Wei. This marked the transition in China from the Spring and Autumn Period to the Warring States Period (403-221 BC). At the end of this period, all of China was united under the first emperor and the Qin Dynasty. Next up was the Han Dynasty, which ruled this area as the province of Bingzhou<\/strong> (\u5e77\u5dde – b\u00ecng zh\u014du). During this time, it served as a buffer between the nomads of the north\/west parts of the country and the farmers in the south\/east parts.<\/p>\n

The following Northern Wei Dynasty was a crucial turning point in the history of Shanxi and China as a whole. In the beginning, the capital of this dynasty was in Datong<\/strong> (\u5927\u540c – d\u00e0 t\u00f3ng) in the northern part of present-day Shanxi. It was during this time that Buddhism came to China, after a monk traveled from Shanxi to India and brought back with him a new religion. This led to the creation of some of the country’s most treasured works of art – caves and their thousands of Buddhist carvings and sculptures. The first of these, the Yungang Grottoes<\/strong> (\u4e91\u5188\u77f3\u7a9f – y\u00fan g\u0101ng sh\u00ed k\u016b), was established in Shanxi province just outside of Datong and remains there today, a UNESCO World Heritage site and a popular tourist attraction.<\/p>\n

\"Inside<\/a>

Inside the amazing Yungang Grottoes.<\/p><\/div>\n