The memorial hall of Yi Jiang became the center of the Jinci Temple after it was finished in the Song Dynasty (AD 9601279). Local farmers compared her to the water goddess, as her memorial hall was built on three springs and surrounded by manmade canals.[Photo by Sun Ruisheng/China Daily]

Naturally weathered architecture and ancient works of art make it a must-see

If you have only one day to tour in Taiyuan, Shanxi province, most locals will recommend that you visit Jinci, a temple with 3,000 years' history.

Jinci, built at the foot of Xunweng Mountain beside the Fenhe River to the southwest of Taiyuan, is an artistic complex of ancient Chinese architecture, sculpture, fresco and inscription, as well as a cultural synthesis of religion, politics and family clan.

It was firstly built in the Northern Wei Dynasty (AD368-534) in memory of Ji Yu, a prince of the Zhou Dynasty (1100 BC to 256 BC), at the site of his kingdom's capital for his commitment to improve the local people's livelihood.

The Zhou Dynasty is an important period in Chinese history, as it was so long and laid a foundation for many social, political and religious systems for even today's China.

The oldest things in the temple are two 2,900-year-old cypress trees (one died in the early 1900s, leaving the huge trunk there), which were supposedly planted by Ji Yu himself.

Few memorial temples built that early in China enjoyed the recognition of most emperors in the dozens of following dynasties. Jinci was transformed and expanded many times throughout Chinese history till now. There are dozens of buildings in the temple, most of which are built after the Tang Dynasty (AD618-907). Wood, tiles and stones are the main building materials.

They were designed and built by masters of different times. Every building is unique and has its own smart innovation of saving building materials, using natural light, and borrowing views from natural landscape.