Shanxi Museum
山西博物院
A national first-class museum whose core exhibition, Soul of Jin, traces Shanxi's civilization from prehistory to the Ming and Qing dynasties; the bronze Jinhou bird zun is its treasure.
The Shanxi Museum sits on Binhe West Road on the west bank of the Fen River. Its new building opened in 2005, and its main structure is inspired by the ancient dou measure and the ding cauldron. The collection contains over 400,000 items. The core exhibition, Soul of Jin, is divided into galleries covering the Cradle of Civilization, Traces of the Xia and Shang, the Hegemony of the Jin State, the Ethnic Melting Pot, the Lingering Charm of Buddhism, the Homeland of Opera, and Ming and Qing Shanxi Merchants. The highlights are the bronzes of the Jin State (including the Jinhou bird zun), Northern Dynasties murals and Buddhist sculptures, and artifacts from Shanxi merchants' draft banks. Admission is free but requires advance real-name booking through the museum's official WeChat account or mini program. It is closed on Mondays, except public holidays. Allow at least 3 hours. The Jin State gallery on the second floor and the Buddhist sculpture gallery on the third floor are the most crowded, so arrive early to see them first. You can rent an audio guide or join free scheduled tours. After your visit, stroll along Fenhe River Park.
Opening hours
Tue–Sun 09:00–17:00 (last entry 16:00); closed Mondays
Nearby sights
- Fen River Scenic Area
- China Coal Museum
- Taiyuan Great Mosque
- Yingze Park
- Zhonglou Street & Liuxiang
- Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, Taiyuan
- Chunyang Palace (Shanxi Ancient Architecture Museum)
- Taiyuan Confucian Temple (Shanxi Archaeology Museum)