Jincheng

Jincheng sits in the far southeast of Shanxi on the Qinshui basin, close to the Henan border and the Taihang Mountains. Its outstanding landmark is Huangcheng Xiangfu, the sprawling fortified residence of Chen Tingjing, a Qing chancellor and chief compiler of the Kangxi Dictionary. The cliffs and canyons of Wangmangling and the Manghe nature reserve make the surrounding highlands popular for hiking. Historically wealthy from coal, iron and ironware crafts, Jincheng today combines mining with tourism and coalbed-methane energy. Ancient temples such as Qinglian preserve rare Tang and Song architecture and sculpture. A high-speed line links Jincheng to Taiyuan and Zhengzhou.