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China Information » Places in China » Shanxi Province
Places in China: Shanxi Province
Traditional culture and a long history are highlights of Shanxi Province. Not to be confused because its name is so similar to that of neighbouring Shaanxi, this province used to be a part of Jin State. Ancestors of the Chinese lived here as much as one hundred million years ago. Many Neolithic sites from the times of the Yellow Emperor, who founded China, are visible in this province. The province is also known as Hedong.
Provinces which have borders touching the borders of Shanxi include Shaanxi, Inner Mongolia, Hebei and Henan. The province is east of the Yellow River (Huang He) and west of the Taihang Mountains. Some of the Great Wall helps to form the northern border of Shanxi.
There are 156,400 square kilometres of land in Shanxi with more than 33 million people living in the province. The population density is 213 per square kilometre. The people are 99.7 % Han Chinese with a minority of Hui, Mongolian and Manchu ethnic groups.
In the centre of the province is the capital city, Taiyuan. The city has a modern downtown area with its share of banks, hotels and restaurants. It is about 450 kilometres from Beijing and serves as a stopover between Xian and Beijing. The city has experienced many intra-Chinese conflicts in the past as well as occupation by northern invaders.
Another important city in the province is Datong with its heavy industrial activity and the presence of quite a number of coal fields. This city is close to the Great Wall and the northern border shared with Inner Mongolia.
Many historical sites are found in Shanxi as well as one of the five sacred mountains in China, Mount Hengshan. The oldest ancient wooden pagoda in the country is also here.
Coal is the major source of income for the province. It holds one third of the nation's supply of coal. Both light and heavy industry are active in Shanxi as well.
The province is largely upland plateau rising as much as 1500 metres above sea level. The land is not suitable for farming due to a great degree to soil erosion and advancement of the desert, which problems are being combated currently.
Warm summers and long, cold winters are commonplace in Shanxi since it is in a temperate climate zone.
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