Atlas of China
Linfen 临汾Línfén
Emperor Yao's land, a rediscovered Buddhist canon and a Yellow River funnel
- Type
- City
- Region
- Shanxi
- Featured places
- 3
- Listed sites
- 602 rated 5A · 19 rated 4A · 44 national heritage
About Linfen
Linfen, once Pingyang, follows the Fen River through south-west Shanxi and is the land of the legendary Emperor Yao; Taosi, a walled town of about 2300 to 2000 BC, is widely linked with his capital. Guangsheng Temple in Hongtong is where the Zhaocheng Jin Tripitaka was rediscovered in 1933, the Locust Tree Ancestor-Worship Park marks the Ming-era resettlements, and Hukou Waterfall, on the Shanxi bank at Ji County, forces the Yellow River through a gap only 20 to 30 metres wide.
What to eat in Linfen
- Huozhou New Year buns (霍州年馍)
Featured places in Linfen
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Hukou Waterfall 壶口瀑布
The muddy Yellow River squeezed into a roaring rock chute between Shanxi and Shaanxi
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Guangsheng Temple 广胜寺
A 13-storey glazed-tile pagoda above Yuan halls and murals, among them a theatre scene
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Xiaoxitian Temple 小西天
A small hilltop hall crowded with nearly 2,000 painted clay Buddhist figures
Listed sites in Linfen
60 listed sites are in Linfen. These are the 21 rated 5A or 4A; see all 60 in the Shanxi list.
- Hongtong Locust Tree Ancestor-Worship Park 洪洞大槐树寻根祭祖园 5A scenic area
The park commemorates the Hongtong locust tree, remembered by families across northern and eastern China as the point of departure of the Ming-era resettlements from Shanxi, of which Ming records list 18 between 1373 and 1417. - Yunqiu Mountain 云丘山 5A scenic area · on the map
A mountain scenic area in Xiangning County, rated 5A in 2020, with a total area of 210 sq km, a core visiting zone of 35 sq km and a highest point of 1,629 m. - Baishan Dongyue Temple, Pu County 柏山东岳庙 4A scenic area · National heritage site
A large temple to the Lord of Mount Tai (Dongyue) on wooded Baishan hill east of Pu county town, with roots in the Tang and rebuilt in 1316–18 after the 1303 Pingyang earthquake. - Fenhe Culture and Ecology Scenic Area, Linfen 汾河文化生态景区 4A scenic area · on the map
A riverside park about 17 km long along the Fen River through Linfen, laid out around the idea of one river, five lakes, ten gardens and eighteen views. - Former Taiyue Administrative Office, Xiaoli Village 太岳行署旧址 4A scenic area · National heritage site · on the map
The former seat of the Taiyue Administrative Office, a regional wartime government for the Taiyue mountains of southern Shanxi, in Xiaoli village, Liangma town; the listed buildings date from 1942–44. - Gu County Peony Garden 古县牡丹文化园 4A scenic area · on the map
A peony garden at Sanhe village in the hills of Gu county, built around an old peony plant that is acclaimed locally as the finest in China. - Huozhou Prefectural Office 霍州署 4A scenic area · National heritage site · on the map
The surviving prefectural office of Huozhou, on East Street in the old centre of Huozhou city, now a museum. - Jin Museum (Qucun–Tianma Site) 晋国博物馆 4A scenic area · National heritage site · on the map
A site museum on the Qucun–Tianma site, where archaeologists found the early capital and royal cemetery of the Western Zhou state of Jin, in use between about 1000 and 800 BC. - Jinyuan Garden, Quwo 曲沃晋园 4A scenic area · on the map
A landscaped park in Quwo county town, laid out as a classical-style garden on the culture of Jin, the ancient state of this region. - Longshuyu Scenic Area 龙澍峪 4A scenic area · on the map
Longshuyu is a hill-country scenic area above Huangya village in Xiangling town, on the western edge of Xiangfen County. - Lotus Town, Xiangfen 荷花小镇 4A scenic area · on the map
A hot-spring leisure town beside the Fen River in Dengzhuang town, north of Xiangfen county town. - Peng Zhen Former Residence, Houma 彭真故居纪念馆 4A scenic area · on the map
The memorial hall at the birthplace of Peng Zhen (1902-1997), a Communist Party leader who held senior posts in the party and the state, in Dieshang village, now part of Houma. - Qiankun Bay, Yonghe 永和乾坤湾 4A scenic area · on the map
Qiankun Bay is a stretch where the Yellow River winds in tight S-shaped meanders between Shanxi and Shaanxi, and this scenic area looks over it from the Shanxi bank in Yonghe County; a separate scenic area faces it across the river in Yanchuan, Shaanxi. - Qiliyu Scenic Area, Huozhou 七里峪景区 4A scenic area · on the map
A mountain valley scenic area on the Huozhou side of Mount Huo, in Licao town east of Huozhou, with forested slopes and a ski area at its entrance. - Renzu Mountain 人祖山 4A scenic area · on the map
Renzu Mountain is a forested mountain area in Ji County, named for Fuxi and Nüwa, the legendary ancestors of humankind. - Rongzi Winery 戎子酒庄 4A scenic area · on the map
A winery estate in Xiangning County that makes red wines from vineyards on the Loess Plateau. - Xingtangsi Scenic Area, Mount Huo 兴唐寺景区 4A scenic area · on the map
A mountain scenic area on the Hongtong side of Mount Huo, named after Xingtangsi village. - Yao Mausoleum 尧帝陵 4A scenic area · National heritage site · on the map
The tomb of Yao, one of the legendary Five Emperors, stands in the hills east of Linfen on the north bank of the Lao River. - Yao Temple, Linfen 尧庙 4A scenic area · on the map
A temple complex to the legendary emperor Yao on the southern edge of Linfen, moved to its present site on the east bank of the Fen River in 658 and restored after the earthquakes of 1303 and 1695. - Yaojing Winery 尧京酒庄 4A scenic area · on the map
A wine estate in Shangxiliang village, Dadeng township, Xiangfen County, rated as a 4A scenic area. - Zhaigeta Wellness Area, Fushan 寨圪塔康养景区 4A scenic area · on the map
A health-and-wellness resort area in Zhaigeta township, in the hills east of Fushan county town.
Getting to Linfen
Train, flight and driving times from the cities most visitors come from, with stations, fares and how many run a day; each opens the full comparison.
- Yuncheng 运城 high-speed train 37 min, 29 a day, from ¥41
- Luoyang 洛阳 train 8 h 8 min, 2 a day, from ¥72
- Taiyuan 太原 high-speed train 1 h 9 min, 36 a day, from ¥73
- Baoji 宝鸡 high-speed train 2 h 44 min, 5 a day, from ¥166
- Tianjin 天津 high-speed train 4 h 31 min, 2 a day, from ¥283; a nonstop route is listed
On the map
Open Linfen on the illustrated map to see its outline, its places and listed sites together, and to add them to a trip.
Open Linfen on the map