Jin is short for Shanxi Province. Jin Cai means the Shanxi Cuisine. When traveling in Taiyuan, Jin Cai should not be missed. The Shanxi Cuisine has a salty flavor accompanied by a little sweet and sour. The methods of cooking include deep-frying, stir-frying, quick-frying, grilling and braising. And the traditional dishes of Jin Cai include Ba Si Shan Yao (Chinese Yam in Hot Toffee), Guo Shao Yang Rou (Braised Mutton), Fu Ru Rou (Braised Pork with Pickled Bean Curd Sauce) and Tang Cu Yu (Sweet and Sour Fish).

Taiyuan Tou Nao, the most delicious snack in Taiyuan, literarily means Brain or Head. In fact, it is the mutton soup with yam and lotus root. The dish is full of flavor and is a nutritious food ideal for warding off winter colds.

Taiyuan Food Street
This street is situated in the center of Taiyuan City. If you would like to taste the snacks from all over the country, come to this street. Antique pavilions, memorial archways on this street replicate the architectural style of the Ming and Qing dynasties and so add greatly to the atmosphere of the area.

On either side of the street entrance, there are two snack bars, the Jian Nan Chun Restaurant and Famous Chengdu Snacks; both serve Sichuan snacks. Otherwise, delicacies from the whole country can be found here, Hunan cuisine, Sichuan hotpots, Lanzhou beef noodles and Shanxi local dishes and western food from foreign countries are served in plenty on this street.

    As an inland city, Taiyuan is a place propitious for giving birth to great men, where the people are honest and warmhearted. Many famous historic figures came from Taiyuan such as follows: the famous general Lian Po during the Warring States Period (475—221 B. C.); the prime minister Di Renjie; the literator Bai Xingjian and his brother Bai Juyi——a great poet, all in the Tang Dynasty (618—907); and poets of Wang Han, Wang Changling and Wang Zhihuan, the famous generals of Hu Yanzan and Yang Yanzhao, all in the Song Dynasty (960—1279); the famous calligrapher and painter Mi Shi, and the author of “Three Kingdoms” Lou Guanzhou. There are a lot of historical relics and attractions in Taiyuan, such as the Holy Mother Hall in Jinci Temple, the Grottoes on Mountain Tianlong, the Taoist rites on Mountain Dragon, the Chongshan Monastery, Chunyang Taoist Palace, Baiyun Temple, and the emperor of the Tang Dynasty (618—970) Li Shimin's handwritten tablet inscription of “Zhenguang Baohan” (An Inscription with Preface to the Ancestral Temple of the State of Jin) in Jinci Temple, etc.

    Taiyuan, the capital of Shanxi Province, called “Jinyang” in ancient times or “Jin” for short, is an ancient city with a history of 2,500 years. It was initially established in 497 B.C. in the Spring and Autumn Period (770—475 B.C.), called as Jinyang city. In the early Warring States Period (475—221 B.C.), it was the capital of Zhao State . During the Qin Dynasty (221—206 B.C.), it was one of 36 prefectures in the whole country. During the Western Han Dynasty (206 B.C.—24 A .D.), it was called Binzhou and was one of 13 states in the whole country, which was origin of Taiyuan named as Binzhou. Before the Southern and Northern Dynasties (420—589), such as Former Zhao, Later Yan, Former Yan, Former Qin and Northern Qi States, all chose Taiyuan as capital. During the Sui Dynasty (581—618), Jinyang was the third largest city after Chang'an and Luoyang in the whole country. Jinyang was the birthplace of Tang Dynasty (618—907) and was designated as Bei capital. Jinyang of Bei capital, Chang'an of Jing capital and Luoyang of Dong capital all were called “Three Capitals”. During the Five Dynasties (907 -960), Taiyuan was the capital of Later Tang (923 -936), Later Jin (936-947), Later Han (947- 950) and Northern Han (951 -979). In the history of more than 2,000 years, Taiyuan has always been a military fortress town in North China, enjoying the reputation of “controlling mountains and rivers, crouching on heaven's shoulder and back”. A famous poet Guo Moruo eulogized Taiyuan that “Look Taiyuan from a distance, how grand and magnificent it is”. In the Qing Dynasty (1636- 1911 ), Taiyuan had developed to a key city in commercial and handicraft industries in north China. In the period of the Republic of China (1912—1949), Taiyuan was the municipality under the direct jurisdiction of Shanxi Province.