Xinjiang

Called Jiangzhou in ancient times, Xinjiang County, located in the southwest of Shanxi Province and the southwest edge of the Linfen Basin, leans on Luliang Mountain to the north and the Emei Mountain Range to the south, with Fen and Hui rivers running across it.

Jiangzhou is a time-honored ancient city. It was the capital of the Jin state in the Spring and Autumn Period (770-476BC), and belonged to the Wei state in the Warring States Period (475-221BC). It was established as Dongyongzhou in the Southern and Northern Dynasties Period (386-581), and changed to Jiangzhou by Emperor Mingdi of the Northern Zhou Dynasty. In the third year (583) of the Kaihuang reign in the Sui Dynasty (581-618), the seat of the prefecture was moved from Yubi to the present site of Jiangzhou.

Xinjiang County is famous for its ancient architectures. The ancient city, originally called the Crouching Ox City, has two city gates with the south one as the ox' mouth and north one as its stern, the east and west moats as its eyes, turrets as its horns, the only south-north street as its back, the 62 lanes on the left and right sides as its ribs and the pagoda as its tail. Different from other prefectures and counties, Xinjiang breaks away from the layout of crossed symmetry, but arranges its streets, buildings, towers, parks, temples, steles, the two gates and 62 lanes naturally to form a integral but vibrant architectural complex. Though after more than 1,400 years, it still keeps the structure of the Tang Dynasty (618-907), and is of high reference value for the research into city planning, transportation, culture, art, science and architecture of that time.

The yamun of Jiangzhou lies in the west of Xinjiang County. It is 29.20 meters long from east to west and 15.40 meters wide from south to north, and covers an area of 311.28 square meters. The yamun was first built in the Tang Dynasty, and the extant building was rebuilt in the Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368). It is not a key cultural relics site under the state protection.

The Jiangshou Juyuan Pond of the Sui Dynasty, famous nationwide, is a gem of Chinese gardens. Emperor Taizong of the Tang Dynasty, Li Shimin, once stationed troops in Jiangzhou; Emperor Taizu, the first emperor of the Song Dynasty (960-1279), once inspected Xinjiang in plain clothes and lived in the Jiangzhou Longxing Temple. The Bell Tower, Drum Tower and Music Building of the Ming Dynasty (1644-1911) are collectively called as Three Buildings in Jiangzhou. The Longxing Tower of the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) still stands there imposingly, and the smoking on the top of the tower is a wonder. There are also steles with inscriptions of the Tang Dynasty and murals of the Ming Dynasty, etc., in the county.

In the history, civil officials and military officers of Xinjiang were active, and scholars and calligraphers left many works, so Xinjiang has numerous historic sites and scenic spots. Currently, there are altogether 169 historic sites at different levels, including one Paleolithic site, 22 Neolithic sites, two tomb groups of the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, and three tomb groups of the Han Dynasty (206BC-220AD), 17 graves of other celebrities, 64 ancient architectures, 32 steles and carved stones, eight revolutionary sites, six sites full of ancient trees, five sites of fossils, and so on. There are 33 historic sites and places of interest in the 2.5 square km county seat. Up to now, altogether 205 well-preserved cultural relics sites have been discovered in the county, among which 169 sites have been proclaimed as cultural relics sites under the county-level protection or above, including one under national protection and four under provincial protection.

The ancient Jiangzhou is not only rich in natural resources but also has turned out many celebrities. Since the Spring and Autumn Period, it has been the center of politics, economy and cultural activities in the south of Shanxi Province. In January 1994, the State Council proclaimed it as a national historical and cultural city.