Shanxi Museum

Occupying a monumental building shaped like an inverted bronze ritual vessel, this Taiyuan museum showcases the rich heritage of Shanxi province. Its galleries hold Jin-state bronzes, Buddhist stone sculpture from the nearby Yungang tradition and vivid painted tomb figures. Displays trace the region's role along the frontier between agricultural China and the northern steppe. Frescoes lifted from ancient tombs and a hall of opera and folk crafts round out one of northern China's strongest provincial collections.