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Shanxi, literally meaning west of the mountains, was named for its location - west of the Taihang Mountains. Shanxi, a province situated on a loess plateau, is one of the cradles of Chinese civilization. Occupying 156,000 square kilometers, it makes up 1.65 percent of the country's total area. Most of this area stands 1,000 meters above sea level, and hilly land accounts for 70 percent. The population of the province is 32.97 million.
Shanxi has a continental monsoonal climate with distinctive seasons. It has cold winters but mild summers, with a mean annual temperature of 6C to 14C The greater part of the province has a mean annual precipitation of 400-650 mm, increasing gradually from northwest to southeast.
Shanxi, Jin for short, is situated on the middle segment of the Yellow River. The land of Shanxi is one of the origins of Chinese civilization, exhibiting evidence of human settlement over a million years ago. Huangdi (the Yellow Emperor), a famous legendary hero, apparently sojourned in Shanxi, and the earliest rulers, Yao, Shun and Yu, all founded their capitals there. Datong, known as Pingcheng in ancient times, was the capital of the Northern Wei Dynasty (386-534) and famous throughout the Southern and Northern Dynasties (420-581). During the Sui (581-618) and Tang (618-907) Dynasties, Shanxi became very prosperous. In the past, Shanxi people were once called the Chinese Jews, indicating that they were people of wisdom. The long history of Shanxi has provided the province with a rich and colorful cultural heritage.
The basins here are the main agricultural region. The most important products are wheat, corn, cotton and peanut. Shanxi is the base of coal industry. The produces of heavy machinery and textile are very important in the whole country. Also, there is iron and steel, electric power, chemical industry, textile and food. The communication is mainly railway. And the highway here is convenient, too.
There are abundant historic reserves in Shanxi, including Wutai Mountain, Hengshan Mountain, the Jin Ancestral Hall in Taiyuan, the Yungan Grottos in Datong, the Shuanglin Temple in Pingyao, the Hanging Temple in Hunyuan, and the Hukou Waterfall of the Yellow River.
Besides the great cultural sites, the province boasts beautiful natural scenery and unique folk customs. The magnificent residences of merchants in the past are architectural masterpieces, which represent the culture of the province. Shanxi boasts a variety of cuisines. Their food made of wheat flour is well known both at home and abroad. Hence the name "hometown of wheat food".
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