The buildings at Jinci Temple feature characteristics from different dynasties in China. [Photo/Shanxi Evening News]

The Ministry of Culture and Tourism announced on Dec 27 that Jinci Tianlong Mountain Scenic Area in Taiyuan, capital of North China's Shanxi province, has been rated the city's first national 5A-level scenic area.

Jinci Tianlong Mountain Scenic Area is centered around the Jinci Museum, Jinci Park, and Tianlong Mountain. The Jinci Temple and Tianlong Mountain Scenic Area, located southwest of Taiyuan, are important physical testaments and cultural relics of the city's historical development and changes.

The Tianlong Mountain Grottoes reflect the brilliant achievements of cave art. [Photo/Shanxi Evening News]

Jinci Temple is China's oldest, largest, and most enduring classical Tang (618-907) and Song (960-1279) garden.

The ancient buildings at Jinci Temple have a complete chronological sequence and a full range of architectural types. It is the only architectural complex that integrates the essence of ancient buildings from the Song, Jin (1115-1234), Yuan (1271-1368), Ming (1368-1644), and Qing (1644-1911) dynasties.

The Tianlong Mountain Grottoes mark the gradual localization of cave culture in China and reflect the brilliant achievements of cave art from the Southern and Northern Dynasties (420-581) to the Sui (581-618) and Tang dynasties. Known as the "Tianlong Mountain style," these grottoes are a dazzling gem in the world of carving art.