Shanxi Province in China
The Shanxi Province is located to the west of the Taihang Mountains, and it is therefore appropriate that the word ‘Shanxi’ means “Mountains West”. The city of Taiyuan is the capital city of the province, with the other major cities being Changzhi, Yangquan and Datong. There is breathtaking natural beauty everywhere in the Shanxi Province, with a great number of valleys, rivers and mountain ranges, and one of the most fascinating features of the country, the Great Wall of China, forming the northern border of the province.
Business people and investors often find reliable and stable business opportunities to invest in, within the Shanxi province. Of its 156 square kilometer region, 3.6 million hectares is allocated to the agricultural sector, which plays a small, but vital role in the economy of the province. Products such as hemp, sweet potatoes, wheat, legumes, potatoes, maize, beans, beets, fruit, walnuts, barley, tobacco, cotton and vegetables are produced and livestock generally includes donkeys, chickens, mules, rabbits, pigs, horses and sheep. Some farmers are quite successful with bees and silkworms. But the most dominant industry in the economy, and the one that the most interest from businessmen and foreign investors, is the industrial sector. As one of the most significant coal producers in China, the Shanxi province concentrates its efforts on coal, bauxite, electrical power, metal refining and the production of chemicals. To grasp the extent of the industrial sector, it is estimated the approximately 12 thousand enterprises are currently active in the province. As the eighteenth province on China’s rankings, its total GDP for the year 2004, was 37.4 billion U.S. dollars. There are many business opportunities for foreign investors, and interest seems to be growing, even amidst the rumors of hard labor and unfavorable working conditions in the industrial industries.
As a travel destination, the Shanxi province has much to offer. Scattered across the region, visitors will be able to visit attractions such as the Yungang Grottoes, Pingyao city, Jinci Temple, Wooden Pagoda of Yingxian, Shuanglin Temple, Hukou Waterfalls, Wutai Mountain, the Hanging Temple and the Cloud Ridge Caves.
The Shanxi province is a marvelous combination of natural splendor, prosperous industries and majestic historical sites. Visitors to this diverse province will be fascinated at the well-preserved examples of ancient architecture, traditions and culture, while witnessing a province of progress and modernization.
