Shanxi reveals how enduring landscapes and ancient communities preserve the country's cultural identity across generations, Michael Rhys Card reports.

A performer juggles fire at a molten iron fireworks show in Xinzhou Ancient City in Shanxi province. [Photo by Michael Rhys Card/China Daily]

Every culture is shaped by its history. The languages we speak, the beliefs we hold, the art we create and the buildings we leave behind are all echoes of the generations that came before us.

History tells us not only where a nation has come from, but also something about who its people are today. It reveals the ideas, values and experiences that have shaped societies over centuries.

Yet history is fragile, and time slowly erases what people build. Natural disasters, conflict and the passing of generations can leave only fragments behind. A temple may survive while the town around it disappears. A single monument may remain as a reminder of a civilization that once surrounded it.

Buckwheat noodles being prepared in Xinzhou Ancient City. [Photo by Michael Rhys Card/China Daily]

But across the world there are places where history has endured in a much more complete form, where the past is not simply displayed, but still exists. Shanxi province in northern China is one such place.

Often described as a cradle of Chinese civilization, Shanxi offers a rare opportunity to see the foundations of Chinese culture still standing today. With a history stretching back thousands of years, the province preserves a remarkable connection between ancient China and the modern world.

Its importance is recognized through three UNESCO World Heritage sites: the ancient city of Pingyao, the Yungang Grottoes and the cultural landscape of Mount Wutai. But beyond these internationally recognized landmarks, Shanxi is filled with historic towns, temples and villages that preserve the stories of generations past. Here, history is not something separated from everyday life but something that can be walked through, touched and experienced.

Visitors take photos at Yong'an Temple, Hunyuan county, in Shanxi. [Photo by Michael Rhys Card/China Daily]

Outside the classroom

Today, there are more ways than ever to learn about other cultures. Books, films, documentaries and modern technology have brought distant histories closer than ever before. Through digital re-creations and visual storytelling, we can explore worlds that disappeared centuries ago.

But understanding a culture requires more than simply consuming information.

Human beings learn through experience. Whether it's the smell of traditional food being prepared, the details of old wooden structures or the atmosphere of places that have carried centuries of human activity, standing in a historic place creates a connection that words alone cannot provide.

This is why surviving heritage sites are so valuable. They allow us to see the lines that connect the past to the present – the traditions, beliefs and ideas that have traveled across generations and continue to influence life today. China, with its more than 5,000 years of civilization, provides countless examples of this continuity. But Shanxi is particularly special because so much of that history remains visible. It allows visitors to trace a path from ancient China to the present day, seeing how culture has developed while maintaining its roots.

An artist paints a picture at Foguang Temple on Mount Wutai. [Photo by Michael Rhys Card/China Daily]

Shielded by land and people

One reason so much of Shanxi's heritage has survived is its geography. Located among mountains, plateaus and valleys, the province has historically been less exposed to the rapid urban expansion that transformed many other regions. Its landscape created natural barriers, allowing many historic settlements and buildings to remain intact. However, geography alone cannot preserve history.

The survival of Shanxi's heritage is also the result of careful protection and restoration. Preservation efforts have focused not simply on rebuilding old structures, but on maintaining their original character – protecting traditional designs, materials and the relationship between buildings and their surroundings.

This approach is important because heritage is not only about individual monuments. It is about the wider environment that gives those places meaning.

A temple without its landscape, or an ancient street without the community that shaped it, tells only part of the story. Shanxi's strength lies in preserving these connections.

A performer breathes fire at a molten iron fireworks show in Xinzhou Ancient City. [Photo by Michael Rhys Card/China Daily]

Walk through living history

Many historic sites around the world preserve only a single remaining piece of a much larger story. A castle tower, a temple hall or a palace wall may survive, while the world around it has disappeared. In Shanxi, entire historic environments remain.

The ancient city of Pingyao is one of the clearest examples. Its preserved city walls, traditional courtyards and narrow streets offer a rare glimpse into the structure of a historic Chinese city. Walking through Pingyao is not simply an opportunity to view old buildings; it is a chance to experience the rhythm of a place shaped over centuries.

The streets remain active, with shops, restaurants and cultural performances existing alongside historic architecture. The result is an experience in which the past feels close enough to touch.

Similarly, places such as the Old City of Yuci and Xinzhou Ancient City demonstrate how history can continue as part of everyday life. Rather than becoming empty museums, these locations retain a sense of community, where traditional spaces and modern visitors exist together. This is the difference between seeing history and experiencing it.

We often speak about intangible cultural heritage – traditions, skills and customs passed down through generations. But visiting places like these creates a tangible connection to that heritage. The physical surroundings provide a foundation for understanding the people who created them.

You can feel the weight of history around you.

A view of Tongtian Temple in Hunyuan county. [Photo by Michael Rhys Card/China Daily]

Beyond sacred places

Further beyond the ancient towns, Shanxi's temples reveal another important part of Chinese cultural history: the relationship between people, spirituality and nature.

Yong'an Temple in Datong's Hunyuan county, with its remote setting and remarkable artwork, offers a powerful example. Its painted interiors and historic architecture reflect the artistic achievements and religious beliefs of the time. But its location also raises deeper questions.

Why was this temple built here? Why did people choose this landscape as a place of worship?

A statue at the Hanging Temple in the county. [Photo by Michael Rhys Card/China Daily]

In traditional Chinese thought, including principles associated with feng shui, the relationship between human structures and the natural world was deeply significant. Mountains, water, direction and surrounding landscapes all influenced where important buildings were constructed.

Understanding this context changes how we view these places. They are not simply old buildings; they are expressions of how people understood their relationship with the world around them.

Standing in such a place encourages curiosity. It makes us look beyond what was built and ask why it was built.

A view of the bell tower at Yong'an Temple. [Photo by Michael Rhys Card/China Daily]

A different kind of tourism

Today, historic destinations face a difficult challenge: how to welcome visitors while protecting what makes them special. Tourism plays an important role. It supports local communities, encourages preservation and allows more people to experience cultural heritage. But when places become overly commercialized, they risk losing the authenticity that made them valuable in the first place.

Compared with China's most famous destinations, such as Beijing or Shanghai, Shanxi's tourism industry often requires more patience from visitors. Long journeys across the province lead through dramatic landscapes, and the destinations themselves reward those willing to explore.

There are visitors, but many places still retain a sense of peace. They do not feel like artificial re-creations designed only for tourism. Instead, they feel like genuine places where history has continued, and that balance is what allows visitors to truly experience them.

Yuanjue Temple Pagoda in Hunyuan. [Photo by Michael Rhys Card/China Daily]

A shared journey

Learning about history is not only about understanding the past. It is about understanding people.

Every culture has its own journey, shaped by geography, beliefs, challenges and achievements. By exploring those journeys, we gain a greater appreciation of the diversity of human experience.

Places like Shanxi remind us that culture is not created overnight. It is built gradually, through countless generations of creativity, adaptation and perseverance.

A view of the Hanging Temple. [Photo by Michael Rhys Card/China Daily]

To walk through its ancient streets and temples is to witness the connection between yesterday and today. It is to see how ideas and traditions survive, evolve and continue to shape modern life.

These places matter not only because they belong to one country or one civilization. They represent achievements of humanity itself, examples of what people can create, preserve and pass on.

By experiencing the history of others, we learn more about the world we share. We develop greater understanding, respect and appreciation of the many different paths that have brought cultures to where they are today. History is not simply something behind us. In places like Shanxi, it is still alive.