Situated in the west of Taihang Moutain, it, therefore, is called Shanxi. In Spring and Autumn Period, most parts of present Shanxi Province were in the charge of the State of Jin, as a result, it is referred to as "Jin" short.
Shanxi Province is rich in resources, among which coal is the most important mineral. The geological reserves is of 870 billion tons in 2006, accounting for 30 percent of the country’s proven reserves. Also, it is one of the largest provinces in China’s coal reserves, so it is known as “coal town”.
In addition, a heavy industry main base has been formed in Shanxi Province with the provincial capital Taiyuan I as the center. Taiyuan Industrial Zone has formed four major industries, that is metallurgy, coal, machinery, chemical as the main pillar, while electricity, textile, light industry, building materials and others, altogether 14 industries develop simultaneously and coordinately. Now, Shanxi is already a strong industrial base in North China
Shanxi has an abundant ethnic cultural heritage and is rich in tourism resources, such as Yungang Grottoes, Wutai Moutain, Pingyao ancient city and so on.
There are many special local products in Shanxi. Pingyao beef, mature vinegar, fenjiu(a kind of spirit),all these enjoy great reputation in China. Besides, Shanxi people show special preference to noodles. Countless kinds of noodles can be found in Shanxi. People who like noodles will absolutely like Shanxi as well.
