Yellow Corner:Half of China’s History

by Fu Dong

Shanxi Province was called“Jin” in ancient times. It is an inland Chinese province located on the east bank of the middle reaches of the Yellow River and on the Loess Plateau in the west of the North China Plain. It covers an area of 156，700 square kilometers， accounting for 1.6 percent of Chinas total land area.

Origin of Chinese Civilization

A wealth of evidence of prehistoric human activities has been found in Shanxi Province. It is one of the birthplaces of Chinese civilization. Archeological research shows that the south part of Shanxi （namely， the area of Linfen and Yuncheng cities） may have fostered some of the earliest human activities in China. The discovery of the “Eosimias sinensis” fossil in Yuanqu County， Yuncheng City called into question theories about the evolution of apes beginning in Africa. Primitive people already lived in the southern Shanxi region about 1.8 million years ago in the Paleolithic Age. Among them， burned bones found at the Xihoudu Site in Yunchengs Ruicheng County indicated that humans already used fire in China a million years earlier than previously thought. A relatively concentrated primitive population and villages sprouted in areas along the Fenhe River in Shanxi， as well as todays Datong and Shuozhou， about 100，000 years ago in the middle of the Paleolithic Age. In the late Neolithic period， southwestern Shanxi was the convergence of many states. Discovery and research of the Taosi Site in Xiangfen County of Linfen City has shown that it was the capital of Emperor Yaos kingdom and where China originated. This evidenced that emperors Yao， Shun， and Yu， who had been previously regarded as 4，500-year-old prehistoric Chinese legends， were actual historical figures. And the 5，000-year-old history of Chinese civilization has been confirmed.

During the Spring and Autumn Period （770-476 B.C.）， the state Jin developed into one of the five most influential kingdoms at that time. During its heydays， the territory of Jin included much of todays south-central Shanxi，southwestern Hebei， northwestern Henan， and eastern Shaanxi. The state included more than 50 counties， about a dozen in Shanxi. This is the origin of the name Jin for the Shanxi region.

Cradle of Traditional Operas

Shanxi is a birthplace of Chinese opera art. In the Han Dynasty （202 B.C.-220 A.D.）， opera already sprouted on the land of Shanxi. During the Ming Dynasty （1368-1644）， folk artists in Shanxis Puzhou， Shaanxis Tongzhou， and Henans Shanzhou reformed the singing style of Northern Zaju （a form of Chinese opera） which later evolved into“Puzhou Bangzi，” or Pu Opera. Pu Opera later absorbed local operas from central， northern and southern Shanxi. In the middle of the Qing Dynasty （1644-1911）， the Chinese opera circle witnessed a competition between “Hua Bu” （Bangzi Opera） and “Ya Bu”（Kunqu Opera）. The folk opera competitions became popular in Shanxi thereafter. Large villages and towns often invited two different opera troupes to perform at the same time.

The “big opera genre” in Shanxi include Pu Opera， Jin Opera， Beilu Opera， and Shangdang Opera， which are collectively called the “Four Major Operas of Shanxi.”Among them， Pu Opera， Jin Opera， and Beilu Opera share the same origin but have evolved into different forms. Pu Opera is named after Puzhou （todays Yongji City）， the place where it originated. It took its present shape in the late Ming Dynasty and peaked in the Qing Dynasty. It is the oldest of the Four Major Operas of Shanxi and has developed more than 1，000 plays.

Profound History

Shanxi is known as a“Museum of Chinese Ancient Architecture” because it is home to 70 percent of Chinas well-preserved ancient buildings pre-dating the Song （960-1279） and Jin （1115-1234） dynasties. As of the end of 2013， Shanxi had 452 key historical and cultural sites under national-level protection. Wutai Mountain in Xinzhou City is one of the four most famous Buddhist mountains in China. Yungang Grottoes in Datong City is one of four major Buddhist grottoes. Datongs Hengshan Mountain is one of Chinas Five Sacred Mountains. The Hanging Temple fuses the elements of Confucianism， Buddhism， and Taoism. Pingyao Ancient City in Jinzhong City is one of the three best-preserved ancient cities in the country. The Temple of Guan Yu in Yuncheng City is the largest of its kind in the world.

Yunchengs Yongle Palace was a Taoist royal palace built in the Yuan Dynasty （1271-1368）. On the kilometer-long north-south axis of the architectural complex are five ancient buildings： the palace gate， Wuji Gate， Sanqing Hall， Chunyang Hall， and Chongyang Hall. The overall layout of the compound lacks peripheral buildings on either side. The palace was built according to Yingzao Fashi （a technical treatise on architecture and craftsmanship written by Li Jie in the Song Dynasty） and the idea of “fewer pillars for more room” from the Liao（907-1125） and Jin dynasties. It houses more than 1，000 square meters of murals from the Yuan Dynasty in four major sections. The mural Chaoyuan is one of the most famous attractions in the Yongle Palace. It is a rare giant Chinese painting. The 402-square-meter mural features 286 deities with eight main gods over three meters tall each. The harmonious and magnificent mural captures vivid figures in a variety of garments with elegant colors. Zheng Zhenduo， a famous writer and art history expert， hailed it as “a large display of the magnificence of a palace in China and a rich collection of figure paintings.” It is very valuable for studying the history of Tang， Song， Jin， and Yuan dynasties.

The palace offers a glimpse at the vivid history of China. With the Great Wall， the Yellow River， and the Taihang Mountains meandering through the province， Shanxi consistently attracts tourists from across China and around the world with its splendid culture and rich history.