Taiyuan, is the capital city of Shanxi province, which is the center of political, economic and culture. Many places of culture interest are spread along the Fenhe River and nearby mountains, forming scenic spots such as: Jinci Temple, an ancient Chinese garden with a Song Dynasty structure; Buddhist Grottoes on TianLongshan Mountain; the ancient walled city of Pingyao; Zhenguo Temple, and other places of historic interest and scenic beauty that are all national treasures. The rich merchants of Jinzhong during the Ming and Qing Dynasties set up piaohao, firms to exchange and transfer money. These piaohao noce monopolized the monetary lifelines of whole country. If you go to Taiyuan, Qixian and Pingyao, you can still see these rich merchants’ unique residences and mansions, which have been turned into the Folk Customs Museum to display the “Shanxi Merchant Culture”.