Linfen, a modern fruit and flower town

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Linfen, a modern fruit and flower town

Source:Global Times Published: 2010-9-7 17:18:00

Situated along the banks of the Fen River, Linfen is a prefecture-level city in southern Shanxi Province. It was known as Pingyang during the Spring and Autumn Period (770BC–476BC). It has an area of 20,275 square kilometers and a population of 4,172,000 as of the end of 2007.

According to legend, the site of present-day Linfen was the capital of Yao, a legendary ruler who lived more than 4,000 years ago. In the 1980s, Linfen was nicknamed "The Modern Fruit and Flower Town".

The region has four distinct seasons and a mild climate. Green areas amount to about 20 percent of the city's area. Thousands of trees line the streets including pear trees, persimmon trees, pomegranate trees, hawthorn trees, cherry trees and other fruit trees.

The scenery changes with the seasons. In spring, hundreds of different flowers shine brilliantly in the city. In summer, the whole city is covered with lush foliage, sending off a delicate fragrance that the visitors are reluctant to leave. The autumn sky is clear and the air is crisp. In winter, the city is covered thick with soft, cottony and silent snow.

There are many scenic spots and historic sites in and out of the city, such as the Glazed Flying Rainbow Pagoda (Feihong Pagoda), which is the best of its kind in China; the Su San Prison from the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), which is the most intact and the earliest one in the country; the site of the Old Cypress, where people from all over China seek their ancestors; the Western Minor Paradise (Xiao Xi Tian), which possesses unique hanging sculptures; the Dongyue Temple, a large and magnificent palace complex; the Ding Village, which represents the stone age; The Kingdom relics in Hou Ma City, and the Yellow River Waterfall (Hukou Waterfall), the second largest in China.