Shanxi - a passionate journey to the Yellow River

Shanxi, whose literal translation refers to land west of the Taihang Mountain, was one of the first provinces I saw in China, skirting around its northern edge by train in 1987 by train , passing through Datong en route to Beijing. I had also several times, overnighted by train to and from Xi'an, for example. However it was not until 2016 that I had a real opportunity to explore and discover parts of the province, particularly between the provincial capital, Taiyuan and the Yellow River valley.

Before that visit I would hear Shanxi's name synonymous with coal mining and associated pollution. Yes, it is one of China's leading centers of coal production, particularly around Datong. Indeed a railway line was constructed solely to carry lengthy trains transporting coal from Datong to the Bohai Gulf port of Qinghuangdao. However, when I was in Shanxi I saw no coal mines, instead a quite beautiful and at times stunning landscape. With air pollution maybe I was lucky, for air quality and visibility were both excellent as my photo images show. Noticeable efforts are being made to tackle pollution, for example in Taiyuan all taxis are now electric-powered.