About 3000 years ago, the Shang Dynasty was overthrown by the King Wu who established the Western Zhou Dynasty. Then he enfeoffed leuds and took measures to shield his kingdom. During the reign of the King Cheng, the King gave a fief of the land in Shanxi as “Tang State” to his younger brother Shuyu whose son Xie Fu, later when succeeded to the throne, called his territory as the State of Jin. Thereafter, the ruler exerted himself to make the country prosperous. As a result, the territory was greatly expanded and the kingdom gradually became a strong power. At the same time, however, the Western Zhou Dynasty was on the decline. During the reign of King Ping, the royal court had been so weak that the Western Zhou rulers were eventually forced to give up the old capital city in the west and moved eastward for a new one. In this historical event, Marquis Wen of Jin State offered a great assistance to the royal family and showed a sincere royalty to their masters. After that, strong sovereigns emerged and powerful states met to form alliances, which Jin once led. Continuously sweeping over the Central Plains, Jin allied with all the other states and made great achievements to be acclaimed forever. At the height of its power and splendor, Jin State spanned a large area covering the present Shanxi, Henan, Hebei and Shandong Province. In late Spring & Autumn period, Jin State fell into a decline and the state power was in hands of six high officials, who turned into a separation of state property into three: Han, Zhao and Wei. These three new powers introduced reforms and together still dominated throughout Warring States period in Chinese history.

The achievements of Jin State, which has an over 600 years of flourishing history, built prosperous foundation for the art and culture in Shanxi. The South Shanxi used to be the first fief and central area of Jin State, resulting in numerous archaeological remains. The Qucun-Tianma site is believed to be the early capital city of Jin State. The treasures from burials of Jin Marquis there were brought to light, shocking professional archaeologists and the public at large. The Houma site was once the later capital city of Jin, Xintian. The bronze-casting site and the Houma Covenants are among the greatest discoveries of the century. The ruin of Jinyang city in the middle of Shanxi was once political and military center of Zhao Jianzi who was a powerful primary minister of the State. Later it became the early capital city of Zhao State separated from Jin. The tomb of a high official of the Zhao State is magnificent and imposing, which can surely leave people an unforgettable impression.