Taiyuan Zoo (太原动物园), established in December 1957, is located on Wohu Mountain in the northeastern part of Taiyuan, covering an area of 2032.2 acres. It is the second largest city zoo in North China. The zoo houses over 250 species of rare and endangered wildlife, including gorillas, giraffes, elephants, and the Chinese brown eared pheasant, with a total of over 3,600 animals.
Originally known as Wohu Mountain Park, the site covers 71.47 hectares (2013 figures show the zoo’s total area is 79.36 hectares, or 1190.41 acres). The park is divided into two parts: the front mountain, approximately 40 hectares, and the back mountain, around 31.47 hectares. In 2003, to accelerate the development of an ecological garden city, Taiyuan City decided to transform Wohu Mountain Park into a zoo. Construction began on May 1, 2003, and after a year of building and relocation, the new Taiyuan Zoo opened to the public on April 29, 2004.
The zoo is divided into seven themed areas:
- “Little World”: A children’s area designed for interactive and educational experiences.
- “Hundred Flowers Garden”: Focuses on the display of various flowers.
- “Flower and Fruit Mountain”: Home to primates such as chimpanzees, baboons, squirrel monkeys, and lemurs.
- “Bird Language Blue Sky”: Features the Flamingo Pavilion, Bird Garden, Waterfowl Lake, Peacock Garden, Songbird House, and Raptors House.
- “Grassland Style”: Showcases herbivores including giant pandas, African rhinos, giraffes, elephants, zebras, ostriches, camels, sika deer, and wildebeests.
- “Natural Forest”: Houses carnivorous animals such as bears, lions, leopards, wolves, and tigers.
- “Central Leisure and Entertainment”: Includes an ecological restaurant and amusement park.
Additionally, the zoo offers entertaining performances featuring sea lions, elephants, and circus acts, providing a fascinating and engaging experience for visitors.
Basic Informaiton
| Estimated Length of Tour | 2 hours |
| Ticket Price | 10 RMB |
| Opening Hours | 8.00 – 17.30 (1st May – 8th October) 8.00 – 17.00 (9th October – 30th April) |
| Telephone Number | 0086-0351-3074953 |
Location and Transportation
Taiyuan Zoo is located at 2 Dongshan Road, Xinghualing District, Taiyuan City, Shanxi Province, China. To get there, you can take bus 25, 59, 75, 202, 829, 830, 845, 850, 855, 878, or 904 and get off at the Zoo Stop (动物园站).
