From west to east the province has the Huang (Yellow) River (he) valley, the western Shanxi tableland, the Shanxi Basin--a complex of valleys, and the eastern mountains. Among the eastern mountains are two famed peaks: Xuanwu in the Hengshan mountains in the southeast is one of the Five Sacred Mountains; and Wutai in the range with the same name in the northeast is one of the Four Buddhist Mountains. The Taihang Mountains are easily passed, forming both the barrier and the connection to the North China Plain.
The rivers in the east flow northeast into the Hai system; those in the west flow southwest into the Yellow River. The Fen and the Qin are the most important tributaries to the Yellow.
The capital of Shanxi Province, in central_and_northeastern China is Taiyuan. One of the province's other ten cities (shi) with a million or more residents is Datong.
(1) Shan-hsi in Wade-Giles transliteration; translates as West of the Mountains.
(2) Sheng in Wade-Giles transliteration.