Goodbye Shanxi after four years


Shanxi has beautiful scenery, and I have long been yearning for Yanmen Pass, which is known as "the first pass in China". This time I met with my friends in Shanxi and used the weekend to travel, so the itinerary is relatively tight. I mainly want to experience the Yanmen Pass, which is known as "the first pass in China". By the way, I also saw the ancient city of Pingyao, which is suitable for taking pictures, and the Yingxian Wooden Pagoda, which is also known as the "three strange towers in the world" together with the Leaning Tower of Pisa in Italy and the Eiffel Tower in Paris. Of course, it is also indispensable to taste the delicacies of Shanxi!


Yanmen Pass


Pingyao Ancient City


Ying County Wooden Pagoda

We were very lucky, the weather was very good along the way, and the traffic connection was smooth.


Let me give you some "dry goods" first, and offer a traffic and food strategy——


In terms of itinerary:

D1: Take a flight from Chongqing to Taiyuan Wusu Airport in the morning, and it takes 2 hours and 10 minutes to arrive. Then take a taxi to the high-speed rail station. The airport is only a few kilometers away from the high-speed rail station. Taking a taxi is more convenient than the airport bus. It takes 39 minutes to transfer to the ancient city of Pingyao by train. Visit the ancient city in the afternoon and evening, have dinner at the Pingyao Grand Theater, and stay in the Pingyao Guild Hall in the ancient city of Pingyao in the evening.


D2: Visit the ancient city of Pingyao in the morning, and rent a car to Dai County after lunch. This road is quite far away, the bus takes three and a half hours, and it is already night in Dai County. Put down your luggage at the hotel, go out to taste the food of Dai County, and stay at Jinjiang Boutique Hotel in Dai County at night.

D3: After breakfast, go to Yanmenguan Scenic Area, Dai County is about 20 kilometers away from the scenic spot. Guests who come to Yanmenguan for self-driving tours generally stay in Dai County. Visit Yanmenguan, have lunch at Yanmenguan Farmhouse, and then go to Yingxian Wooden Pagoda after dinner, the journey takes about 1.5 hours. Then return to Taiyuan Wusu Airport in about three hours, and return to Chongqing on the evening flight.

Food:

In the ancient city of Pingyao, Daixian County and Yanmenguan, I tasted Shanxi delicacies, mainly noodles, which are not too spicy due to the dry weather. The most famous is the roasted oat noodles. Shanxi people like to be jealous, taste a little of the famous Shanxi vinegar, you can do as the Romans do!




A Yanmen Pass, half of Chinese history


Yanmen Pass is an important part of the Great Wall, a world cultural heritage, and a national key cultural relic protection unit, known as "the first pass in China". In the history of more than 3,000 years, as a famous frontier fortress in the northern border of ancient China, Yanmen Pass has witnessed and influenced the historical process of China; it has experienced the arduous process of ethnic integration and accumulated the essence of multi-ethnic culture; as a famous business road in Chinese history, Yanmenguan has witnessed the rise and fall of ancient border trade, and achieved the glory of Shanxi merchants.

Yanmenguan Scenic Area is a tourism area of ​​frontier culture, Great Wall culture and pass culture, with the historical relics and ruins of Yanmenguan military defense system as the main landscape resources. The planned area of ​​the scenic spot is 30 square kilometers. With the large-scale restoration and development in recent years, the ancient Yanmen Pass has become a frontier cultural tourism destination integrating comprehensive functions such as "food, housing, transportation, travel, shopping, and entertainment".


I have never set foot here in Shanxi twice. This time I finally have the opportunity to come to Yanmen Pass to experience an important part of the Great Wall of my country and feel the glory of Shanxi merchants in the first pass of China.


The weather in recent days can be described as high and crisp in autumn, with warm sunshine and gentle breeze. In the early morning, we set off from Daixian County to Yanmenguan Scenic Spot. The scenic spot is less than 20 kilometers away from Daixian County. Generally speaking, it is recommended to enter the scenic spot from the north gate.

At nine o'clock in the morning, I came to the north gate of the scenic spot and met a performance. The performance was the welcoming ceremony of General Yang.

Roaring sounds, bursts of knocking, staggered chariots, swords and blood shadows - the majestic music also brings us back to the distant Northern Song Dynasty. .

After passing Mingyue Tower, you will see the back waist shop of Yanmen Pass. Houyaopu is the first village after passing the customs, and it is also a resting place for the merchant caravan. In the past, there were many merchants and shops here.

Now it is called Mingyue Village. This village is not big. It was used by garrisons at the earliest time. Now the people in the village are basically descendants of the soldiers who guarded the border at that time.

There is a well here, called "Baotu Spring". Shanxi lacks water, but this well has water all year round. According to records in the Ming Dynasty, "the flat land protrudes like a fierce beast", so it is named "Baotu Spring". The spring water flows out of the plug mouth in the north and flows into the Sanggan River. It never dries up in drought and never overflows in waterlogging. It has nourished countless guards for thousands of years.

During the Ming Dynasty, the war at Yanmen Pass gradually subsided, and border trade gradually began to develop here, forming the famous "Border Trade Street". Bianmao Street is located between Yanmen Village and Wengcheng Gate. During the Ming and Qing dynasties, it was the most prosperous place in the border crossing.

The street is paved with bluestone slabs, and on both sides of the street are brick-and-wood structure six-purlin saddle-frame tile houses, and blue brick walls, recreating the style of the Ming and Qing border trade streets. It has become a commercial street displaying frontier trade and selling souvenirs. At first, people outside the customs exchanged some animal furs for food and miscellaneous goods in the Central Plains, and then gradually developed into a commercial market.

Now tourists can taste and buy many local specialties here, and it is also excellent to take home as souvenirs.

The smell of ginger tea and vinegar wafts from the street from time to time.

There are also many handicrafts that are also commemorative.

There are many farmhouses in Mingyue Village, which can provide food and accommodation for tourists.

There are many kinds of local snacks here, the main ones are: Daixian fire, oat noodles, 栲栳栳, Daixian boiled fish, sorghum noodle fish, Daixian pickled vegetables, Daixian oil cake, Daixian sesame slices, Daixian bowl tray, etc. .

After passing the archway of "Jiangnantong", we started "Walking to the West Exit".


There is no roof built on the north gate, and a stone plaque is inlaid on the forehead of the gate. The book says "Yanmen Pass" in three big characters, and a couplet is inlaid with bricks on the left and right: "Three passes must be unparalleled, and Jiuzhai respects the first pass."

Yanmen Pass, located in Yanmen Mountain about 20 kilometers north of Daixian County, Yizhou City, Shanxi Province, China, is an important pass on the Great Wall. , Yanmen is the head". Together with Ningwuguan and Pianguan, it is called the "Three Outer Passes".

There is Yang Liulang Temple built on the west gate of Yanmen Pass, and a stone plaque is inlaid on the forehead of the gate, and the book says "geographical advantage". There are barracks in the north of Guancheng, and Jingbian Temple in the east. Inside there are a pair of stone lions, a vertical stone flagpole and a stone stele. There is a military training ground in the southeast. Legend has it that King Wuling of Zhao once carried out military reforms, riding and shooting in Hu clothes, defeated the invasion of Lin Hu and Lou Fan, and established Yunzhong, Yanmen and Dai Commanderies.

Later, Li Mu was ordered to stay in Yanmen to guard against the Huns. In order to prevent the Xiongnu from harassing the border people of Zhao State, the Xiongnu would have no income for several years, while the Zhao army was strong and strong, and was willing to fight for the first battle. "Break more than ten thousand horsemen of the Xiongnu." For more than ten years, the Xiongnu did not dare to invade Zhao. Later generations called Li Mu a "wizard", and built "Jingbian Temple" at Yanmen Pass to commemorate his military exploits in defending the border and protecting the people.

After Qin Shihuang unified the six kingdoms, he dispatched general Meng Tian with 300,000 troops to go out from Yanmen, "strike Hu in the north, and take over the land of Henan" (that is, the Hetao area), drive the Xiongnu to the north of Yinshan Mountain, and build the Wanli The Great Wall, the current stone road still retains the original shape of the Ming and Qing Dynasties, and it is full of ruts, which shows how lively and prosperous the road was at that time.

Yanmenguan is connected to Datong, an important town in northern Shanxi in the north, as far as the Mongolian plateau, and Taiyuan, an important town in central Shanxi, in the south. It can convey the ancient political center of Central Plains and Guanzhong, and its strategic position is very important. During the reign of Emperor Yuan of the Han Dynasty, Wang Zhaojun went out from Yanmen Pass to get married. Since then, there has been a stable situation in this area of ​​"the remote city is closed, the cattle and horses are in the wild, the third generation has no barking police, and the Li and Shu have no battles".

Yanmenguan is located on the Gouzhu ridge in the north of the ancient city of Daizhou, on the Yanmen Mountain about 20 kilometers north of Daixian County in the north of Shanxi. "Nine Sailors respect the first pass" Xiongguan is surrounded by mountains and dangers, high on Gouzhu Mountain, and is one of the main central passages for wild geese going south and north. The name of Yanmen Pass began in the early Tang Dynasty. Due to the rise of the Turks in the north and frequent internal crimes, the Tang Dynasty garrisoned troops in Yanmen Mountain and set up a gate at the commanding height of the iron-wrapped gate for defense. "Tang Shu Geography" describes here that "the east and west mountains are steep and steep, with a road in the middle, winding and rugged, and a pass at the top, which is called Lixixing Pass, also known as Yanmen Pass."

Since the Qin and Han Dynasties, the northern part of Shanxi has been the center of the rule of the Northern Dynasties and has become the frontier of national integration. Yanmen Pass and Daixian County where it is located are the channel for the ethnic minorities in the northern part of the country to invade the inland in ancient times. Therefore, Yanmen Pass has been a strategic border defense site since ancient times.


From the 4th century BC to the 20th century, there were more than 140 battles that took place here according to incomplete statistics. It can be seen that it is indeed a battleground for military strategists. Yanmen Pass leads to Datong in the north and Taiyuan in the south. It can control the vast grasslands in advance and defend the middle of the pass thousands of miles away. Its strategic position is very important.

The importance of Yanmen Pass lies in the fact that it was a channel for the northern peoples outside the Great Wall to invade the interior in ancient times, so it has been an important place for border defense since ancient times. Yanmen Mountain is the part of Yunzhong Mountain, the northern branch of Luliang Mountains in Shanxi Province, extending to the northeast of Shanxi. The giant defense.

And it is a broken mountain, steep and steep, difficult to climb, which further strengthens the isolation between the north and the south of the mountain, so that the north of the mountain has been out of reach of the ruling power of the Han nationality for a long time in history, and has been occupied by the northern ethnic groups. Yanmenguan is connected to Datong, an important town in northern Shanxi in the north, as far as the Mongolian plateau, and Taiyuan, an important town in central Shanxi, in the south. It can convey the ancient political center of Central Plains and Guanzhong, and its strategic position is very important.


The Yanmen Cave opened and horseshoes sounded,

The mountain wind howled and the flags fluttered.
Leaning on the railing, I still hear Zhaojun weeping,
Hu Fu rode and shot Yang Jiahao.

With the large-scale restoration and development in recent years, the ancient Yanmen Pass has become a frontier cultural tourism destination integrating comprehensive functions such as "food, housing, transportation, travel, shopping, and entertainment". In order to better allow tourists to experience the culture of the Northern Wei, Jin, and Liao Dynasties, in addition to the daily fixed performances, the staff in the scenic area put on Hanfu and set up performance art performances in many places in the scenic area. You can participate in it, take pictures and interact, it's a lot of fun and lively.


The smoke of gold and iron horses is gone, and nostalgic tourists come. The 70th anniversary of the National Day is approaching, and the five-star red flags can be seen flying everywhere in the scenic area. When you climb the majestic Yanmen Pass, you will be personally on the scene, and feel proud and proud of being a Chinese!

In the east of Yanmen Pass, go to Pingxing Pass, Zijing Pass, and Daoma Pass to reach Youyan and connect to the vast sea; in the west, go to Xuangang Pass, Ningwu Pass, and Piantou Pass to the Yellow River. Hengshan Mountain winds along the inner Great Wall on the top of the mountain along the northern border of Dai County, connecting Yanmen Mountain, Mantou Mountain and Caoduo Mountain into one. It is adjacent to Yanbei Plateau in the north and Xinding Basin in the south.

Where does the horse go, it has not yet returned from the north tour.

Cold clouds bring flying snow, Yanmen Pass at dusk.

All the way along the Fenshui River, several states to see Jinshan.

Zhijun likes to take it for the first time, and only loves this body to be idle.

Yanmen Pass is a collection of desolate, dignified, majestic and majestic border customs, and its rich historical heritage and rich cultural connotation are unique and unparalleled.

Related tourist information of Yanmen Pass


There are two large post-style comprehensive service areas at the north and south entrances of the scenic spot, which integrate tourism consultation, parking, accommodation, conferences, leisure, entertainment, shopping and other functions.

For long-term tourists, it takes about 2.5 hours to enter the scenic spot from the north and south entrances, and it takes about 2.5 hours to exit along the central axis; if you simply visit the Yanmenguan scenic spot, it takes about half a day to one day. Longer; if you stay for 2 days, you can extend to new Guangwu, old Guangwu, the Great Wall, Daizhou Ancient City, Zhao Gaoguan National Forest Park, Yang Family Ancestral Hall, Bairenyan and other scenic spots in Dai County that belong to the Yanmen Cultural Tourism Circle .

The service facilities of the tourist center are relatively complete. To enter the scenic spot, you need to take a sightseeing bus in the scenic spot. The fare is 10 yuan/person for a round trip.


Traffic outside the scenic area

1. Highway

(1) Beijing direction: A: Beijing - Datong - Shuozhou - Yanmenguan - Daixian B: Beijing - Laiyuan - Lingqiu - Daixian - Yanmenguan.

(2) Hebei direction: A: Shijiazhuang—Taiyuan—Xinzhou—Dai County (full expressway)—Yanmenguan B: Fuping—Wutai Mountain—Xinzhou—Daixian (full expressway)—Yanmenguan.

(3) Shaanxi direction: A: Fugu - Baode - Wuzhai - Yuanping - Daixian - Yanmenguan B: Fugu - Baode - Xinzhou (Xinbao Expressway) - Daixian - Yanmen Pass.

(4) Henan direction: Zhengjiaojin Expressway - Jincheng - Changzhi - Taiyuan - Xinzhou - Dai County - Yanmen Pass


2. Railway

A: All over the country - Taiyuan - Dai County, turn to Yanmen Pass by highway B: Beijing - Laiyuan - Lingqiu - Dai County, turn to Yanmen Pass by highway.


3. Aircraft

A: All over the country - Taiyuan Wusu Airport, turn to Yanmen Pass by highway.

B: All over the country - Wutaishan Airport (Hongdao Town, Dingxiang County), turn to Yanmen Pass by road.


Traffic in the scenic area

(1) Get off at the Xinguangwu Exit of Universiade Expressway, and enter the scenic spot from Guanbei via National Highway 208 southward for 7 kilometers;

(2) From Yangmingbao Town, Daixian County, go north along National Highway 208 for 30 kilometers, and enter the scenic spot from Guanbei;

(3) Get off at the Daixian Exit of the Universiade Expressway, go to Daixian County through the expressway approach, go north along the Yanmenguan Guannan Tourist Line for 15 kilometers, and enter the scenic spot from Guannan.


opening hours

Open all year round, no holidays.

In Dai County, the hotel we stayed at was Jinjiang Boutique Hotel. The hotel is located in Dai County, with a clean environment and warm service. The room types include double bed room and standard room, which are economical and have a rich breakfast. You can choose for business or personal travel.





I'm waiting for you in Pingyao


Enter Pingyao Ancient City by battery car.

Climb the ancient city wall, visit the ancient county government, look at the ancient bank, and visit the ancient bank.

There is an interesting legend about the ancient city of Pingyao. From a bird’s-eye view, the ancient city looks like a turtle, with six gates, two wells outside the gate that look like turtle eyes, and the north gate is the tail of a turtle, which is the lowest point in the city. There are four urns in the east and west, facing each other. , the upper west gate, the lower west gate, and the upper east gate all open to the south, and only the lower east gate opens to the east. It is said that people straightened its left leg to prevent the turtle from crawling, and tied it at the foot of the city twenty miles away. On the stage, so the ancient city of Pingyao is also called Turtle City.

The traffic network of the ancient city of Pingyao consists of four main streets, eight small streets, and seventy-two winding alleys. Among them, the West Street is the birthplace of Rishengchang, the famous first bank in China. , so West Street is also known as "the first financial street in the Qing Dynasty".


Jinjing City Building is located in the South Street of Pingyao Ancient City, which is the center of the whole city. Because there is a golden well downstairs, this building is also called "Golden Well Building". The roof is covered with yellow-green glazed tiles, with beautiful shape and exquisite decoration. There are several Qing Dynasty stone tablets downstairs.

Walking through this listening building, not far away is the Pingyao County Government.

Pingyao County Office is located in the center of the ancient city. It was built in the Northern Wei Dynasty. As one of the four well-preserved ancient government offices in China, it has a history of more than 600 years. Nowadays, the space utilization rate is also the highest, and Pingyao photography exhibitions are held regularly.


In the ancient city of Pingyao, the Pingyao Guild Hall, which was built in the 19th year of Daoguang in the Qing Dynasty, is a very distinctive Ming and Qing antique inn. The courtyard is very large, with complete functions, and the ancient style still exists. Walking in it, it seems that you can feel the elegance and luxury of the life of Shanxi merchants in those days. Dinner is at the Pingyao Grand Theater, and there will be a performance of "Shanxi Merchants' Pronunciation".

There is a short street called "Yunlu Fengqing Street" in the ancient city of Pingyao near the guild hall. Now it has been transformed into Lijiang in Pingyao. There are row upon row of bars, and the lights are feasting at night. After dinner, I went for a stroll. , it seems that it still can’t keep up with Lijiang’s professionalism, but it makes me feel very noisy. I really want to find an inn with a yard, sit around, make tea, blow the air, and watch the sky...


The main road of Pingyao Ancient City is crowded with people, but I really like the slightly dilapidated old streets and alleys. It's a pity that there is no more time to watch carefully, and the Catholic Church in the morning light will always remain in memory and reverie...



Yingxian Wooden Pagoda, one of the world's three largest pagodas


The Sakyamuni Pagoda of Fogong Temple in Yingxian County is located in Fogong Temple in the northwest of Yingxian County, Shuozhou City, Shanxi Province. It is commonly known as Yingxian Wooden Pagoda. It was built in the second year of Qingning in Liao Dynasty (AD 1056), and was completed in the sixth year of Jin Mingchang (AD 1195). It is the tallest and oldest wooden tower building in China, and it is also the only wooden pavilion tower. It is a national key cultural relic protection unit.

Yingxian Wooden Tower, the Leaning Tower of Pisa in Italy, and the Eiffel Tower in Paris are also called "the world's three strange towers". The Sakyamuni Pagoda is 67.31 meters high and 30.27 meters in diameter at the bottom, in a plane octagonal shape. Consumables for the whole tower are 3000 cubic meters of red pine wood, more than 2600 tons, pure wood structure, no nails and no rivets. Two relics of Sakyamuni Buddha's tooth are enshrined in the tower.


There are 54 types and 480 dougongs used in Yingxian wooden pagodas, which is the most existing ancient building in China and can be called "Dougong Museum". When strong winds and earthquakes come, the dougong is like a spring that can be loosened or tightened, which can absorb kinetic energy and protect the main structure from damage. Looking up from the bottom up, the dougong is like clusters of blooming lotus flowers shining on the tower, which the ancients called "hundred-foot lotus blooming".


I can't visit the tower now, but the Buddha statues and murals on the ground floor have already amazed me-these are all produced in the Liao Dynasty!

This Buddhist Palace Temple was first built in the second year of Liao Qingning (1056) and was named Baogong Temple. In the second year of Yuan Yanyou (1315), it was changed to the Buddhist Palace. It faces south from the north and has a two-way layout. The archway, the mountain gate, the main hall, the bell and drum towers on both sides of the drawing line, and the supporting hall.

Because I was in a hurry, it was a pity that I didn't have time to try the famous Yingxian jelly, so please regret it!


Shanxi has a lot of heritage, and there are many places worth seeing. Jinci Temple, Pingyao Ancient City, Wutai Mountain, Xuankong Temple, Yungang Grottoes, etc. are all worth savoring carefully. Have the opportunity to come again!

Goodbye, Shanxi! Goodbye, Jinzhong Land!