Impression of Pingyao
guest from tonight
The breeze brings the fragrance of wine
the town i miss
It's cool autumn......
—— "Pingyao Journey"
That's right! Autumn is coming in small steps, the autumn wind in the north is rustling, and I feel a little cool. With the National Day approaching, I was planning a holiday trip to Pingyao.
For me, the ancient city of Pingyao is unfamiliar, but every time I think about these four words, I always feel the simplicity of fireworks, and the fragrance is light and long.
Some people say that every day in life really doesn't need much, just sunshine, fresh air, and warm feelings. I think every day like this is every day I spent in the ancient city of Pingyao. You don’t need to remember a lot, just remember the hope in the morning light of the ancient city, the embellishment of the sunset, and the moving scenery you have walked through, as well as those who are willing to stop for it.
Jinzhong Pingyao, a beautiful ancient city. It's never just casual talk. The most beautiful sentence in "The Book of Songs" is "In the past, I have gone, Yangliu Yiyi. Now I come to think, rain and snow." It is related to Pingyao and has been beautiful for nearly 3,000 years.
Walking in the ancient streets and alleys of the ancient city of Pingyao, the breath of Ming and Qing Dynasties approached along the winding mottled walls of the ancient city. The time is quiet and good, and there is always a kind of power that makes you stare in one direction involuntarily. The hidden thoughts are lingering, and behind the rich history and culture of the ancient city, it is full of too much poetry.
The years have a quiet power, which promotes the alternation of time and the transformation of all things. As time goes by, the only thing that remains unchanged is the most simple and stunning in the deep alleys of the ancient buildings. It seems to be telling you that in the blink of an eye, the scenery of yesterday is like a millennium. It is better to cherish the present and try to live every day as leisurely as in Pingyao, with low eyebrows and fireworks, and a peaceful smile.
Intercept wandering thoughts and keep your eyes on Pingyao's century-old golden signboard. They have experienced success and failure without being surprised. The history is thousands of years old, but the light still shines!
This is Pingyao, the unpretentious streets and quiet courtyard gates make people feel like they don’t know what year they are. The ancient style and rhyme rushing towards us, the past has passed through the ages, and in the dust of love, this ancient city always smiles at us meaningfully.
At night, looking for the deep and cramped alleys in the ancient city is like traveling through a long time tunnel. Those past events that have been cut into pieces by memory are immersed in the ancient atmosphere, and the melodious folk songs are lingering in your ears. Pingyao, the mood that arises spontaneously is indescribable.
A Street in Ming and Qing Dynasties/China's "Wall Street"
The ancient city of Pingyao is a famous cultural city with a history of more than 2,800 years. It is one of the four most well-preserved ancient cities in China. Someone once left such a comment: "Lijiang is a pure and beautiful girl, with a watery aura that is compelling; while Pingyao is a Gone with the Wind with a deep heritage, but it has weathered the wind and rain without being surprised." Su Zhigao, a poet of the Ming Dynasty, wrote a wonderful sentence for the ancient city of Pingyao, "The water surrounds the mountains and the ancient posthouses, the bee whiskers and the wings of the wheat flowers in autumn. It is not long before returning home and leaving the road, and the travel and dust see off the guests."
The traffic network of the ancient city of Pingyao consists of four criss-crossing streets, eight small streets, and seventy-two alleys. South Street, also known as Ming and Qing Streets, is the central axis of the ancient city of Pingyao. It starts from the junction of East and West Streets in the north, ends at the Great South Gate in the south, and runs through the north and south with ancient city buildings. On this more than 400-meter-long ancient street, there are 78 ancient shops closely connected, including ticket offices, banks, pawn shops, medicine shops, butcher shops, tobacco shops, grocery shops, silk and satin shops, etc., which almost accommodated the commercial needs of the time. All business. During the Qing Dynasty, South Street controlled more than 50% of the country's financial institutions. Known as China's "Wall Street".
It is said that this street was photographed twice, the first time there were too many people, and the photos were all heads, so I got up early the next day to take another photo while there were few people. The ancient city in the morning is extraordinarily quiet, the bluestone spots in the deep lanes, I don’t know how many Pingyao thoughts are hidden deep, sleeping in the old streets.
West Street, starting from Xiaximen in the west, intersects with the north end of East and South Streets, and forms a straight main street with East Street. The famous China's first bank, Rishengchang, was born on the West Street of the ancient city, known as "the first financial street in the Qing Dynasty". East Street starts from Xiadongmen in the east, intersects with the north end of West and South Streets, and forms a straight main street with West Street. North Street, from North Gate to the middle of Nantong West Street.
Since the weather in Pingyao is still relatively cool at night, the excitement of the ancient city generally lasts until about 9:30. The night view of Pingyao is also very beautiful. The only regret is that I didn’t bring a tripod. The lights of the city tower are only on during the big festivals. Snack streets and hotels usually open later, and the price of the bar is not expensive. In the night of the ancient city, listening to a folk song and drinking a glass of wine will make you feel at ease.
North China No. 1 Bodyguard Agency/Explore the bodyguard industry in the Qing Dynasty
North China First Escort Museum is located at No. 22, South East Street, Gucheng. The whole museum is divided into four parts: the front, the middle, the back, and the courtyard. There are 6 exhibition rooms and two exhibition areas, which fully and truly reproduce the unique style and features of my country's bodyguard bureau since Qianlong in the Qing Dynasty. According to "Wushu Huizong", Zhang Heiwu, a Shanxi native who is known as the invincible fist, opened the first "Xinglong" bodyguard agency on Qianmenwai Street in Beijing during the Qianlong period.
North China No. 1 Escort Agency introduces the life stories of three outstanding figures in the bodyguard industry in North China in the middle of the Qing Dynasty, namely the sharpshooter Wang Zhengqing, the iron leg left two, and the famous Xingyi boxing master Dai Erlu, and the three bodyguards where the three bodyguards belonged data of.
There are three treasures in the escort bureau. The dart box is made of elm and weighs more than 100 kilograms. Its lock uses the original built-in lock, which acts as an anti-theft function. It needs to be opened with two keys side by side. The two shopkeepers are in charge separately and play a role of mutual supervision.
Escort carts were an important means of transportation for the Escort Bureau at that time. There were many kinds of escort carts, ranging from horse-drawn carriages to sedan carts. The type of dart used is usually determined by the cargo being transported. The most commonly used dart car is called a unicycle dart car. Its characteristic is that it has only one wheel. This kind of car is difficult to balance when walking, but it is more convenient to walk on rough mountain roads.
Bodyguard flags, in the earliest days, bodyguards put a small flag on a small unicycle, and they hadn’t injected so much corporate culture. They were just for eye-catching and to attract the attention of passing businessmen. At that time, the small flags were generally triangular. Yes, with a yellow face and a red dog's teeth border, or a red face and a yellow dog's teeth border, there are no words, at most it is to write the word "武", or to make a totem of a dragon and a tiger. Later, this small triangular flag gradually became an indispensable flag on escort vehicles, and large characters were also written on the flag, and the characters on the small flag were generally the surname of the head of the escort. During the process of walking the darts, it is inevitable to encounter some robbers robbing the darts on the way, and when these robbers rob the darts, they have to read the words on the small flag. Don't dare to rob randomly, because these bodyguards are all well-known martial arts masters in the world, all of them possess unique skills and are famous for a while, they dare not attack easily. sign up.
It is said that in 1900, when the Eight-Power Allied Forces attacked Tianjin and entered Beijing, the Empress Dowager Cixi fled to Xi’an with Emperor Guangxu in her arms. Food and drink were indispensable for the journey to the west. On the ninth day of August, the Second Palace arrived in Pingyao. , no one dared to be the bodyguard of this imperial silver, only the Wang family in Pingyao, Shanxi dared to pick it up. In troubled times, the Wang family's bodyguard team experienced ups and downs along the way, day and night, and sent the silver to Xi'an in just over half a month. This plaque, which is still hanging on the former site of the Wang family, was a reward from the Empress Dowager Cixi after completing this imperial mission.
Rishengchang Bank/The first private bank in Chinese history
Rishengchang Bank is the first private bank in Chinese history and the predecessor of various modern banks. The courtyard of Rishengchang Bank is divided into three courtyards, the front yard is the business hall, the middle yard is the internal office, and the back yard is the living area.
The east cabinet room is equivalent to today's business hall, where small customers go through formalities. West cabinet room: today's cashier, where customers withdraw money. Rishengchang bank created a total of 15 million taels of silver, worth 10 billion yuan. This huge profit mainly came from: 1. Huishui, that is, the fee earned by the bank from exchanging silver taels for others. The tightness of money is weighed in all aspects, accounting for about 60% of the profit; 2. About 20% comes from the interest difference between deposits and loans; 3. The empty period is the month when the customer delivers the remitted money to the ticket number in a place From the day the remittance is made on the ticket number to the date of withdrawal in place B, the time for the remitted money to stay in the ticket number is also called the "empty period"; The profit generated by the difference, this part of the income accounted for less than 1% of the profit, and it created a profit of nearly 140,000 taels for the ticket number.
The anti-counterfeiting measures of the bill number on the bill of exchange paper are also relatively strict. The bill of exchange paper is 1 foot 2 inches long and 8 inches wide. The filled bill of exchange is torn into two, and the customer and the bill number each hold half. Notes; 2. Seal; 3. Watermark; 4. Chinese character code.
The second entrance is the internal office organization, which is the headquarters for uploading and distributing information. There are offices such as letter room and account room. First, let’s understand the relevant situation of the letter room. Three people are letter recorders. The function of Mr. Xinfang is to clearly and plainly write the intentions, business philosophy and thoughts of the big shopkeeper to the semicolons everywhere.
When the money is earned, the accounting office will make detailed statistics and report it to the shopkeeper and the owner. One account will be made every year and distributed according to different shares. When the distribution is made, the money will not be dried up, but a part of it will be kept as a reserve fund. They call it "Guardian". There are three types of shares: 1. Investors’ silver shares are called silver shares; 2. The labor of employees is called body shares. This kind of blessing is also called labor shares, with dividend rights and no inheritance rights; After the death of the person who holds the body stock, his descendants can enjoy three dividends. This rule is to prevent the employee who holds the body stock from being discharged from the army in his later years. The death shares enjoyed by the son can enjoy three dividend opportunities in 12 years.
The middle hall at the back is the place to receive big customers. There are 4-5 people who run the street, also known as salesmen.
Synergy Qing Bank/Secrets of the Underground Vault
Synergy Qing Qianzhuang Museum is located in the west of South Street Road in the ancient city of Pingyao. It consists of seven courtyards and an underground treasury. This museum is a large-scale comprehensive museum developed on the basis of the former site of Synergy Qingpiaohao, which integrates the culture of Piaohao and bank culture. Synergy Qing Bank was founded in the sixth year of Xianfeng in the Qing Dynasty. It is one of the top ten bank accounts in Pingyao. It is mainly engaged in cross-region exchange and deposit business. The financial owner is Wangjia in Niedian Village, Yuci, and Mijia in Wangzhi Village, Pingyao. The initial investment is only 3.6 Ten thousand taels of silver is the one with the least investment among all the banks in Shanxi; the medium-term capital is 120,000 taels; later increased to 240,000 taels, and has more than 400,000 taels of provident funds. There are 33 semicolons, covering large, medium and small cities and commercial ports all over the country.
It is said that the establishment of Synergy Celebration is the result of the promotion of two young talents. First, Liu Qinghe, because of his poor family, dropped out of school at the age of 15 to start a business. He once studied foreign exchange at Weitai Hou Bank. Later, due to the outbreak of the Taiping Revolution and the chaos in the south of the Yangtze River, various bank accounts were scattered and cut off staff. Liu and his friend Mencius Yuan left Weitaihou Bank, and determined not to be content with others, but to set up another branch. They first found Wang's family, a wealthy businessman in Niedian Village, Yuci, through someone's introduction. Wang Dong, who was in charge of housework in the Wang family, was worried that there was no suitable candidate for the ticket office. Talents, Liu and Meng were hired immediately, and the Wang family joined hands with the Mi family in Wangzhi Village, Pingyao County, and the two companies jointly invested and opened a synergy celebration bank.
Stepping into the first courtyard, there are two counting rooms in the north and the south. On the left is the general account room, which is responsible for the annual account period, the four-year account period, and the final settlement and dividend distribution tasks. It is conceivable how arduous the bank's accounting task was at that time. The opposite of the general account room is the inter-port account room. Due to the relatively large amount of business in the bank, the business accounting accountant of the general account room is too busy at all, so the inter-port account room was created. The inter-port account room mainly calculates some details of the semicolon. The buddy finished it and put it under the management of the general account room.
Pass through the aisle of the third courtyard and enter the fourth courtyard of Xieqing Bank. The unique style of the hall and loft is like a small garden. The green-backed gold plate hanging under the eaves of the pavilion reads the words "Rejuvenation and Tranquility", which is particularly integrated with the surrounding environment.
There is also a well-like hole surrounded by wooden railings under the pavilion. When you look down, you will inevitably ask, what is the purpose of building such a hole? This is actually a gold inventory port of Synergy.
Behind is the garden of Qianzhuang. The design of the garden is very exquisite. The stage is the center of gravity of the whole garden. During the major celebrations of the new year and festivals, the wealth owner will invite famous local theater troupes to sing for the employees to relieve the work pressure of the employees. One by one. There is a huge copper coin engraved with the record of synergy, which is particularly eye-catching.
Behind it is the underground treasury. There are ten cave-style vaults in the vault, and on both sides are the guard rooms where the bodyguards guarded the vaults at that time. From the rear gate to the kiln, it is said that there were eighteen gates in those days. When the gate hinges were opened, the mechanism on both sides would be pulled, and hidden darts appeared, which was hard to guard against. There is a steel wire mesh cover on the top of the head, and a copper bell is tied. It is the earliest alarm. It is really "one man guards the gate, and ten thousand men cannot open it".
Now it has been established as a film and television base for Shanxi merchant culture. The bank bank seen in the TV series "Silver Valley" is also the bank bank here.
Pingyao County Government/Ming and Qing miniature ancient government is the most
Pingyao County Government is located in the center of the ancient city of Pingyao. It was built in the Northern Wei Dynasty and was finalized in the Yuan, Ming and Qing Dynasties. It has a history of more than 600 years. Pingyao County Government is one of the four most well-preserved ancient government offices in China, and it is also the largest existing county government office in the country. The whole building complex is orderly, patchwork and reasonable in structure. It is said that on May 19, 2004, when the 11th Panchen Lama visited the county government office for inspection, he happily mentioned: "Pingyao county government office is the most ancient government office".
The county government follows the feudal etiquette system, the left is civil and the right is martial, and the front faces the back. From north to south, there are Flower Hall, Changping Cang, Zanhou Temple, and Land Temple. Changping Cang is also called Qianliang Hall.
From south to north on the west side line are: Prison, Shiwang Temple, Hongshan Station, Supervising and Arresting Hall. The entire building complex is orderly, patchwork, and reasonable in structure. It is an organic whole. No matter in terms of architectural layout or function setting, They are all miniature palaces.
There is a performance stage in the Qinmin Hall of the county government. Every day there will be a performance of the county government hearing cases at the airport. The county magistrate, government officials, plaintiffs and defendants are all available. The real performance is about 15 minutes. The content is humorous and quite interesting.
Pingyao Confucian Temple / Once Famous World News
The Confucian Temple is actually the Confucian Temple, where Confucius is worshipped. Pingyao Confucian Temple is located in the southeast of Pingyao County. It was built in the early years of Tang Zhenguan. Its Dacheng Hall was rebuilt in the third year of Jin Dading.
The local people don't know when the Confucian Temple was first built, but according to the inscription on the beams in the hall: Dacheng Hall was rebuilt in the third year of Jin Dading (1103). The existing building Dacheng Hall is the original structure of the Jin Dynasty, and the rest were built in the Ming and Qing Dynasties.
There are portraits of Confucius in the apse, as well as some sculptures and documents describing Confucius' life and deeds.
According to the tour guide who followed, the Pingyao Confucian Temple, the only surviving Chinese imperial examination history of more than 1,300 years, is known as the "Little Forbidden City". It has a large scale, complete regulations, and a similar central axis. The Kuixing Tower is on the southeast corner of the outer city wall of the Confucian Temple. She is small and exquisite, but points straight to the sky. Climbing up to this building, you will have the feeling of "picking the stars with your hands", and you can have a panoramic view of the ancient city of Pingyao.
It is said that in those days, the number one scholar had to climb Yunlu from the East Gate Tower, then Kuixing Tower, Wenchang Pavilion, pass Yunlufang, then enter Lingxing Gate, pass Zhuangyuan Bridge, and then go to Dacheng Hall to worship Confucius. These are just formal performances. In fact, since the establishment of the imperial examination system in the Sui Dynasty, more than 700 champions, more than 100,000 Jinshi, and countless candidates on the imperial examination road have experienced "ten years of cold windows and no one asked questions". "After the suffering of ", today I climbed the ladder, went up the star tower, crossed the cloud bridge, entered the lattice gate, and showed off in front of the world, just to draw a successful conclusion to "become famous all over the world".
Town God's Temple/Temple in a Temple Three Temples in One
From the back door of the Confucian Temple, it takes only a few minutes to walk to the Town God's Temple. The main temple, the Town God's Temple, is a safe temple. On the east side of the inside is Zaojun Temple, the Stove Lord who is in charge of eating and drinking. On the west side is the Temple of the God of Wealth, where the God of Wealth is in charge of making money. The three temples are integrated into one, and the pattern of a temple within a temple is the only one in the country, which is unique, and this is also the biggest feature of the Town God's Temple.
Pingyao Town God's Temple follows the etiquette system of "harmony between man and nature", and is symmetrical with the county government office on the south street of the central axis of the ancient city. It has a long history and rich cultural connotations.
The main hall of Pingyao Town God's Temple uses blue-green glazed tile ridges. There is a platform in front of the main hall, and the roof of the hall is a roll roof. The upper limit of the main hall is the highest in the whole temple, on the top of Xieshan Mountain. In the hall, there are sculptures of city gods, judges, ghost soldiers, etc., and there are guards of honor from the four-rank official office. There are huge murals on the left and right gables, which are pictures of the city god going on tour day and night. In the east hall, there are colorful statues of Judge Cao, the impermanence of ghosts, and Yin asked about torture; in the west hall, there are statues of land gods in forty squares in Pingyao, with different expressions and excellent craftsmanship, for worship by people from all over the world during temple fairs . In the small halls on the east and west sides, there are statues of Zhong Kui, who exorcises ghosts and avoids evil spirits, and the reincarnated empress.
Pingyao Town God's Temple has another feature: the "temple within a temple" structure, that is, the local people also incorporate the "God of Wealth" and "Kitchen God" among the vulgar gods into the Town God's Temple, forming a group worship pattern. The Kitchen God Temple is dedicated to Lord Kitchen God and Grandma Kitchen God. The Stove Lord among the vulgar gods is generally enshrined in the homes of the common people: that is, a small kiln is built on the wall next to the stove fire for worship. Stove King, also known as "Eastern Kitchen Commander", is popularly said to be the supervising god of words and deeds in people's homes. Every year on the 23rd of the twelfth lunar month, Stove King will go to heaven to report to the Jade Emperor, and Yulian will use each family's good and evil words and deeds throughout the year Give rewards and punishments. Therefore, every year on the 23rd day of the twelfth lunar month, the common people offer sugar melons to Lord Stove to make his mouth sticky, and he will speak less after going to heaven, hoping that he will "go to heaven to say good things, and return to the palace to bring good luck."
Ancient City Wall/Waiting for a Gentle Sunset
The ancient city wall of Pingyao was first built in the period of King Xuan of the Western Zhou Dynasty. There are six ancient city gates, two on the east and west. A bird's-eye view of the ancient city of Pingyao looks like a tortoise that wants to move but does not move. The "turtle" has its head south and its tail north. Outside the south gate, the Zhongdu River meanders past in ancient times, which aroused the emotion of ancient literati "playing in the water in front of the tortoise, the mountains and rivers facing the sun, and the city being built for use". The tortoise is a symbol of auspiciousness and longevity. The term "turtle city" originated from the ancient people's worship of the "four spirits".
Entering the city through the gate tower from outside the city will pass through a small city, also called Moon City, which is used to enhance the city's defense capabilities. According to the "Wu Jing Zongyaoqian Ji Shoucheng" records: "The urn outside the city is either round or square. Depending on the terrain, it is as tall and thick as the city, but one door is opened, and the left and right are whatever you want." Pingyao Most of the gates of the Wengcheng and the Great City of the ancient city are facing at an angle of 90°. Even if the enemy breaks through the gate of the Wengcheng, there is still the main gate for defense. Due to the narrowness of Wengcheng, it is not easy to launch a large-scale attack, which delays the enemy's attack. The attack speed of the army can be improved, while the defenders on the top of the city wall can shoot from all sides from a condescending position, inflicting a fatal blow on the enemy.
There are stone steps to climb the city wall near the city gate. There are 72 enemy towers every 50 meters on the city wall, and there are more than 3,000 crenels. It is said that Confucius had three thousand disciples and seventy-two sages. of. However, except for the gates and crenels, most of the rest have been destroyed. Among the six city gates, there are one in the north and one in the south, and two in the east and west respectively. There are attached urn cities outside the east and west gates.
God's perspective on the tower can re-examine every corner of this ancient city from another angle. Under the blue sky and white clouds, the endless busy scene, the streets and alleys of blue bricks and gray tiles, and everyone who yearns for Pingyao are having memorable stories. Every brick and every tile has witnessed the changes of the ancient city in the passing years. In fact, the only thing that remains unchanged is itself.
There is a road from the city wall to go down to Yunlu Old Street. After passing through the old street and the Zhuangyuan Gate, you will go directly to the Confucian Temple. Because you want to wait for the sunset on the city wall, and the Confucian Temple has already been there at noon, so take a look and go directly. Go back to the tower.
This ancient city of Pingyao has too many legends in full bloom. History is condensed here, and a beautiful picture scroll spreads the spirit of Shanxi merchants for a long time. When the eyes touch Pingyao, the heart instantly becomes open. Thoughts are flying, climb the ancient city wall and wait for a gentle sunset~
Shuanglin Temple/Treasure House of Painted Sculpture Art
Shuanglin Temple is located in the north of Qiaotou Village, six kilometers southwest of Pingyao County. Shuanglin Temple was originally called Zhongdu Temple, because this place was originally the old city of Zhongdu, and the name came from this. It takes less than 20 minutes to drive from the east gate of the ancient city to Shuanglin Temple.
Passing through an arch-shaped mountain gate, you will be greeted by a palace of heavenly kings. There is a vertical plaque hanging under the eaves, with the words "Scenic Spot of Tianzhu" written in a strong pen. The roof is a hanging mountain style, and there is an inscription "August 26, the 12th year of Hongzhi" in the Ming Dynasty on the top of the glazed treasure in the middle of the ridge, which was placed during the reconstruction of the Ming Dynasty.
Under the eaves of the hallway of the Heavenly King, there are four statues of King Kong, each about three meters high, lined up. The images of these Buddha's guardians have broken through the fierce and terrifying modeling routines of ordinary King Kong, and adopted realistic modeling techniques, making people feel that they have the intimacy of human warriors, and at the same time have the heroic spirit of "strengthening the mountain and surpassing the world". In the Hall of Heavenly Kings, the Maitreya Bodhisattva with the crown of heaven sits in the center, with Emperor Shi and Brahma serving on the left and right. The four heavenly kings sit upside down on the south wall, and the eight Bodhisattvas sit on both sides of the north wall. The style of the statues in the temple is more realistic, and the figures are vivid. In particular, the four heavenly kings are as high as three meters, holding lutes, swords, snakes and umbrellas respectively, and guarding the southeast and northwest respectively.
Pass through the Hall of Heavenly Kings, and behind it is the Hall of Sakyamuni. The Sakyamuni Hall is one of the main halls of Shuanglin Temple. In the middle of the plaque, there are four characters "Lingjiu Legacy". The roof is also a suspended mountain style, covered with gray tiles, and the overall architectural style is simple and simple.
In the Sakyamuni Hall, Sakyamuni sits high in the middle, flanked by Manjusri and Samantabhadra on the left and right, which are the main statues of the hall. The four walls of the hall use round carvings, deep and shallow reliefs, and take the form of layered combination and series of wall sculptures, showing the Buddha's biography of Sakyamuni, the founder of Buddhism, from reincarnation to nirvana and becoming a Buddha, and the transmission of scriptures from all directions. There are more than two hundred figures with different identities and expressions, moving between buildings and rocks. The conception and composition are wonderful and breathtaking. The two sides of the Sakyamuni Hall are four hanging mountain-style buildings. Because of the partition walls in the hall, they are divided into four small halls: Arhat, Wusheng, Yama, and Land. The eighteen Arhats in the Hall of Arhats are rare art treasures. They are slightly as tall as real people, and they are molded on both sides of Guanyin. These statues of Arhats are in proper proportions, accurate in anatomy, heavy in shape, graceful in shape, and each of them is radiant and full of personality. The ancient art masters used the skilled traditional painted sculpture techniques to make these statues of Arhats reach the artistic realm of being ready to come out and hear their voices. People call it "divine product".
The second entrance courtyard on the central axis is the Daxiong Hall in the north and the Thousand Buddha and Bodhisattva halls in the east and west chambers. The layout is relatively spacious. The Daxiong Hall was rebuilt in the early Ming Dynasty. It is the tallest building in the whole temple. It has a single eaves on the top of the mountain, five rooms wide, three rooms and six rafters deep, with obvious "side feet" and "rises". Lay out a circle of bucket arches, and pave one flower for each of the stigma and the tween. The beam frame structure is neat and reasonable, quite legal. The decoration of bucket mold doors and windows and the beast kissing on the roof are all typical Ming Dynasty style. The main statue in the hall is the "three-body Buddha", and on both sides are the seated statues of Manjusri and Samantabhadra.
The Bodhisattva Hall is on the west side of the central courtyard, opposite to the Hall of Thousand Buddhas. The main statue is Avalokitesvara with Thousand Hands and Thousand Eyes, sitting in the middle of the lotus, with a plump and dignified appearance, a gentle and meaningful demeanor, and ever-changing gestures. It is very delicate and flexible. If it weren't for the many arms stretched out from behind, people would really see Avalokitesvara as a beautiful, elegant, graceful young woman in the world. There are more than 400 bodhisattvas hanging around, all with their feet on the colorful clouds, making a marching shape, with the clothes fluttering and the wind blowing all over the wall. These numerous images, gorgeous colors and vivid shapes constitute a palace of ancient sculpture art. There are still a few Ming Dynasty murals on the outer eaves of the Second Hall of Thousand Buddhas and Bodhisattvas, depicting offerings to Bodhisattvas, etc., which were created in the fifth year of Mingshun (1461)
The Thousand Buddha Hall on the east side is a hanging mountain-style building with a width of seven rooms. There are more than 500 colored sculptures in the hall, accounting for a quarter of the whole temple. The main image is Avalokitesvara, with a quiet and charming face and a comfortable and natural posture. On the left and right sides are statues of Wei Tuo and Yaksha. The statue of Wei Tuo is full of individual characteristics, rich in martial arts, and quite dynamic. It is a rare artistic masterpiece among painted sculptures of the Ming Dynasty. The hall is surrounded by hanging sculptures and wall sculptures. The five hundred Bodhisattvas are divided into five to six floors, either riding auspicious clouds or riding strange beasts. There are more than 30 statues of supporting figures on the windowsill and both sides of the door. These statues are very realistic in shape, and their clothes and ornaments are valuable materials for studying the development and evolution of Ming Dynasty clothing.
The Empress Hall is the last building on the central axis of the whole temple. The statue of "Songzi Niangniang" in the hall is based on folklore, and was heavily made up in the Qing Dynasty. Inside the front eaves wall is a Qing Dynasty mural "Songzi Picture". The small hall on the east side of the Niangniang Hall is the Zhenyi Temple, and there are statues of "Sleeping Aunt" and "Yao Po Po" inside, which were remodeled during the Republic of China. There are more than 2,000 painted statues from the Yuan Dynasty to the Ming Dynasty in the ten halls of the entire Shuanglin Temple, which are known as the "treasure house of painted sculpture art". The tour of the entire Shuanglin Temple is over in about 30 minutes. The only regret is that in order to protect the cultural relics, the sculptures inside cannot be photographed. Although they can be photographed secretly, I still can’t bear to take most of them. The sculptures inside are indeed It's very beautiful, with charm and charm.
Food in Pingyao
Every city has its unique style, and every city has its unique food flavor, and the ancient city of Pingyao is no exception. There are many famous local snacks in the ancient city, and the price is not expensive. Here are some recommended foods that you must eat when you come to Pingyao. Of course, the foods in Pingyao are not the only ones. ① Pingyao beef, a veritable gourmet food. Pingyao beef is probably known to everyone. It is a well-known specialty snack in the ancient city of Pingyao. Beef shops, large and small, are scattered all over the streets of the ancient city. The most famous brand is Guanyun. But the restaurant basically does not sell Guanyun’s beef. Although other brands are also delicious, the Guanyun brand is loud. It is recommended that you must buy Guanyun’s beef when traveling to the ancient city of Pingyao.
② Pingyao Wantuo, an authentic delicacy made of flour. There is one delicacy in the ancient city of Pingyao, which is also a must-eat, and that is Wantuozi. Pingyao's bowl was first created by Dong Xuan, a chef from Chengnanbao during the Guangxu period of the Qing Dynasty, and has a history of more than 100 years. In the twenty-sixth year of Guangxu, when the Empress Dowager Cixi fled westward to Xi'an and passed through Pingyao, after tasting this food, she was full of praise and rewarded it on the spot. As a result, Wantuo became famous and became a famous local food. Bowls are refined but not greasy, smooth and refreshing, suitable for all ages. They are popular in four seasons and can be eaten in a variety of ways. They can be served cold in summer and fried in winter. Pingyao bowls are especially famous for dipping bowls. Pingyao's bowls are made of white flour. The fragrant bowls are served with exclusive dipping sauces, which make people salivate.
③ Pingyao copper hot pot, meat and vegetables are paired with Pingyao locals. During the Chinese New Year, every household in Pingyao has to make eight bowls, and Pingyao copper hot pot is to add the eight local bowls of Pingyao, beef, and stewed vegetables. The hot one is still more delicious.
④ Bubble Oil Cake, Dessert Food Bubble Oil Cake is a well-known local dessert food in Pingyao. The filling is usually made of jujube paste and bean paste, fried in oil, golden in color, charred on the outside and tender on the inside, soft and sweet. Girls with a sweet tooth must order it when they come to the ancient city! A plate of oil cakes in a mid-range restaurant sells for 18, and a restaurant on Ming and Qing Street sells it for 28. The portion is not as much as that of a mid-range restaurant. This child likes to eat it very much. If you bring children, you must try it. There are red beans, long yams, sweet potatoes, and various types.
⑤Grandma 栲栲栲栲, Shanxi authentic farm grains 栲栳栳 (栲栳kǎolǎo) production process is very strict, the noodles are boiled water, mixed with a rolling pin to form a dough, must be kneaded while hot. Next, knead and knead the small oat dough on the palm of your hand, and then wrap it around your fingers, and then rolls of oat noodles will be formed. About 10 centimeters long, the cylindrical shape that the tongue-shaped sheet of width 5 centimeters rolls out is exactly its size. Then it is steamed like steamed buns. When it is cooked, it has a tangy aroma. When eaten, it is mixed with brine (called "shuishui" in Pingyao people) to make people salivate and appetite. There are two ways to eat 栲栳栳, one is to eat 栲栳栳 with brine, which usually has meat sauce, but also meat, potatoes, and eggplants are fried together to thicken the sauce. The other is to cut and add vegetables to stir-fry. If you come to Pingyao, this must be one of the delicacies you can't miss!
⑥ Shanxi fried pork, one of the famous dishes in Shanxi, fried pork was originally a famous official dish, and later spread to Taiyuan area, and gradually spread in Shanxi. After the improvement of chefs of past dynasties, this dish has reached a relatively perfect level. Because Shanxi "over-oiled meat" has its own uniqueness from material selection to knife work, from marinating to cooking, especially in the use of seasonings. It clearly reflects the local flavor characteristics of Shanxi. People in Shanxi love vinegar, and they are very particular about the use of vinegar in cooking. The method of using vinegar in this dish is an example.
⑦ Potato Polanzi, one of Pingyao’s special pasta. It is one of Pingyao's special delicacies, and it also has a nice name, the mountain flowers are blooming. There are a lot of materials used in poultanzi, mainly shredded potatoes, diced beans, shredded carrots, and seasonal wild vegetables, etc., and diced meat can also be used; then add white flour, bean flour, sorghum flour, corn flour, or naked oat flour Stir well with it, then put it in a cage and steam it; finally pour it into the oil pan, stir-fry with chopped green onion, leek, pepper, eggs, etc., and stir-fry until it is tender and yellow. The steamed shredded potatoes have a soft taste and are integrated with the batter. Various auxiliary materials and eggs are added to the seasoning effect, and the whole dish is yellow, white and green in color, and the color, fragrance and taste are excellent!
⑧ Pingyao Camellia oleifera is promoted, and Pingyao folks call it "warm belly soup". In Shanxi, the elders used suet oil or butter to fry camellia. Now, it is rare to use vegetable oil and animal oil to fry. The heat of the fried noodles is the most important thing. It needs to be just right. The fire is too small and the noodles are not cooked, and the fire will burn the pan. In addition, when frying the noodles, you can’t stop your hands and stir fry for nearly an hour to complete. The flour is in the pot. The white color gradually turns to dark until the flour turns burnt yellow, then it is considered cooked. Then add walnut kernels, peanut kernels, sesame seeds and other nut seasonings and flour, stir fry evenly, and it will be camellia oil.
Live in Pingyao
Under normal circumstances, one day in the ancient city of Pingyao is definitely not enough. There are many accommodation inns in the ancient city, and there are no beds. Most of them are big kangs with northern characteristics. The slogan is also very interesting. kang".
Although the hotel I chose is not the best environment in the ancient city, but fortunately, it is cost-effective. The inn is closer to the east gate of the ancient city. It is not far from the main street of the ancient city, but it is relatively quiet.
How to play in Pingyao? (dry goods)
1. Transportation:
Airplane: If you want to go to Pingyao by plane, you usually fly to Taiyuan Wusu International Airport first, and then transfer to a long-distance bus or train to Pingyao from Taiyuan City. Whether you take a long-distance bus or a train, it takes about one and a half hours to two hours. It can be reached in an hour. Take No. 201 from the Airport Group Company Station from the airport to Taiyuan Jiannan Bus Station, Taiyuan Bus Station and Taiyuan Railway Station. From these three places, you can go directly to Pingyao.
Train: There are two railway stations in Pingyao, Pingyao Railway Station and Pingyao Ancient City Station, and Pingyao Ancient City Station is a moving station. Personally, I suggest that it is more convenient to sit directly at Pingyao Station. Go straight for about one kilometer to the ancient city of Pingyao. The train station is a little farther away, and you need to take a taxi or take a bus.
Bus: The Pingyao ancient city highway is relatively developed, but since the Pingyao bus station mainly operates provincial lines, it is most suitable to transfer buses from Taiyuan to Pingyao.
2. Ticket price: There are six gates in the ancient city of Pingyao. It is not mandatory to buy tickets into the ancient city of Pingyao, and you can enter at any time. So what does Pingyao ancient city ticket mean? The ticket for Pingyao Ancient City is actually a combination of 22 small scenic spots in the ancient city, which is what we often call the scenic spot pass, and the pass fee is 125 yuan. If you buy this pass, you can go in and see all the scenic spots in the ancient city, such as climbing the city wall, ticket numbers, escort bureaus, county government offices, Confucian temples, etc. Of course, if you don’t plan to buy tickets, you can also go shopping on the streets in the ancient city.
3. Others: The time to visit the ancient city of Pingyao can be long or short. It can be completed in one day or three days. The key is how to arrange the attractions and how to choose. The ancient city of Pingyao covers an area of 2.25 square kilometers, which is not too large. It can be visited on foot. There are only six or seven main scenic spots, namely the ancient city wall, county government office, Rishengchang, Confucian temple, Chenghuang temple, synergy celebration bank and bodyguard bureau, etc. . Others are repetitive Escort and ticket numbers and various museums. If time is tight, it is best to take a tour bus and find a tour guide, three hours is no problem. If you want to visit all the scenic spots carefully, then there is not enough time, at least two days.
