Shuozhou Killing Tiger Pass: Golden Ge and Iron Horse Are Hard to Find "West Pass" Ancient Road is deserted
As one of the sixteen prefectures of Yanyun, Shuozhou has always been valued by all dynasties, which has a lot to do with the military fortress in its jurisdiction. Shahukou is located at the junction of Shanxi and Inner Mongolia, with high mountains facing each other on both sides. It is adjacent to Tangzi Mountain in the east and Dabao Mountain in the west. A narrow and long corridor more than 3,000 meters long is formed between the two mountains. The terrain is very steep and constitutes a natural pass. There is a local folk proverb that is widely circulated - "Once you enter the mouth of a tiger, it is difficult to walk in the world". Because of the particularity of its geographical location, it has been a battleground for military strategists since ancient times. The Zhou Dynasty defeated the Hun, the Qin and Han dynasties fought against the Xiongnu, the Sui and Tang dynasties attacked the Turks, the Song conquered Khitan, and the Ming Dynasty fought against Mongolia. As long as nomads from the Mongolian plateau invaded the Central Plains, most of them would kill Hukou as the first choice.
As far back as the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, the Killing Tiger Pass was known as "Chenhejing". Later, it was renamed several times with historical changes. It was called "White Wolf Pass" in Tang Dynasty, and "Yalang Pass" in Song Dynasty. "Kill Hukou", when Kangxi Ping rebelled against Galdan in the Qing Dynasty, he set up the Kangxi camp here. Because he was also a Hu, he changed "Hu" to "Tiger", and it is still in use today. Today, there are still rich historical and cultural relics here: the majestic ancient Great Wall, the well-preserved Killing Tiger Fort, the rows of beacon towers, the desolate and simple ancient battlefields, etc. are all fascinating.
I wonder if this river in ancient times was choppy?
The more than 30-kilometer drive from Youyu County to the Shahukou Great Wall is full of rivers and mountains along the way. The implementation of the national policy of returning farmland to forests makes the greening here very good. Although the river is almost dry, there are aquatic plants in the river. Lush and lush vegetation, in the process of driving, you can no longer feel the long, tragic and desolate yellow sand thousands of years ago. Perhaps, this is where our happiness lies today. Driving in the "green ocean" and breathing the pure air of the natural oxygen bar, I really feel refreshed. Before I know it, a huge fort-style market town appears in front of me: the tiger's mouth is here!
Shahukou is located in the mountains, with Provincial Highway 211 passing through the entrance. There are continuous beacons on the mountain beams in the distance. The ancient town is surrounded by ravines, reservoirs, rivers, valleys, and mountain passes. Even today, it is a place that is easy to defend and difficult to attack. The Shahu Fort, Kangxi Camp, Post Station, Shanzhai, and Guanqiang left by the ancients are scattered in various dangerous terrains, and the status of military fortresses is self-evident.
The beacon towers on the distant mountain ridges are continuous
"The edge of the city is covered with blood, and the ancient castle of Guanshan Duyue is full of sorrow." This couplet written on the Killing Tiger Pass expresses the proud momentum of the "Zisai Golden Soup" at Killing Tiger's Pass. It's just that the strongest fortifications in ancient China and the most intense and cruel history recorded in it have now become the dust of the years and frozen here.
Today's Shahukou has been rebuilt and looks even more majestic and spectacular. From the perspective of tourists, although the Guanlou is new, it does not have the vicissitudes of history. The tall Guancheng buildings built with modern bricks and stones make the "Xikou" in Shanxi folk songs completely different. , which is unavoidably regrettable.
The city wall of Shahukou is the junction of Shanxi and Inner Mongolia. Inside the mouth is Shanxi, and outside the mouth is Inner Mongolia. Because of this, many tourists take pictures here. Who would have thought that thousands of years ago, how many soldiers fought to the death for this pass? How many men died here for their respective nations and countries, and their souls returned to Sri Lanka! For me, since I have driven thousands of miles here, let's go outside the mouth to have a look!
It was not until I came out of Shahukou that the terrain outside the mouth was also complicated. The natural mountain pass formed by the sudden stop of Tangzi Mountain in the east and Dabao Mountain in the west was actually due to the existence of the river. I found out that this river is called the Cangtou River through an online search. It is almost dry now, but various vegetables such as corn and soybeans are growing happily in the river. I don't know how many times this nearly dry river has blocked the pace of the army, and I don't know how many soldiers have left their hometown forever because of this river. When you come here and see this scene, you will unconsciously think of this poem and understand the connotation of this poem. Forget it, don't think about it so much, hold a handful of loess and raise it, right to pay homage to the soldiers who died here in the battle!
How many times has this dry river held back the invasion of steppe cavalry?
In front of the Killing Tiger Pass is a newly built large square arranged according to the pattern of chess. Each chess piece is 1 meter high. Such a large chess board is really rare, and it can be regarded as a feature.
Next to the square is a statue of Emperor Kangxi's Western Expedition. Behind the statue is the newly completed "Youyu County Museum". "Going to the West Exit" is very comprehensive. I never thought that this remote county-level museum gave me a lot of insight, especially the story about "Walking to the West Exit". Maybe it is because of my lack of knowledge, I think I know some history, but I only know that Xikou refers to the area around the Killing Tiger Pass in my memory. After visiting this museum, I realized the blood and tears of those who immigrated to make a living in Xikou to make a living.
According to the museum's data, the Great Wall of the Ming Dynasty had "three gates" around Gyeonggi: the "North Gate" Gubei Gate, the "East Gate" Xifeng Gate, and the "West Gate" Shahu Gate. The "Xikou" Killing Tiger Pass is the main throat of Datong Town and a key area in the military defense system of the Ming Dynasty. The painful history of frontier people crossing the Great Wall "to the west entrance" in the early Qing Dynasty and the glory of Shanxi merchants bred by "walking to the west entrance" in the Ming and Qing Dynasties all happened here. But the fact is, after all, few people like Qiao Family Courtyard, Qi Family Courtyard, etc. became wealthy business tycoons through Xikou, and more local people went through hardships, blood and tears, and even lost their families and their wives and children. !
According to the general route map of Shanxi people going to the west entrance, starting from the central and northern part of Shanxi, one goes west, exits through the Shahu Pass, and enters the Mongolian grassland; the other goes east, passes through Datong, exits through Zhangjiakou, and enters Mongolia. Mongolia's nomadic industry is relatively developed, and there are many horses, cattle, sheep, mules, and sheepskins, while Shanxi people are more powerful in the textile industry, not only cloth, silk, needlework and other daily necessities, but also edible salt, rice noodles Things, natural trade will benefit both sides, and it also attracts many people from the Central Plains to go to the west entrance.
In fact, in the thousands of years of Chinese history, there has been trade in the Shahukou area since ancient times. Because of the irreplaceability of daily necessities, border trade has always been one of the important magic weapons for the Central Plains Dynasty to restrict the grassland peoples. After the Yuan Dynasty, as the Mongolian plateau was incorporated into the unified Central Plains dynasty, the status of war was gradually replaced by the status of trade. This unknowingly increased the tide of promoting immigration through trade, and the scale of going west was also scaled up! In the Qing Dynasty, after the restoration and development of Kang Yongqian III in the early Qing Dynasty, the national population exceeded the 300 million mark in the Qianlong period. The contradiction between people and land was sharp. ", forming three major waves of immigration in modern times.
During the Qing Dynasty, the trade in "Xikou" became more diversified, and even melons, fruits and vegetables, silk cotton satin, pigment wood, tobacco and groceries became the main components of commercial activities. Shanxi merchants far surpassed commercial firms in other places in this respect. Therefore, the Qing government set up a tax collection department in Shahukou, and branch cards were set up in Deshengkou, Baotou and other places along the way to collect customs duties for merchants passing through these places. Some wealthy businessmen in Shanxi, including the Qiao family and the Cao family, all made their fortunes by going to Xikou.
"Going to the West Gate" is a bitter immigration history and a hard-working entrepreneurial history. Batch after batch of immigrants left their hometowns, worked hard to start a business, and developed the Inner Mongolia area. More importantly, they brought advanced farming culture to the middle and west of Inner Mongolia, which was in a backward nomadic state, and fundamentally changed the entire local cultural landscape. Accompanied by the process of "going west" immigration, Outer Mongolia has evolved from a traditional single nomadic society to a diversified society with both banners and counties and farming.
"West mouth" ancient road is now deserted
"Walking to the west" has driven the prosperity and development of the northern regions, and integrated these regions with the inland economy. The population of these regions has increased dramatically, forming a commercial center. "Sheng Gong was restored one after another, and then there was Baotou City", these sayings all show the role of Shanxi merchants in promoting the development of these areas. Shanxi has also formed a group of rich merchants in the process of going to the west entrance. Today, the rich merchants we are familiar with, such as the Qiao family, the Qu family, and the Cao family, all got rich by going to the west entrance.
Time flies. Since the 19th century, with the invention of the steam engine, the use of computers, and the popularization of the Internet, the ancient trade form of "going to the west entrance" has long been outdated through regional differences and the quantity of goods. It is replaced by today's e-commerce and online sales, but its once prosperous and lively, its former history and glory, like the deserted Great Wall and the lonely beacon, will always be hidden in people's memory!
Yunzhou: The Millennium Ancient Capital Well-Deserved
In my mind, Datong's historical status is higher than many cities. Looking through the history books, the name of Datong appears too much. As long as there is a war, it is almost difficult to avoid this city. It is the dividing point between the Central Plains dynasty and the minority regimes. From the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period to the Qing Dynasty, no matter which All dynasties regarded Datong as one of the important military locations. Because losing it means that the country will not be a country, and it may even change the dynasty.
In the long history of thousands of years, Datong is like a stage of a drama, where the strong come on stage and the weak leave. It was an important city in the north of the Central Plains Dynasty, making it difficult for the grassland peoples to overcome; at the same time, it was the fat meat that the northern minorities coveted, and took it for themselves whenever they had the opportunity. In any case, as long as Datong falls to either side, the opponents will be stuck in their throats, unable to stop.
According to the data, Datong was the residence of Beidi during the Spring and Autumn Period. At the beginning of the Warring States Period, it was Dai State, and later merged into Zhao Land. The Qin Dynasty established 36 counties throughout the country, and today Datong is the territory of Yanmen County and Dai County. Qin Shihuang sent General Meng Tian to lead an army of 300,000 to attack the Xiongnu in the north, and Datong was formally incorporated into the Central Plains Dynasty. The Western Han Dynasty followed the county system of Qin County, and its land was still the land of Yanmen County and Dai County. During the Three Kingdoms period, the land was occupied by Wuhuan and Xianbei. Tuoba Gui of the Northern Wei Dynasty moved its capital from Shengle to Pingcheng in 398 AD, and Datong was first seen in history as the capital of the country. During the Southern and Northern Dynasties, Datong has always existed as the accompanying capital of various minority regimes. During the Kaihuang period of the Sui Dynasty, in order to defend against Turkic attacks, Datong City was built in the north of Datongchuan, which is now Uradqian Banner in Inner Mongolia. At the end of the Tang Dynasty, Shatuo people moved inward, and Datong was settled here. Since then, the name of Datong has been used unchanged (it was previously called Pingcheng, Yunnei, Yunzhong, etc.).
Throughout the history of Datong, it has become one of the few ancient prosperous cities in my country due to its special geographical location and long history as the capital. The relics of Xianbei, Turkic, Khitan, Huihe, Jurchen, Mongolian and other ethnic groups have been found in this city, from street names, road names, folk dances, handicrafts, sculptures, batik window grilles and many intangible heritage, etc. It can be felt that there are traces of different civilizations here. The rich culture and history of Datong have been rooted in the lives of local people. Perhaps the inadvertent rural slang and folk customs may represent the habits of different nations and civilizations of different periods.
The Great Wall and the Beacon Tower on the top of the mountain twist and turn and disappear from time to time
Geographically, the Datong area belongs to the confluence of the Inner Mongolia Plateau and the Loess Plateau. On both sides of the highway from Shahukou, Youyu County to Datong, there are endless mountains stretching into the distance on one side, and the Great Wall and beacon towers on the top of the mountain twist and turn. Now, one side is accompanied by desolate loess high slopes, and the erosion of rain all year round has formed dense long valleys and deep pits. Running on such a magical land makes people feel like they are dreaming back to the ancient times and galloping on horseback. Unknowingly, the mountains are far away, and the terrain is gradually slowing down. At this time, a large area of high-rise buildings stands everywhere, and Datong has arrived!
This is a city full of ancient flavors. The tall and complete city wall is surrounded by a newly built moat. Towering and towering ancient buildings can be seen everywhere in the city. There are gatehouses and archways that have been completed or are being built at every intersection. The main street Not far from both sides, there are various temples, ancient streets, ancient pagodas, and attics lined up. What is a famous historical city and what is cultural accumulation? Datong uses practical actions to explain silently to people!
Walking into Datong, I really feel "one step, one history, one street, one scene". In the center of Datong, around Huayan Temple, many famous scenic spots are simply "stacked": Nine Dragon Wall, Shanhua Temple, Huayan Temple, Fahua Temple, Bell Tower, Drum Tower, Chunyang Palace, West City Wall, Great Mosque, etc. It is close to each other, and there are world-famous Yungang Grottoes, Xuankong Temple, Beiyue Hengshan, etc. in the suburbs. The historical and cultural city really deserves its name. There are too many attractions to worry about, so let’s start with the famous ones? The first stop is Nine Dragon Wall.
Nine Dragon Wall is the earliest, largest and most artistically charming multicolored glazed screen wall in China. Nine dragons jump up the wall with the momentum of taking off, vividly. Nine Dragon Wall is located in Yanghe Street, Datong. It was built in the late Hongwu period of Ming Dynasty. It is the glazed screen wall in front of the palace of Zhu Gui, the thirteenth son of Zhu Yuanzhang. It has a history of more than 600 years.
According to the data, the wall of Nine Dragons is 8 meters high, 2.02 meters thick and 45.5 meters long. There are 9 flying dragons evenly and harmoniously distributed on the wall. Sun and moon motifs on both sides. The wall is made of 426 specially made multicolored glazed components. The 9 flying dragons are majestic, flying off the wall. The gaps between the dragons are filled with patterns of rocks, water and plants. The top of the wall is covered with glazed tiles, and the bottom is supported by glazed bucket arches. At the bottom of the wall is Xumizuo, on which 41 groups of patterns of two dragons playing with beads are carved. The waist is composed of 75 glazed bricks in relief, with various animal images such as cattle, horses, sheep, dogs, deer, rabbits, etc., which are lively and colorful. In front of the Nine Dragon Wall, a reflection pool is built, and there is a stone bridge in the middle for pedestrians to walk through. The reflection of the dragon in the water, turning the static dragon into a dynamic dragon, can be described as ingenious.
According to legend, Zhu Gui, the thirteenth son of Zhu Yuanzhang, was established as the prince since he was a child. However, he did not read poetry since he was a child and was stubborn. Because of this, Zhu Gui made a big fuss in the Golden Palace and clamored to be the emperor too. Zhu Yuanzhang had no choice but to build a palace in the city of Datong, so that the king could live the addiction of the emperor. Of course, this is just a legend. Up to now, there are still street names such as "Huangcheng Street", "Zhengdian Street", "Donghuamen" and "Dayoucang" in the ancient city of Datong, all of which are the ruins of the old palace.
One day, the bewildered prince suddenly remembered that he wanted to visit his fourth brother Zhu Di in Yandi. Once, when I was wandering outside the Palace of King Yan, I looked up and saw a newly built glazed nine-dragon wall in front of the gate of the palace. I was very happy, and clamored to build one in front of the "Imperial Palace" in Datong, and took the pattern back to Datong. Immediately after returning, he summoned Wu's father and son, three glass craftsmen from the Wu family kiln in Huairen, and ordered them to burn the dragon wall. Dai Wang Concubine Xu (the daughter of Marshal Xu Da) found out that she demanded that the dragon wall be two feet longer, two feet taller, and two inches thicker than the Dragon Wall in Yan Wangfu. That one is no match for it.
The current Nine Dragon Wall is not a big scenic spot, just a courtyard and no other auxiliary buildings, but because of its unique historical status, exquisite art and beautiful legends, it is listed as the fifth batch of national cultural relics protection units, attracting a large number of tourists every year. tour.
300 meters to the west of Nine Dragon Wall is Huayan Temple, another most famous "National Treasure Unit" in Datong. Since the distance is not far, we chose to go on foot. Facts have proved that this choice is very wise: the pedestrian passage leading to Huayan Temple is the essence of the ancient city of Datong, which the city focuses on. It has both Han style and Liao and Jin characteristics. All of them are carved beams and painted columns, giant arches and cornices. Various time-honored brands and old brands are interspersed among them. At this time, it is sunset and sunset, which makes this ancient street look more ancient!
At the end of this ancient street is the Huayan Temple, which is as tall, majestic and majestic as the Bianjing Tower in Daixian County and the wooden pagoda in Yingxian County! The size of Huayan Temple was beyond my expectation, and I was exhausted just walking around. According to the introduction of the scenic spot, Huayan Temple covers an area of 66,000 square meters, which is 100 acres in conversion. Such a scale is also very rare in the country. Huayan Temple is one of the earliest and relatively complete Liaojin temple buildings in China. It was announced by the State Council in 1961 as the first batch of national key cultural relics protection units.
Huayan Temple was first built in the seventh year of Liao Chongxi (1038 A.D.). It was named after the Buddhist classic "Huayan Sutra". It was destroyed in the war and rebuilt in the third year of Jin Tianjuan (1140). In the Liao and Jin dynasties, Pingcheng (now Datong) was the other capital at that time, and the temple was valued by the royal family. Huayan Temple is divided into upper and lower temples. The upper temple is centered on the Daxiong Hall and is divided into two courtyards. There are Shanmen, Guodian, Guanyin Pavilion, Dizang Pavilion and hatchback corridors.
The tour guide said that the Daxiong Hall is one of the largest existing Buddhist halls in the Liao and Jin Dynasties. The glass kiss on the main ridge of this hall is 4.5 meters high, and it is also the largest glass kiss on ancient Chinese buildings. There are four stone tablets embedded on the wall outside the hall, which are the "Book of Changes" written by Zhu Xi, a famous Neo Confucianist in the Southern Song Dynasty.
The Lower Huayan Temple is located on the southeast side of the Upper Temple, not far away. Centering on the Bhagavan Tibetan Hall, there are statues of the Liao Dynasty, stone scripture buildings, pavilion-style scripture cabinets, and Tiangong pavilions. Among them, the art of Buddha statues has a unique artistic status in China, and was once highly praised by the architect Liang Sicheng. The most famous statue of Buddha is the most vivid statue of a Bodhisattva with a smile on his face, holding his palms together and baring his teeth.
This smiling statue of the Bodhisattva was featured on the cover of Time Magazine in the US
This Buddha statue is about two meters high. It stands barefoot on the lotus platform. To the chest, with a toothy smile, was given the nickname of "Oriental Venus". This is unbelievable in ancient China under the feudal etiquette of "smiling without showing your teeth"! However, it is the art of the Liao and Jin minorities, and "smiling without showing your teeth" and "clothes not covering your body" may not be bound by Han etiquette.
Huayan Pagoda, National Treasure
Xiahuayan Temple also has a national treasure-level cultural relic, that is Huayan Pagoda, which is the second largest square wooden pagoda with pure wood tenon and tenon structure in the country after Yingxian wooden pagoda. According to the records in the Annals, the construction was resumed. The wooden pagoda is square in plan, with a total height of 43.5 meters including the pagoda brake. It is a three-story, four-eaves pure wood mortise and tenon structure.
The magnificent underground palace made of 100 tons of pure copper
In the area of nearly 500 square meters at the bottom of the tower, 100 tons of pure copper are used to make it. The caisson, tower columns, murals, floors, escalators, etc. Copper craftsmanship, when it was built, it was the largest and pure copper underground palace in China. The tower is resplendent and magnificent, the only one in the country, and it is a model of the perfect combination of tradition and reality.
When we walked out of the Huayan Temple, it was already sunset. My mobile phone showed that I had taken more than 30,000 steps in a day. Although I don’t know much about architectural art, walking down this lap can be regarded as exercise. At this time, the two children are already too tired. Well, food is also an important part of tourism. Tonight, let’s taste Datong’s snacks and experience what this city will bring us. Taste experience!
In fact, the tourism label of Datong is the Yungang Grottoes. This scenic spot that ranks first in Datong tourism not only has an important position in China, but also has a good reputation internationally. So early the next morning, we locked the Yungang Grottoes as the target of our tour.
Due to the convenience of modern transportation, it is only half an hour's journey from Datong to Yungang. I have also been to Yungang Grottoes before. At that time, Yungang Grottoes were close to the road for pulling coal. I remember that when the tourist bus stopped by the roadside, tourists I just visited it directly against the yellow sand and coal dust all over the sky, and the outer body of the big Buddha was also dark. A place with deep memories. Today's Yungang Grottoes have changed a lot, with red flowers and green grass along the way, spacious roads, and clean and tidy everywhere. To my surprise, there are many antique buildings built in Yungang now far away from the Buddha statue, among which there is a huge temple at the entrance. This is the first time I have seen it. Needless to say, it is Later it was newly built! On the cliff behind this temple is the famous Yungang Grottoes.
The Yungang Grottoes are located at the southern foot of Wuzhou Mountain, 17 kilometers away from the western suburbs of Datong City. There are 45 main caves, 252 large and small niches, and more than 51,000 stone statues. It is one of the largest ancient grottoes in China. Great Grotto. In 1961, it was announced by the State Council as the first batch of key cultural relics protection units in the country. In 2001, it was included in the World Heritage List by UNESCO.
According to historical records, the Yungang Grottoes were excavated in the middle of the Northern Wei Dynasty. The Yungang Grottoes began to be built on a large scale during the Heping period of Emperor Wencheng (460--465), and were completed in the fifth year of Emperor Xiaoming's Zhengguang (524), which lasted for more than 60 years. At the beginning, it was presided over by the famous eminent monk Tan Yao. Most of the existing caves were dug before the capital was moved to Luoyang in the eighteenth year of Taihe (494).
Among the three major grottoes in my country, Yungang Grottoes sculptures are famous for their majestic statues and rich and colorful contents. The smallest Buddha statue is 2 centimeters, and the largest is 17 meters high. Most of them are religious figures with different expressions. The grottoes have imitation wood buildings of various shapes and structures, reliefs of Buddhist biography with prominent themes, exquisitely carved decorative patterns, and lifelike music and dance carvings, which are lively and dazzling. Its sculpture art occupies an important position in the art history of our country.
After thousands of years of erosion by the north wind, many grottoes have been weathered so that the shape of the Buddha statues cannot be seen, but there are still many high-quality goods, especially the Buddha statues hidden in the cliffs, some are still beautiful, with bright colors and dynamic shapes. Flying Apsaras, exquisite carving, really amazing!
As a world-famous tourist city, Datong not only has the status of national capital, "Western capital", "accompanying capital", and "military town", but also has countless historical sites, temples, pagodas, and checkpoints around it. , Jindu, etc. Baideng Mountain, Zhao Wuling King's Tomb, Beiyue Hengshan, Pingxingguan and other scenic spots are like strings of pearls, guarding this historical and cultural city of Datong. Among them, the most famous and internationally renowned is the "Xuankong Temple" !
Hengshan Xuankong Temple is located in Hunyuan County, Shanxi Province, also known as Xuankong Temple, 65 kilometers away from Datong City. It is a national key cultural relic protection unit and is the only unique temple in China that combines Buddhism, Taoism and Confucianism. It hangs between the half-cliffs of Cuiping Peak on the west side of Jinlong Gorge in Hengshan Mountain, Beiyue. Surprisingly, reality and fiction coexist. There are more than 80 copper, iron, stone, and clay Buddha statues in the temple.
The word "spectacular" is the calligraphy of the poet Li Bai?
The Hanging Temple was built more than 1,500 years ago in the late Northern Wei Dynasty in the 15th year of Taihe in the Northern Wei Dynasty (AD 491). The existing buildings are the relics of the Ming and Qing dynasties.
The risky location of the Xuankong Temple, the strange architecture, the ingenious structure, and the rich connotation can be regarded as unique in the world. It is not only a national treasure of the Chinese nation, but also a precious cultural heritage of mankind. A British architect commented: "China's Hanging Temple integrates mechanics, aesthetics and religion into one, making it perfect. Such a peculiar art is rare in the world. Only through this visit can we really see it." The splendid culture, art and civilization history of this ancient nation. The Hanging Temple is not only the pride of the Chinese people, but also the pride of the people of the world."
It is not far from Datong to Xuankong Temple. The road quality is very high. The beautiful scenery on both sides and the continuous green hills make people feel relaxed and happy. The journey of more than 60 kilometers is just around the corner. The place where the Xuankong Temple is located is a canyon. In the canyon, there is a stream with a relatively small flow around the Xuankong Temple, which makes people full of mystery about the location of the Xuankong Temple.
As a "senior" tourist, I have been here more than once, but this time I feel surprisingly good. It may be that the local government pays attention to environmental governance, which makes the mountains here more dense and the water volume of the streams. It used to be much bigger, and there was even a waterfall (this was never before), which is a boon for tourists: after visiting the Hanging Temple, they can play by the river, take group photos, or wade into the water, touch a small Shrimp, catch a small fish, leisure and comfortable is still very good!
Looking at the Hanging Temple from the canyon is really a bit "hanging", the whole building is "hanging" on the cliff, supported by only a dozen pillars, it is "dizzy" to look at! Due to too many tourists, some people are allowed to enter each time. Tourists who have not queued up can only wait patiently. It is just a "drizzle" for an hour or two. Fortunately, the panorama can be photographed under the Hanging Temple. Moving forward, the shooting angle has also changed a lot, so the tourists don’t feel too boring. It’s also very interesting to compare the photos and discuss the shooting skills if you don’t know each other. After nearly 3 hours of "step by step", we were finally allowed to enter the Xuankong Temple. What is a "castle in the air" and what is a "dizziness", only when you arrive at the Xuankong Temple, you can have a personal experience! Wang Zhanchu, a poet of the Ming Dynasty, praised and said: "Whoever cuts high mountain stones will burn the ruins and build a palace. The mirage is suspicious of the sea, and the bird's path is not in the clouds."
Although the Xuankong Temple is a combination of three religions, dedicated to Buddhism, Taoism and Confucianism, for us mortals, coming here is more of an experience of building in the air, and worshiping Buddha and burning incense is fine! I don’t know what it’s like to be a tourist here for the first time. Although I have been here many times, I have a different feeling every time. At the highest point of the Hanging Temple, an old man like me has to bend over and kneel. I dare not stand up straight, for fear that a gust of wind will blow me off the cliff! I don't know much about architectural techniques, but in such a place as big as a palm, there are secret passages, corridors, refuge holes, and scripture pavilions that only allow one person to pass through. There are too many "and", This allows the children to have fun, hide and hide, search and search, and can't bear to leave for a long time. There is no way, the smart ancient Chinese are such "cows"!
Leaving the Xuankong Temple means ending the Shanxi part of the Sixteen States of Yanyun. Next, I will cross the Taihang Mountains to explore the history and current situation of several states on the east side of this big mountain, and see the customs, customs, and customs in Hebei. What is the difference between the natural scenery and Shanxi?
(to be continued)
