https://ca.trip.com/moments/jishan-2990
2024 Jishan Travel Guide: Must-see attractions, popular food, hotels, transportation routes (updated in November)
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7-Day Autumn Tour of Yuncheng: Don't Miss the Beautiful Scenery!
First time in Yuncheng? Don't miss this carefully prepared 7-day itinerary to make your trip even more exciting!
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Route Suggestions:
Day 1: Chengdu—Yuncheng
Depart from Chengdu and arrive in Yuncheng to start your Shanxi trip.
Day 2: Yuncheng—Pingyao
Head to Pingyao Ancient City to experience the charm of a thousand years of history. Stroll along the cobblestone streets and enjoy a leisurely time.
Day 3: Pingyao—Xinzhou
Leave Pingyao and head to Xinzhou to explore the new charm of this ancient land.
Day 4: Xinzhou—Datong
Continue north to Datong to visit the Yungang Grottoes and appreciate the splendor of Buddhist art.
Day 5: Datong—Yuanping
Depart from Datong and head to Yuanping to experience the tranquility and beauty of this small city.
Day 6: Northeast Street Zhongxiao Cultural Square
Visit Northeast Street Zhongxiao Cultural Square in Yuanping to savor traditional culture and experience local customs.
Day 7: Pingyao—Yuncheng—Chengdu
Return to Pingyao, then head to Yuncheng, and finally return to Chengdu to end your pleasant Shanxi trip.
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Travel Tips:
November is a good time to visit Yuncheng. The average daytime temperature is about 13°C, but it is cooler at night, so bring warm clothes. 🧣
Don't miss the local delicacies, such as pepper leaf pancakes and oil-splashed cold noodles. Delicious! 🍴
Yuncheng Guangong Airport has opened a new route to Hong Kong, making travel more convenient! ✈️
Recommended check-in spots: Colorful Salt Lake and Yongji Peacock Garden, perfect for photos! 📸
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If you like Yuncheng, don't forget to follow me for more personal travel tips to make your trip even more exciting! 🌈✨
Jiwang Temple in Jishan, Yuncheng, 2024.
Southern Shanxi has a tradition of worshiping Houji, and almost every county has a Jiwang Temple. The Jiwang Temple in Jishan was originally located on Jiwang Mountain, but was later moved to the county seat. It was first built in the Yuan Dynasty and rebuilt in the Daoguang period of the Qing Dynasty. The Jiwang Temple is famous for its "three wonders" of glazed tiles, wood carvings, and stone carvings. It is a national protected site, with an entrance fee of CNY 20. The Yuncheng Tourism Annual Pass is not accepted.
Upon entering the mountain gate, the first thing you see is the Xian Hall and the Bell and Drum Towers (Figures 2–4). The glazed tiles on the roof ridge are very exquisite (Figures 5–6), but the most distinctive feature is the iron pieces in the center of the roof ridge, which are "Nine Phoenixes Facing the Sun," "Two Dragons Playing with a Pearl," and "Five Blessings Holding Longevity" (Figures 7–8).
There is a stone carving on each of the east and west gable walls of the Xian Hall, depicting the "Eight Scenic Spots of Jishan" and a poem by Li Jingchun, the magistrate of Jishan, about the reconstruction of the Jiwang Temple.
The wood carvings and dragon columns on the door frames in front of the main hall are exquisite (Figures 11–17). Only the two square stone pillars behind the hall are not (Figure 18).
The final pavilion and Jiang Yuan Hall (Figure 19) are Yuan Dynasty buildings.
A performance about farming culture, "Ji Song."
❤Recommended reason: At the Jishan Jujube Museum, I watched an immersive live-action drama, "Ji Song," performed by local jujube farmers. I didn't expect it to be so wonderful. The performance tells the history of Jishan and the farming culture of Hou Ji, showing the changes and development of Chinese farming culture.
Hou Ji, commonly known as Ji Wang, was the ancestor of Chinese farming culture. He was named "Nongguan" by Yao and Shun for planting grains, teaching people to farm, and opening up the source of grain. Jishan County, as the hometown of Hou Ji, was called "Ji" in the Spring and Autumn Period and belonged to Jin. It has a history of more than 1,400 years. #The Long Journey
Fawang Temple.
This is an ancient building that you can drive up to, park, and enter without a ticket. Next to it are tall and imposing residential buildings. On one side is modern life, and on the other is history. They coexist without disturbing each other. The temple should be guarded, as there is a barking yellow dog in a cage in the corner of the courtyard. At night, the guard and the dog are the protectors of this ancient building.
Fawang Temple consists of a mountain gate, a dance building, a main hall, and other buildings. The mountain gate has two pillars and three glazed roofs. A plaque hangs on the lintel with the words "Xuantian Shangdi Fawang Temple." After entering the mountain gate, you will see the dance building, which has a double-eave roof and outer columns. There are many colorful murals on the walls. Walk around the dance hall to take photos, then enter and look up at the dougong, trusses, and columns. Although the paintings are mottled, they are still beautiful. Times have changed, and now this place is preserved as a cultural relic. However, it was not considered a treasure back then, and may have been used as a production room in the village. Therefore, there are three graffiti on the walls, including opera lists, slogans, and production records.
Shanxi | Nanyang Fawang Temple!! A low-key national security guard that is full of relaxation.
|Nanyang Dharma King Temple!! A low-key national security guard that is full of relaxation. Shanxi|Nanyang Fawang Temple!! The low-key national security that is full of relaxation
In Nanyang Village, Jishan County, Yuncheng, there is such a low-key national security unit: Fawang Temple. How low-key is it? It is hidden among the surrounding houses. Villagers even often play cards and chat at the entrance of the temple.
If you come to Jishan to see the Macun Brick Tomb and Qinglong Temple, you might as well come here to see them. The distance is less than 3 kilometers and it will definitely be a worthwhile trip.
【Opening status】
The Dharma King's Temple was not open to the public before, which resulted in many people being turned away. Now it is completely open, and there is no need to call the cultural protection staff to open the door. But because it is so low-key, I only see two or three people even on holidays.
【About Dharma King】
The Dharma King here refers to the Xuantian God in Taoism, also known as Emperor Zhenwu, the God of the North in Han myths and legends, and he is also enshrined in Wudang Mountain.
【Building layout】
The year when the Fawang Temple was first built is unknown, but according to the inscriptions on the beams and inscriptions in the temple, there were records of repairs or additions at least during the Ming and Qing dynasties. The temple is not big. It faces west and faces east, with a two-entry courtyard layout. On the central axis are the mountain gate, music tower, Fawang Hall and some auxiliary halls on both sides. The overall building is well preserved and has important reference value for the study of Taoist architectural forms in the Ming and Qing Dynasties. .
Uncle Wenbao lives in one of the side halls, and he also has a big black dog next to him, so he feels very safe.
【Key points】
Mountain Gate: The plaque reads "Xuantian God, Temple of the Dharma King". On one side of the mountain gate is a white tiger painted in plain ink, and on the other side is a blue dragon? The cultural security man said that the other side has collapsed, so now there is only an empty wall.
Lelou: After the mountain gate is the Lelou stage, which can be said to be the "treasure of the temple" of Fawang Temple. It was built in the Ming Dynasty, but it retains the ancient system of the Yuan Dynasty. The double-eaves cross-shaped mountain top is paved with yellow-green glazed tiles and ridge decorations, which is very beautiful. There are three Qing Dynasty murals on the back of the stage, the Blue Dragon Izumo and the Eight Immortals. There are no inner pillars in the stage, and the design is very exquisite. Looking up, there are exquisite brackets and caissons. On the walls are written the names of theater troupes, opera directories, and some graffiti that I don’t know when they were painted...
Dharma King's Hall: There is a wooden shrine in the hall, dedicated to Emperor Xuanwu. There are carvings and paintings on the wooden boards of the shrine, which are very sophisticated. Unfortunately, I forgot to take pictures while admiring it. The two dragon pillars at the entrance of the Dharma King's Hall are very interesting. The dragon claws are actually the heads of monsters.
Some sisters say that the nearest auxiliary hall on the north side of the King's Palace is a Yuan Dynasty building, but I haven't seen any relevant evidence. The faint writing on the beams seems to be records from the Ming Dynasty.
Time: It’s hard to say the opening hours.
Tickets: Free
Parking: Parking is available on the roadside in the village.
Shanxi Jishan Small County Town National Treasure | Free before National Day, waiting for you to explore.
The ancient buildings of Jishan are a series of history books written in brick, stone, wood and tile, and are the artistic treasures deposited in the long river of time. When we set foot on this land, it is like walking into the scroll of history.
❤Recommended attractions:
✅Jiwang Temple, the ancestral temple for worshiping Hou Ji.
Jiwang Temple has three unique ancient buildings, exquisite stone carvings, magnificent glazed tiles, and wonderful wood carvings, which are exquisite to the "ceiling"! The wood carving of Hou Ji teaching the people to farm and the wood carving of the bell and drum tower are even more unique!
📝tips: Free before National Day
✅Macun Brick Carving Tomb, the "Underground Siheyuan" created by the medicinal diet family.
Three highlights, women open the door, the tomb is arranged in the form of a Siheyuan, and the "banquet" scene in the tomb.
📝tips: Free before National Day
✅Qinglong Temple, amazing Yuan and Ming water and land murals.
A palace of art, murals of water and land Taoist fields composed of Buddhism, Taoism, and Confucianism. The characters in the picture are lifelike, as if they will walk down from the wall in the next moment, and there is also a huge monument of the Yuan Dynasty, "Yao Zhongsu Gong Shendao Monument".
📝tips: The murals are being repaired and are not open to the public
✅Dafo Temple, a thousand-year-old clay Buddha at a glance.
The magnificent Buddha statue, evolved from the statue to the plastic statue.
📝tips: Free all year round
✅Yubi City Site, the birthplace of "Chile Song".
Yubi City was the frontier town of the Western Wei Yuwen regime to resist the invasion of the Eastern Wei Gao regime. The well-known Northern Dynasty folk song "Chile Song" was written after Gao Huan's second attack on Yubi City was frustrated.
📝tips: Free all year round
Fawang Temple Travel Guide
📍 Location: Fawang Temple is located in Nanyang Village, 4 kilometers southwest of Jishan County, Yuncheng City, Shanxi Province. It is an ancient site that combines the architectural features of the Yuan, Ming, and Qing dynasties.
🏛️ Introduction to the Scenic Spot:
Fawang Hall: Xieshan-style building, with a front eave gallery, five purlin brackets, and a diagonal arch in the middle, with a simple structure.
Dance Court: Three square rooms, surrounded by corridors on three sides, covered with a cross-hipped roof, is a place for performing plays to worship gods.
Houtu Hall: Confronting Fawang Hall, it is divided into Xieshan and Xieshan styles, with different positions and structures.
🚗 Transportation:
Train: Yuncheng City has trains to Beijing, Xi'an, Tianjin, Chengdu, Taiyuan, Shijiazhuang, Datong, Linfen, and other places.
Car: National Highway 209 passes through Yuncheng City, which can reach Sanmenxia City, Henan Province, and Huayin City, Shaanxi Province.
Airplane: There are direct flights to Taiyuan from major cities such as Beijing, Guangzhou, Chengdu, and Xi'an, and then you can take a bus to get there.
🎢 Must-play Projects:
Ancient Architecture Appreciation: Feel the architectural beauty of Fawang Temple.
Cultural Exploration: Learn about the history and cultural background of Fawang Temple.
Photography: Record the classical beauty of Fawang Temple with a camera.
🕳️ Pit Avoidance Guide:
Opening Hours: It is only open for worship on the first day of each month and is not open at other times.
📸 Photo Check-in Points:
In front of Fawang Hall: You can take a photo of the grandeur of the entire building.
Dance Court: You can take a photo of the unique roof structure.
🍲 Food Recommendations:
Jishan Pancake with Meat: A local snack that you can't miss.
📌 Tips:
Wear comfortable shoes because you need to walk around.
Respect local culture and customs and keep quiet.
Inheriting the same style as Yongle Palace, the Jishan Qinglong Temple mural guide is a must-have.
📸When it comes to murals in Shanxi, many people think of the Yuan Dynasty mural "Chao Yuan Tu" in Yongle Palace, Yuncheng. However, not far from Yongle Palace, there are murals of the same style in Jishan, Shanxi, which are located in Qinglong Temple, Ma Village, Jishan County.
📸Although Qinglong Temple is not well-known, it is actually not difficult to get there. You can take a taxi from Jishan City, and the city view pass opened in Yuncheng City also has a station at Qinglong Temple. It is also next to the famous Ma Village brick carving tomb, and the two ancient sites can be played together.
✅Qinglong Temple has a look at the Yuan Dynasty wooden buildings. The three wide halls in the front yard (now the mountain gate), the middle hall and the main hall in the back yard are all wooden buildings of the Yuan Dynasty.
✅Qinglong Temple has two views of the Yuan Dynasty inscriptions "Yao Zhongsu Gong Shendao Stele", written by the famous minister Yu Ji and Jishan County people Yao Tianfu in the early Yuan Dynasty. This monument is the most famous monument of the Yuan Dynasty in Shanxi. There is also a Tang Dynasty square secret eaves stone pagoda in the monument pavilion.
✅Qinglong Temple has three views of murals. The murals of Qinglong Temple are mainly distributed in the Daxiong Hall and the Waist Hall Buddha Hall. These murals are mainly relics of the Yuan Dynasty, with a total of more than 180 square meters of Buddhist, Taoist, and Confucian murals. It can be said that these murals have experienced a period of vicissitudes. During the Anti-Japanese War, the Japanese cut the murals and took them to Japan. After the founding of the People’s Republic of China, these murals were returned under various efforts and returned to their homeland.
📸In addition, on the side of the door lintel of the gate, you can also see the characteristic "Journey to the West". The 8-meter-long and 0.6-meter-wide mural depicts Xuanzang, Sha Monk, and Sun Wukong. The front side is Xuanzang, followed by Sha Monk, and Sun Wukong is leading the white horse carrying the scriptures.
📸From the murals, you can see that Wukong is a monkey-shaped human body, wearing short clothes, leggings, and a tight hoop, and the white horse behind him is carrying the scriptures.
📸Let's take a look at the murals in the Buddha Hall, which are a fusion of Confucianism, Buddhism, and Taoism. The theme is the six reincarnations, cause and effect, etc., which are also the essence of Qinglong Temple murals.
📸The upper part of the west wall is painted with three Buddhas, the middle one is Sakyamuni, and the two sides are Rendeng Buddha and Maitreya Buddha. Below the three Buddhas is a picture of worshiping the Buddha. There are many characters in the murals, including emperors, princes, kings, civil and military officials, queens, and female officials.
📸Below the Buddha's picture is a group of gods, left and right protectors, ghost mothers, five emperors, five gods, and five immortals.
📸There are ten great Ming kings on the south side of the Buddha Hall. Below the ten great Ming kings are the four envoys of the year, month, day, and time. There are many characters in the lower part of the four envoys, including Confucius of Confucianism, famous ministers of the Three Kingdoms Zhuge Liang, Guan Yu, Zhang Fei, Liu Bei, etc., and Tang Taizong Li Shimin, Tang Guifei, Yang Yuhuan, etc.
📸The north side of the Buddha Hall is the nine horizontal death beings in Buddhism, as well as Anan and Yan Kou.
📸It can be said that the murals of Qinglong Temple and Yongle Palace are of the same origin, all are heavy color outlines, and they are all dominated by green and blue. The style and image of the characters are also of the same origin, and they are also the best in Chinese Yuan Dynasty murals.
2024 Cultural 'Summer' Journey (Twenty-One): Nanyang Fawang Temple in Jishan
In Nanyang Village, not far from Jishan County in Yuncheng City, walking about 500 meters along the main alley, an ancient temple comes into view.
The door of the ancient temple is an old wooden door.
The plaque on the mountain gate reads 'Temple of the Law King of Xuantian Emperor,' and the inscription on the ridge reads 'Built in the ninth year of Tongzhi in the Qing Dynasty, the year of Gengwu.' On both sides of the mountain gate, there are couplets on the pillars, 'With a sword leaning on the long sky, the universe is bright and clear; Xuan Ying blesses the earth, the country is prosperous,' which is very imposing.
It is said that the earliest statues of war gods were enshrined between the left and right walls. There are murals on the walls, and now only the south side has a plain ink painting of a tiger descending the mountain, coming with a roaring majesty.
Pushing open the mountain gate, an ancient stage with flying eaves and upturned corners comes into view, which is shocking. Compared with the ancient buildings seen before, Nanyang Fawang Temple has a kind of 'natural beauty without adornment.'
The ancient stage here, as a carrier of traditional Chinese opera culture, has witnessed the vicissitudes of history. Every wear and tear, every crack seems to tell an ancient story.
In the middle of the back wall of the stage, there is a painting of 'Azure Dragon Emerging from the Clouds,' with paintings of the Eight Immortals on the left and right. These paintings were originally colored, but after being covered in dust for a long time, the colors inevitably became slightly dim, but the postures of the characters are varied, their clothes fluttering, extremely lively.
The stage of Nanyang Fawang Temple is also called Wuting or Lelou. The horizontal plaque in the middle reads 'Harmony in Spring,' and the couplet reads 'Praying for a bountiful year with sacrificial vessels; singing of peace with flutes and strings.'
The construction date of this stage is unknown. According to the stone tablet in the temple, it was rebuilt in the seventh year of Chenghua in the Ming Dynasty and has undergone several repairs since then. However, from its form, it has obvious characteristics of the Yuan Dynasty, making it a precious Ming Dynasty building with Yuan Dynasty features.
Walking onto the stage, there are no exposed pillars inside, and the load-bearing pillars at the four corners are all built into the walls, making the space more spacious.
The upper part of the stage, with interconnected beams, corner beams, upward beams, and dougong structures layer by layer, forms a delicate eight-trigram caisson. The caisson structure is very spectacular and rare, looking complex and ingenious, yet retaining an ancient and exquisite beauty. The large scale of this caisson allows one to intuitively feel the beauty of the wooden structure.
Nanyang Fawang Temple has important value for studying the situation of opera activities in the northern region during the early Ming Dynasty. Ancient stages like this, where pictures, texts, and objects coexist, are rare and can be considered treasures of opera relics.
Nanyang Fawang Temple has a kind of restrained and grand beauty. It avoids the disturbances of the world, standing quietly in the countryside, telling thousand-year-old stories, showcasing its unique charm, making it unforgettable at first sight.
Fawang Temple
The person who opened the door to the Song and Jin underground tombs for you, kind and adorable
The cover photo is my favorite picture taken at the Machun brick carving tomb, with the sunlight on the ground passing through the gatehouse. It reminds people of the Kobolds in fairy tales—they only come out to hunt at night, turning everyone they encounter into deer to hunt. Then they stand on the ancient sandy ground, back to the moon, cutting the shadows on the ground with their feet, and the soul is clearly visible.
😊
The most interesting part of the brick carving tomb is the second picture of the woman opening the door in the tomb. She has a smiling face, kind and amiable. The ancients used the 'woman opening the door' as a metaphor for a symbol of a happy life, with a woman waiting at the door to welcome the male master, the family must be full of happiness and harmony. In the Machun brick carving tomb, this 'woman opening the door' contains the ancients' beautiful expectations for a good life and reincarnation in the next life, and can also be seen as a metaphor for the door as the central hub connecting the world of the living and the dead.
🚗🚗
tips:
It's very convenient to drive from Yuncheng, about an hour's drive. There is parking available on the open ground.
There is also the Qinglong Temple nearby (currently not accessible due to maintenance, said to open after the National Day).
There is a restroom at the entrance of the brick carving tomb, but I didn't see it when I went in.
The underground tomb is very cool, and the tombs are very narrow, so be careful.
The Ancestor of Ten Thousand Mountains! The Kunlun Mountain Range!
The Ancestor of Ten Thousand Mountains! The Kunlun Mountain Range!
The Kunlun Mountains are an ancient fold mountain range, stretching over 2500 kilometers, divided into western, central, and eastern sections. Starting from the Pamir Plateau, it traverses the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region and the Tibet Autonomous Region, extending eastward into the western part of Qinghai Province, reaching the northwestern part of Sichuan Province. The western section runs along the southern edge of the Tarim Basin from northwest to southeast. Here, the mountains are towering and steep, with an average altitude of 5500-6000 meters, and large glaciers are distributed over the tall mountain ranges.
The Kunlun Mountains hold a prominent position as the 'Ancestor of Ten Thousand Mountains' in the cultural history of the Chinese nation. Ancient people referred to the Kunlun Mountains as the 'Ancestor of the Dragon Veins' of China. Many myths and legends passed down from ancient China are related to the Kunlun Mountains, which are considered the birthplace of the descendants of Yan and Huang. However, the Kunlun Mountain mentioned in many myths is not the actual 'Kunlun Mountain' but the Kunlun Mountain Range. The Kunlun Mountain in mythology is the 'Kunlun Fairy Mountain' that exists in reality.
Retracing the Lianglin Road in Shanxi, I marveled at the 'bullish' ancient wooden structures
Jishan County's Fawang Temple wasn't originally on our plan, but after visiting the brick carvings and tombs, we made a detour. Driving into Nanyang Village, construction was everywhere, with dust filling the air. At the end of the road was Fawang Temple, easy to find but with its gates firmly shut.
😭😭😭
An elderly lady came over, speaking to us enthusiastically, though we couldn't understand a word. She shuffled to the gate, pointed at a tattered sticker, and then sat down beside it, watching us intently.
We moved closer and saw three names with phone numbers on the paper, so we called them one by one. The first didn't answer, the second was out playing, and the third was at a funeral but said they'd come with the keys to open the gate soon.
It wasn't until the person arrived on a motorcycle from afar, keys in hand, that the temple's gates were opened, and the old lady's face lit up with a smile, revealing her concern about us being unable to enter.
😁😁😁
Who is the Fawang? The temple's gate provided the answer, inscribed with 'Temple of the Fawang of the Xuantian Shangdi,' indicating that the Fawang is the Northern Black Tortoise Emperor, also known as the God of the Northern Peak.
(📌Photo 8)
The mountain gate is exquisite, three bays wide and four rafters deep, with a single-eave hip-and-gable roof covered in green glazed tiles. An inscription on the plaque dates its construction to the Qing Dynasty's Tongzhi era.
Pushing open the heavy doors, you enter a stage, a typical cross-shaped double-eave Xieshan-style structure with yellow-green glazed tiles, surrounded by galleries on the left, right, and back sides (📌Photo 4).
The interior caisson ceiling looks like a star when viewed from below, and the beam frame structure uses corner-bracing to reduce the number of columns. Although it's a Ming Dynasty stage, after removing the surrounding structures, it closely resembles those from the Yuan Dynasty (📌Photos 2, 6, 7).
Further inside is the main hall, stunningly beautiful, with a single-eave hanging mountain roof, and intricate and exquisite ridge beasts and chiwen.
(📌Photos 1, 3)
A five-bay gallery has been added to the front, and the interior's upper and lower sections connect with the golden columns on the inside, forming the structure of the central hall. However, the statues inside are quite frightening, probably newly made.
(📌Photo 9)
The temple's cultural heritage officer hurried us to look quickly and leave soon; we only stayed for about ten minutes, while a black dog barked angrily the whole time. The officer, who had rushed from a funeral, was not pleased, but we were still grateful, hoping that such ancient buildings will still be there in many years, still cherished by people like us, who come with persistence for a visit.
Jishan Dafo Temple in Shanxi, the world's largest clay sculpture Buddha
Jishan Dafo
The world's number one clay sculpture Buddha.
Honestly, it's quite rare for the Buddha from the Yuan Dynasty to be preserved so intact to this day, especially considering it has survived nearly 20 earthquakes and fires. The monks in the temple say that when the main hall was struck by lightning and caught fire, the fire trucks were right there but didn't dare to put out the fire because the Buddha was made of clay and would have been destroyed by the high-pressure water jets. Miraculously, after the main hall was completely burned, the Buddha remained unscathed. This may be a kind of blessing, but it's more a testament to the ancient wisdom in constructing ancient buildings.
🪷 About the Dafo Temple
The Daxiong Hall and other buildings in the temple are mostly imitations of Yuan Dynasty architecture, but the Buddha inside is an authentic sculpture from the Jin Dynasty, carved from pure loess. This is a more than 20-meter-tall, over 800-year-old clay sculpture Buddha.
Inside the hall, there is a wooden staircase leading to the second floor, which is usually not open to the public. This time, I was fortunate enough to go upstairs and have a close encounter with the Buddha, which I consider to be a kind of fate. The stairs are very steep, and from behind the Buddha, you can see the dense curls on top of the Buddha's head. The Buddha's face is full and the ears hang over the shoulders. From the second floor, you can look closely into the Buddha's clear eyes. The Buddha's left hand is placed on the knee, and the right hand is raised high in a teaching gesture, probably representing a scene of preaching. The view from the second floor is truly amazing; from the first floor, it seems you can only see the Buddha's nostrils... you can't see all these details.
📍 Address: Jishan County, Yuncheng, Shanxi
🎫 Ticket: Free
Some say the Buddha is Sakyamuni Buddha
Actually, it's a Maitreya Buddha
Don't disbelieve it‼️
Gazing upon the Kunlun from the heavens
The Kunlun Mountain Range, a grand mountain range that traverses the western part of China, is located on the northern edge of the Tibetan Plateau. It stretches from the eastern part of the Pamir Plateau in the west to the upper valley of the Qaidam River in the east, spanning over 2,500 kilometers in length; the widest part is around 350 kilometers at 90°E, and the narrowest is about 150 kilometers near 81°E. Different documents have various internal divisions of the range, with some referring to it as having an eastern and western section, while others divide it into western, central, and eastern sections.
The Kunlun Mountains hold a prominent position in the cultural history of the Chinese nation as the 'ancestor of all mountains.' It was the site of the Daoist Mixed Yuan Sect (Kunlun Sect) during the late Ming Dynasty. Many myths and legends passed down from ancient China are associated with the Kunlun Mountains, which are considered the birthplace of the descendants of Yan and Huang, the legendary ancestors of the Chinese people. However, the Kunlun Mountains mentioned in many myths are not the same as the actual Kunlun Mountain Range, but rather the 'Kunlun Fairy Mountain' that exists in reality.
🌟 Highlight Feature: Only from an airplane can one truly appreciate the vast expanse of the motherland's territory, where the mountains blend seamlessly with the clouds, and the snow-capped peaks are covered in a blanket of white.
🌟 Highlight Feature: The snowmelt flowing down from the Tianshan Mountains gathers into streams, eventually making its way to the great rivers.
Exploring the Pamir Plateau → Love to collect
Exploring the Pamir Plateau
The only county in China with a Caucasian population
On the Pamir Plateau, there is a county town with an average altitude of over 4000 meters, where China's only Caucasian population resides. It is called Tashkurgan, also known as Taxkorgan County.
This place borders Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Tajikistan, and has been rated by National Geographic as the most extraordinary county town.
It is like a dazzling pearl set upon the Pamir Plateau. Here, there are snow-capped mountains welcoming the wind, the Tian Ge Pasture with herds of cattle and sheep, the mysterious and majestic Kunlun Mountain area, and the Pamir Plateau, known as the ancestor of mountains and the source of rivers.
Within the territory of Taxkorgan, there are 4 peaks over 8000 meters high, accounting for one-third of the world's total, and their majestic and spectacular sights are breathtaking.
The Karakoram Highway, like a giant dragon, winds through this magical land, with over 100 peaks exceeding 7000 meters in altitude along the way.
Glacial meltwater nourishes the lush grasslands, creating a paradise for wild animals and providing pastures essential for the survival of nomadic peoples.
The Tajik people, known as the 'People above the Clouds,' not only attract attention with their unique culture and traditions but also shoulder the important mission of guarding the frontier, closely connected to this land.
Let us walk into the snow mountains together, feel their majesty and tranquility, follow the Karakoram Highway into Taxkorgan, and experience the Tajik people's love and commitment to this land.
Follow me to discover the unique beauty of Xinjiang.
Explore the Pamir Plateau → Let's travel together
Explore the Pamir Plateau
The only county in China with a Caucasian population
On the Pamir Plateau, there is a county town with an average altitude of over 4000 meters, inhabited by China's only Caucasian population, known as Tashkurgan, or simply Taxkorgan County.
This place borders Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Tajikistan, and has been rated by National Geographic as the most extraordinary county town.
It is like a dazzling pearl set upon the Pamir Plateau. Here, you can find snow-capped mountains welcoming the wind, flocks of cattle and sheep on the Tian Ge pasture, the mysterious and majestic Kunlun mountain range, and the roof of the world, the Pamir Plateau, which is the ancestor of all mountains and the source of all waters.
Taxkorgan County has four peaks over 8000 meters high, accounting for one-third of such peaks worldwide, and their majestic and spectacular sights are breathtaking.
The Karakoram Highway, like a mighty dragon, winds through this magical land, with over 100 snow-capped mountains along the way that are over 7000 meters high.
Glacial meltwater nourishes the lush grasslands, creating a paradise for wildlife and providing pastures essential for the survival of nomadic tribes.
The Tajik people, known as the 'People above the Clouds,' not only attract attention with their unique culture and traditions but also carry the important mission of guarding the frontier, closely connected to this land.
Let us walk into the snow mountains together to feel their majesty and tranquility, and follow the Karakoram Highway into Taxkorgan County to experience the Tajik people's love and dedication to this land.
Follow me to discover the unique beauty of Xinjiang.
Explore the Pamir Plateau → Like to give a thumbs up
Explore the Pamir Plateau
The only county in China with a Caucasian population
On the Pamir Plateau, there is a county with an average altitude of over 4000 meters, where the only Caucasians in China live. It is called Tashkurgan, also known as Taxkorgan County.
This place borders Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Tajikistan, and has been rated by National Geographic as the most impressive county.
It is like a dazzling pearl set upon the Pamir Plateau. Here, there are snow-capped mountains welcoming the wind, herds of cattle and sheep on the Tian Ge pasture, the mysterious and majestic Kunlun mountain range, and the roof of the world, the Pamir Plateau, which is the ancestor of all mountains and the source of all waters.
Within the territory of Taxkorgan, there are 4 peaks over 8000 meters high, accounting for one-third of the world's total, and their majestic and spectacular sights are breathtaking.
The Karakoram Highway is like a giant dragon winding through this magical land, with over 100 peaks along the way that exceed 7000 meters in altitude.
The glacial meltwater nourishes the lush grasslands, becoming a paradise for wild animals and providing pastures for the nomadic people to rely on for survival.
The Tajik people are known as the 'people above the clouds' and are not only notable for their unique culture and traditions but also bear the important mission of guarding the border, closely connected to this land.
Let us walk into the snow mountains together, feel their majesty and tranquility, follow the Karakoram Highway into Taxkorgan, and experience the Tajik people's love and dedication to this land.
Follow me to appreciate the different beauties of Xinjiang.
Cultural Relics on the Ground: Shanxi | Yuncheng | Qinglong Temple
| Yuncheng | Qinglong Temple. Cultural Relics on the Ground: Shanxi | Yuncheng | Qinglong Temple.
🕍 Qinglong Temple in Jishan County is next to the Duan family tombs. It was originally built during the Tang Dynasty, but unfortunately, the Tang Dynasty buildings were destroyed by an earthquake. The current structures were rebuilt during the Yuan and Ming Dynasties, and more than a dozen buildings in the front and rear courtyards are relatively well-preserved.
The main hall, waist hall, and Jialan hall of Qinglong Temple all have murals, among which the waist hall is considered the essence, depicting monks worshipping the Buddhas of the three realms and conducting water and land rituals for the salvation of souls. The entire composition of the hall contains more than 300 figures, spread over 130 square meters of wall space. The west wall features the Buddhas of the Three Worlds and worship scenes, below which is a Taoist pantheon; the north wall features the Eighteen Arhats, below which are the Ten Kings of Hell and the Six Paths of Reincarnation, as well as scenes of the underworld's execution grounds; the east wall murals have been weathered by sun and rain, making the features difficult to discern.
🛕 The murals of Qinglong Temple inherit the painting techniques developed since the Tang and Song dynasties and are considered masterpieces of Yuan and Ming dynasty painting. The style and details of the murals show a lineage with the murals of Yongle Palace, characterized by layering numerous figures vertically, but with less grandeur than those of Yongle Palace, and they have suffered more damage.
🛕 The famous 'Holding a Scepter Taiyi' on the west wall of the Sanqing Hall of Yongle Palace, and a figure in the western wall of Qinglong Temple among the great Yaksha group holding a scepter dressed as an emperor (cover image), are extremely similar in terms of clothing, headgear, and brushwork. A peculiar rock in the murals of the Sanqing Hall, resembling a bull's head, is the unique signature of Zhu Haogu, a folk painter from southern Shanxi during the Yuan Dynasty. Similar rocks can be found in the murals of Xinghua Temple and Qinglong Temple, suggesting a lineage among the three.
💡Tips:
On June 25, 2001, the State Council announced it as the fifth batch of national key cultural relics protection units.
Jishan Ji Wang Temple| The largest temple in the country dedicated to the ancestor of agriculture
| The largest temple in the country dedicated to the ancestor of agriculture.
Hou Ji, surname Ji, name Qi, was the great-grandson of the Yellow Emperor, the eldest son of Emperor Ku, and the ancestor of the Ji family of the Zhou Dynasty. As the first person to plant millet and wheat, Hou Ji has been worshipped by emperors and people for thousands of years.
The first unique feature of Jishan Ji Wang Temple is the eye-catching wood carvings, including Ji Wang holding grain spikes, farmers sowing and ploughing, hardworking cattle and horses, rolling stone mills, and grain winnowing fans, all vividly depicted. The figures in the painting are not only Hou Ji and the Zhou tribe who started the agricultural civilization yesterday, but also the common people who are sowing in spring, managing in summer, harvesting in autumn, and storing in winter along the agricultural civilization line laid by Hou Ji today.
The second unique feature is the exquisite and beautiful stone carvings. They are unique in that they use superb craftsmanship to create a series of visible and tangible historical scrolls. The most breathtaking are the two coiled dragon stone pillars in front of Hou Ji Tower. The technique used is high relief carving. One is a fire dragon stone pillar with a flaming Suzaku passing through, and the other is a water dragon stone pillar with clouds and waves and fish leaping and dragons flying, showing the cultural connotation of the ancient Chinese dragon totem.
The third unique feature is the gorgeous and magnificent glazed colored tiles. The colored tiles on the top of the slope and the flowers, flowing clouds, heavenly horses, immortals, and mythical beasts on the ridge decorations are all made of glazed tiles. The most exciting is the main ridge of Hou Ji Tower, which is more than 1 meter high. At both ends, there are large glazed dragon heads about 5 feet high. The glazed tiles are divided into seven colors: yellow, orange, red, green, cyan, blue, and purple. They are colorful and particularly eye-catching.
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