Shanhua Temple

Dear friends, today I am going to introduce you to a place with a super historical sense - the Datong City Wall! 🏰✨ Imagine standing on the city wall built in the fifth year of Hongwu in the Ming Dynasty (1372), feeling the weight of history, isn't it exciting? 👀🎉 The Datong City Wall was personally supervised by Xu Da, one of the six founding ministers of the country, this is a real relic! 👑💪 Although it has experienced the baptism of time, the comprehensive restoration project that began in 2009 has given this city wall a new life, and now it can be opened to the public for free again! 🙌💖 The circumference of the Datong City Wall is 7.24 kilometers, the area is 3.28 square kilometers, the height is 14 meters, the upper width is 12 meters, and the lower width is 18 meters, which is spectacular! 📏🌅 You can see four city gates here, each with its own story and characteristics. 🚪💭 The Yongtai Gate Tower of the South Gate, the spring scenery of the East City Wall, the tranquility of the West City Wall in winter, and the Yan Tower, are all beautiful scenes you can't miss! 🦆🏯🌸❄️ Don't forget to go to the City Wall Museum, where the rammed earth wall relics are preserved. You can see the rammed earth wall structure formed by the Northern Wei, Liao Jin, and Ming dynasties in different periods, and the city bricks with the words 'Hongwu Five Years Day and Moon', which are absolutely a witness to history! 🧱📜 Remember when visiting, the opening hours of the city wall are 9:00-22:30, the best time to climb is after 6 pm in the summer evening, when the sun is not very hot, the afterglow of the setting sun, the city tower lights up, the scenery is beautiful! 🌄💡 The best viewing position is of course the South City Gate, where you can overlook the Shanhuasi Temple, and the closest walking distance to the Yan Tower; the West City Gate is also good, you can overlook the Huayan Temple and look at the Bell Tower from a distance. 🕍🔔 So, dear friends, if you are interested in history, or want to experience the feeling of standing on the ancient city wall, the Datong City Wall is definitely your best choice! Come and feel this weight of history with me! ⏳🎒

Datong is a great weekend getaway destination for people from Beijing, Tianjin, and the surrounding areas. This time, taking advantage of the workday plus the off-season double buff, the experience concludes: Datong is worth a special trip! 🎈 Yungang Grottoes: Recommendation Rating⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ The murals and Buddha statues of the four major grottoes are unparalleled, and a thousand-year dialogue makes the trip worthwhile. Special reminders: 1. The grottoes open at 9 am, don't go too early or you'll freeze! It's still quite cold in the morning now. 2. Tickets are 100, half-price for students at 50, make sure to bring your student ID. 3. The museum is not open. 4. Yungang Grottoes mini-program, search will redirect to Lijiang guide, which automatically explains based on your geographical location. 5. Generally, photography inside the caves is not allowed. 🎈 Huayan Temple: Recommendation Rating⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Tickets are 35. A thousand-year-old temple, the moment you step into the Mahavira Hall, you will definitely feel that the trip was worth it. You can climb to the top of the Huayan Pagoda! The underground palace contains relics, and the history of the Tripitaka is the oldest! 🎈 Shanhua Temple: Recommendation Rating⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ An ancient architectural complex with a hundred years of history, the Tang Dynasty style will refresh your senses, as if the heyday of the Tang Dynasty was just yesterday. 🎈 Ancient City Wall⭐️⭐️⭐️ Following the principle of 'since we're here, let's do it', if you have enough energy, go up and take a look. The sightseeing car is not necessary. 🎈 Nine Dragon Screen⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Old stuff, very big! Free! 🎈 Fahua Temple⭐️⭐️⭐️ Free! The front is beautiful, the inside is new, come out in 5 minutes. 🚞 Itinerary: Day1, Yungang Grottoes — Huayan Temple — Lunch (Zini 369) — Shanhua Temple — Ancient City Wall — Nine Dragon Screen — Fahua Temple — China Sculpture Museum — Dinner at Longjuxiang Day2, Follow a one-day group tour, Hanging Temple — Hengshan — Yingxian Wooden Pagoda — Datong City Area — Dinner at Xijindao 🌳 Some suggestions: 1. Datong is really worth a detailed visit, if you have enough time you can go to a few more attractions. 2. The overall cost of living in Datong is low, and the local customs are simple. The phenomenon of overcharging tourists should not be too serious. In particular, jaywalking is a serious issue in Datong, so pay attention to traffic safety. 3. Besides the Yungang Grottoes, I highly recommend Huayan Temple, Shanhua Temple, and Yingxian Wooden Pagoda! They are truly ancient buildings that have stood for a thousand years, friends, what else can you say but 'impressive'? 4. The Yingxian Wooden Pagoda I visited with a group included a guide, and I think this is the attraction that most deserves a guided tour! If you go there on your own, be sure to hire one, because the guide will explain in great detail and make you feel passionate and slightly regretful. 5. For Hengshan, take the bus to the mid-mountain and then climb up. It takes one hour to climb up and 40 minutes to come down. To be honest, the scenery is just average. 6. Personally, I feel that the 100 ticket for the Hanging Temple is a bit expensive, and going up just means being pushed around by the crowd. 🌳 Shanxi may not have a high profile, but it is truly worth a visit. You will feel the charm of ancient Chinese architecture, and it will definitely leave you with lasting memories!

The mountain gate, also known as the Hall of Heavenly Kings, is the main entrance to Shanhua Temple and a remnant of Jin Dynasty architecture. It is five bays wide and two bays deep, with a single-eave pent roof and houses four Heavenly Kings inside. The Three Saints Hall houses the statues of the Huayan Three Saints, and thus the hall is named after them. Inside the hall, there are two golden steles, one of which, the 'Record of the Reconstruction of the Great Hall of the Dajin Xijing Dapu'en Temple,' was written by Zhu Bian, the Deputy Envoy of the Song Dynasty. It is the earliest existing stele about the history of Shanhua Temple. This golden stele is not only a precious cultural relic but also a rare calligraphic masterpiece. The text on the stele, which mentions 'the main hall and the eastern and western cluster halls, the Arhat Cave, the halls of Manjusri and Samantabhadra, as well as the front hall's main gate and the left and right slanting corridors, totaling more than eighty columns,' also reflects the scale of the temple complex as seen today. The Southern Song envoy Zhu Bian was sent to the Jin Dynasty and stayed in Datong, the Western Capital of Jin, for sixteen years. He spent most of his time living in the Dapu'en Temple, refusing to serve the Jin Dynasty, but he opened a school to teach the Jurchen nobility Han culture, demonstrating his staunch patriotic spirit.

Datong is seriously underrated, every scene here is stunning. Follow my footsteps on a journey that spans a thousand years. ✅Datong 2-day 1-night travel itinerary Day①: Yungang Grottoes to Huayan Temple Day②: Datong Ancient City 1️⃣First stop: Yungang Grottoes The first sight is breathtaking, and each cave compels one to stop and look slowly. For those who want to take photos, caves 16-20 are the most photogenic 2️⃣Second stop: Huayan Temple Huayan Temple has a profound Buddhist cultural heritage. Standing in front of the Mahavira Hall and the Tripitaka Pavilion, one feels a sense of grandeur. Best photo spots: Jingguangming Hall and the red wall outside 🎫Ticket: 50 yuan per person ⏰Hours: 9 am to 5 pm 3️⃣Third stop: Datong Ancient City One day is not enough to explore it all, Shanhua Temple, Datong Confucian Temple, Guandi Temple, Drum Tower, Great Mosque, Heart Jiu Long Wall, and Fahua Temple are all here, so it takes two days. In the evening, you can go to Yongtai Gate to watch the sunset, which is absolutely beautiful Accommodation suggestion: Stay inside Datong Ancient City for convenience in dining, lodging, and transportation. 🍝Food recommendations 1️⃣Longjuxiang: Shumai, fried dough sticks, yellow rice cake, recommended for breakfast 2️⃣Zini 369 Coarse Grain: Hunyuan cold noodles, Shanxi braised meat, oat noodles for main meals

1⃣️ Head to Renji Qizhong Knife-Cut Noodles 🍜 for a bowl of local breakfast knife-cut noodles. Although I, as an outsider, find the topping a bit salty, the noodles are quite chewy. Renji Qizhong Knife-Cut Noodles (Main Store) 2⃣️ The Avatamsaka Sutra says: 'The flower of compassion will bear the fruit of magnificence.' This is the origin of the name of Datong's ancient Huayan Temple. Visit Huayan Temple and take a photo 📷 with the nearly thousand-year-old murals inside the Mahavira Hall. Huayan Temple 3⃣️ Visit Shanhua Temple and gaze into the eyes of the Great Auspicious Merit Sky, feeling the ease and composure within its serene temperament; take a look at the four prominent Heavenly Kings statues at Shanhua Temple, the depiction of their eyes is quite on point. Shanhua Temple 4⃣️ Go to the Nine Dragon Wall scenic area to appreciate the treasure of ancient Chinese architectural art, a symbol of royal power. Datong's Nine Dragon Wall is known as 'the foremost among Nine Dragon Walls,' featuring centuries-old colored glaze and exquisite sculpting skills. Nine Dragon Wall 5⃣️ Stop by Zini 369 for a serving of yellow rice jelly cake with dried plum vegetable chicken wings. The sticky texture of the yellow rice jelly cake, paired with the sweet osmanthus sauce, is truly delightful!! Dried plum vegetable lovers should not miss the dried plum vegetable chicken wings, the unique aroma of the dried plum vegetable adds a novel combination to the chicken wings. Zini 369 Coarse Grain Season (Drum Tower Store) 6⃣️ Choose a day 🚗 to hire a car to Ying County and Hunyuan, standing in front of the Ying County Wooden Pagoda, the shock still lingers in my memory. As a nail-less mortise and tenon structure wooden pagoda, it has miraculously stood for nearly a thousand years despite being shot through by bullets and the ignorant act of window replacement; after viewing the wooden pagoda, walk to the Pure Land Temple to see the double dragon double-layer caisson. Ying County Wooden Pagoda Pure Land Temple 7⃣️ In Hunyuan, have a bowl of 'Little Wife's Cold Noodles' with stuffed pies and smoked eggs. Wife's Cold Noodles Little Wife's Cold Noodles (Hunyuan Store) 8⃣️ Visit Hunyuan to experience the visual shock of the murals at Yong'an Temple, especially the mural of the Ten Great Wrathful Kings in the Dharma Transmission Hall on the north wall, among which the image of the 'Great Mighty Virtue Immovable King' with blue face and red hair, and fierce expression, left the deepest impression on me. Yong'an Temple South Courtyard 9⃣️ Walk from Yong'an Temple to Yuanjue Temple to see the Shakyamuni Relic Brick Pagoda standing within the temple. Its pagoda spire is China's ancient famous wind-vane instrument - the wind-vane bird, a unique and unparalleled treasure. Remember to follow the sound of the pagoda bell and circle the pagoda three times with the time before leaving, and everything will go smoothly after completing the circles. Yuanjue Temple Brick Pagoda 1⃣️0⃣️ Visit the Datong Museum to see the prominent tomb-guarding creatures, the exaggerated expressions on their faces are somewhat adorable. Datong Museum 1⃣️1⃣️ Visit the Yungang Grottoes to see an important type of ancient Chinese architecture - the cave temple architecture, and take a look at Teacher Wang Nan's 'World Architecture Museum.' Yungang Grottoes 1⃣️2⃣️ Finally, end your trip in Datong with a bowl of Dongfang Shaved Noodles, which compared to Renji, has a lighter topping that better suits the general public's taste. Dongfang Shaved Noodles (Playground City Street Store)