Jinzhou Travel Recommendations for 2024 (Updated in Mar)
Fengguo Temple Travel Recommendations for 2024 (Updated in Mar)
I was not deceived into living in a supreme national treasure that is 1004 years old
I have finally arrived at the Fengguo Temple in Yixian County, Jinzhou
This royal temple, which was founded in the ninth year of the Liao Dynasty's Kaibao era (1020),
✅ The Mahavira Hall is the largest ancient hall remaining in China
✅ It houses the world's oldest and largest clay-colored statues
✅ Represents the highest level of Chinese architecture in the eleventh century
✅ One of China's first batch of key national cultural relics protection units
✅ Liang Sicheng called it a 'millennium national treasure, supreme national treasure'
It is also the beloved filming location for director Wong Kar-wai's 'The Grandmaster'
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In order to fully experience Fengguo Temple, I researched many sources before departure, and finally found a way to stay in the temple that even the locals don't know about
It's like staying in Aman, which has a direct access channel to the Summer Palace
The Xianxi Zen rooms allow me to have a secret passage directly to the Mahavira Hall without a ticket, and I can enter and exit an unlimited number of times
It's like I have a room with a Buddha view
In the morning, when I open my eyes, I can see the majestic Great Buddha Hall up close while lying in bed
As night falls, I can enjoy the night sky and stars of Fengguo Temple all by myself
Appreciating this ancient temple of a thousand years without being disturbed by tourists
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Immersed in it, the shock is indescribable
The changes of dynasties and the chaos of wars over the past one thousand and four years
have never altered the layout inside the Mahavira Hall by a bit
History and legend intertwine within it
Two days and one night are simply not enough to appreciate the details of Fengguo Temple
I will summarize more strategies for Fengguo Temple, Yixian, and Jinzhou and continue to post them
Liang Sicheng did not deceive me into living in a supreme national treasure that is 1004 years old
Jinzhou Yixian Fengguo Temple, a royal temple that was founded in the ninth year of the Liao Kai Tai era,
this Grand Hall is the largest in scale among the ancient relics in China,
and it also enshrines the world's oldest and largest clay-colored statues.
This temple represents the highest level of Chinese architecture in the eleventh century,
it is one of the first batch of national key cultural relics protection units in China.
This temple is also highly esteemed, Liang Sicheng called it 'a millennium national treasure, a supreme national treasure',
it is also the beloved shooting location for director Wong Kar-wai's film 'The Grandmaster'.
In order to fully experience the charm of Fengguo Temple, after much research, I finally found a way to stay in Fengguo Temple, a method not even the locals know about. I stayed in the Xianxi Zen rooms, which provide a secret passage that leads directly to the Grand Hall, and I could enter and exit an unlimited number of times, making me feel as if I owned a room with a Buddha view. In the morning, as I opened my eyes, I could see the majestic Grand Buddha Hall up close from my bed; as night fell, I could enjoy the night sky of Fengguo Temple all to myself, undisturbed by tourists, admiring this ancient temple that has stood for a thousand years.
Here, I deeply felt the awe of Fengguo Temple, with history and legend intertwined within, indescribable in words. A thousand and four years of dynastic changes and wars have not altered the layout inside the Grand Hall.
Three major Liao structures, magnificent colored Buddha|Jinzhou Yixian Fengguo Temple
【Distant hoof sound·Yixian Fengguo Temple】 The small Jinzhou Yixian hides national treasures! Fengguo Temple was built in the ninth year of Liao Kaitai (1020), it is a royal temple built by Liao Shengzong Yelv Longxu in memory of his mother Empress Xiao (yes, that Empress Xiao who was hated by the Central Plains dynasty). It is a truly millennium-old ancient temple. Fengguo Temple is one of the three existing Liao structures in China (the other two are Huayan Temple in Datong and Dule Temple in Tianjin). Inside the Great Hall of Fengguo Temple, there is the oldest existing clay-colored Seven World Buddha in China. The Great Hall is simple and majestic, showing royal style; the seven original Liao Dynasty giant Buddhas in the hall have gone through thousands of years of wind and rain, and they are still shining. In addition, the inverted seated Guanyin and Weituo statues from the Ming Dynasty, the archway and murals from the Qing Dynasty, are also highlights. Fengguo Temple is a royal building during the heyday of the Liao Dynasty, and it has been preserved through hardships, fortunately, feast your eyes!
Ticket🎫: Purchase online on Ctrip, with discounts
⏳Play time: Recommend 2-3 hours
Checking in at the Fengguo Temple
Looking back a thousand years, the temple has survived five calamities to this day; a moment of emotion, the changes of several generations seem like yesterday. The city is named after the temple, and the temple is blessed by the city. The city and the temple depend on each other, breathing the same air. The righteousness of all teachings ultimately returns to culture; the benefits of the local customs are more than just wisdom. Don't ask who the Buddha is, the Tathagata is formless; don't chase the original appearance of the temple, it is free and empty. Decline and prosperity, fortune and misfortune, are not what is sought out of the world; low and high, grand and small, life is grasped only when one enters the world.
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Guta Park Travel Recommendations for 2024 (Updated in Mar)
Free! The blossoming mountain peach trees set against the ancient pagoda, which soars high into the clouds
Among the many parks in Beijing, the Ancient Pagoda Park is definitely one of the less popular ones, but its scenery is no less stunning. Within the park, there is a fitness trail that runs through all the beautiful sights. With few people and beautiful scenery, it is a great place for leisure, fitness, flower viewing, and taking children out for a walk.
The Ancient Pagoda Park is located in the Wangsiying area in the southeastern part of Chaoyang District, Beijing. It consists of four major scenic areas: the West Gate area, the Central Lake area, the Mountain Flower Garden area, and the Ancient Pagoda area, covering an area of 55.7 hectares. The park is named after a Ming Dynasty Ten Directions Buddha Pagoda built in 1545 that stands within its grounds.
✅Here, you can see the Pingquan mountains lush with greenery, small bridges over flowing water, and combinations of pavilions and corridors, scenes that are no less beautiful than those in the south of the Yangtze River.
✅The Ten Directions Buddha Pagoda, also known as the Yanshou Temple Pagoda, is named for the relics of the Emperor's monks placed inside. It is one of the more intact Ming Dynasty dense-eave style brick pagodas in the Beijing area. The pagoda faces south from the north, is about 31 meters high, and is an octagonal nine-tiered dense-eave style brick pagoda. It was declared a 'city protected' site in 1990.
✅The park is planted with more than 200 varieties of trees, shrubs, and flowers, totaling about 220,000 plants. Recently, the park's mountain peach blossoms have reached their peak bloom, with clusters of pink flowers complementing the ancient pagoda and other ancient buildings. Magnolia and winter jasmine buds are about to bloom, attracting visitors to come and take pictures and create memories.
The spring breeze is refreshing, and all things are reviving. It's time to add some spring colors to your outing! If you have time, it's recommended to take a walk here!
There are Liao towers, temples, and petrified wood in the park
The Liao Tower was restored in 1996, and it looks a bit new.
Guangji Temple is not open during the Spring Festival.
There are quite a few petrified forests in the park that were formed 170 million years ago and moved from Yi County.
Ancient architecture enthusiasts are shocked, this is the ancient architecture group of Jinzhou Guangji Temple
Guangji Temple ancient architecture group is located in the west corner of Laocheng North Street, Guta District, Jinzhou City, Liaoning Province.
Da Guangji Temple, also known as Dafo Temple, was built in the Liao Dynasty according to the Ming Dynasty stele in the temple. It was destroyed by war at the end of the Yuan Dynasty and was rebuilt many times after the Yongle period of the Ming Dynasty.
The entire temple complex of Guangji Temple is compact, including Guangji Temple, Guangji Temple Pagoda, Jinzhou Tianhou Palace and Yijun Zhaizhong Shrine. It is the most complete tower and temple combined architecture in the western Liaoning region.
The buildings inside look quite old, the wood carvings of the brackets and doors are mottled, and most of the patterns and stories depicted are blurred and invisible. The most shocking thing is the auspicious animal on the bracket in the first picture. I don't know how to call it because of my shallow knowledge. It feels alive, agile, panting, and about to burst out in the next second.
Jinzhou Liao Tower is located in front of Da Guangji Temple and is a provincial cultural relic in Liaoning.
According to the Ming Jiajing stele (written by Xuan Da patrol envoy Wen Gui), Gao Lin, a Zhongjing Grand Master of the Jin Dynasty, once wrote a 'Tower Record' saying that the tower was built in the third year of Liao Daozong Qingning (1057) to collect the relics of the queen. The tower is a brick solid heart dense eaves style, now 57 meters high. The tower body has eight sides, each side is carved with a Buddha, three treasure covers and two flying sky. The flying sky is soaring above, the Buddha is sitting in the niche, and the attendants are standing next to the niche. The tower eaves have thirteen layers, each corner originally had nanmu beams, supporting the eaves corners, and hanging copper bells, most of which have fallen off, and only 11 are left in the northwest corner. The top of the tower was knocked down by the Ming army with a cannon during the Yongle period. The brick carvings of beams, columns, brackets and decorations on the tower have also mostly fallen off. The tower base was repaired with green bricks in 1933.
Jinzhou Golden Tulip Hotel Travel Recommendations for 2024 (Updated in Mar)
I stayed at the Yujinxiang Hotel on Central Street in Jinzhou with my family during the holiday
I am very satisfied with this hotel experience. The staff service was very friendly and enthusiastic, giving me a home away from home feeling. The room facilities are modern and comfortable, with soft and comfortable beds that allowed me to get a good rest. The hotel offers a wide selection of dining options, and the quality of breakfast is also very good. There is an underground parking lot which is convenient for parking. Overall, I am very satisfied with this stay and I will recommend this hotel to my friends and family.
Very nice and clean environment. Highly recommended for any person who goes in jinzhou just for few days#freehotelstay
Wanfotang Rock Cave Travel Recommendations for 2024 (Updated in Mar)
Lesser-known grottoes - Wanfo Hall Grottoes
The grottoes are relatively small and can be visited together with the Fengguo Temple in Yixian County. The overall damage is quite severe, with few remaining, but you can still see the smile of the Buddha~
I have collected some information for reference.
Wanfo Hall Grottoes, located on the north bank of the Daling River, 9 kilometers northwest of Yixian County, Liaoning Province, is the earliest and largest group of grottoes in Northeast China as of 2015. It is also the northernmost and easternmost group of grottoes in the Northern Dynasties of China. The Wanfo Hall Grottoes were built during the Northern Wei Dynasty. Due to years of natural weathering and lack of maintenance, most of the grottoes have been damaged and collapsed and no longer exist. It is hailed as a treasure trove of northern China's grotto sculpture art, and the Wanfo Hall Grottoes are also a scenic spot that integrates cultural and natural landscapes. It was designated as a national key cultural relics protection unit in 1988.
The lower layer of Wanfo Hall Grottoes has 6 grottoes, arranged from east to west. Entering the first grotto, the door is engraved with the four big characters of 'Buddha's Light Shines Everywhere'. The grotto is square, about five meters high, each side is about one meter, there is a square stone pillar in the center, connected to the top of the grotto, the square stone pillar is full of fine carvings, the Buddha statue on the dust arch, the worshiper statue and the Buddha statue inside the upper Buddha, the attendant and the arc-shaped flower canopy, the born child, the flying sky on the top of the grotto, the thousand Buddha-style seated Buddha on the wall inside the door, are all typical mid-Northern Wei sculptures, with vigorous knife skills. The eastern area has seven grottoes, built in the third year of Jingming of the Northern Wei Dynasty, which were private grottoes built by Han Zhen and others, the envoys of the Yuyue Khitan, for blessings. The western area has a total of 9 grottoes, divided into two layers, the upper layer has 3 small grottoes, the stone carvings inside the grotto have been weathered and no longer exist. The inscription of the fifth grotto is an important historical material, and it was written by General Pingdong Yuanjing in 499 AD when the cliff was built, and it was rated as 'the best of all the steles of the Yuan and Wei Dynasties' by Kang Youwei in the late Qing Dynasty.
There is a small round pagoda on the top of the grotto, built by the General of the Cavalry, Wang Kai, in the tenth year of Chenghua of the Ming Dynasty (1474 AD) to celebrate his mother's birthday. The first grotto in the western area is the largest, with three Buddhas carved on each of the east, west and north walls. The Buddha statues and the statues of the worshippers on the upper part of the square pillar in the center of the grotto. The four Buddha statues at the bottom were carved by later generations. The main statue of the sixth grotto is the cross-legged Maitreya. Yuanjing's statue inscription is carved on the south wall of the fifth grotto. There are 7 grottoes in the eastern area, and most of the statues have been weathered and no longer exist. The third grotto has a thousand-armed Guanyin and two attendant Bodhisattvas. Han Zhen's statue inscription is carved on the south wall of the fourth grotto.
The oldest and only large-scale stone carving group in the Northeast region
Art of stone caves is distributed all over China, north and south of the Yangtze River, inside and outside the Great Wall, the most representative stone caves in the Northeast region are in Yixian County's Wanfo Hall.
Wanfo Hall Stone Cave is located on the cliff on the north bank of the Dalin River, 9 kilometers northwest of Yixian County, Jinzhou City, Liaoning Province. It costs 50 yuan to take a taxi from the city, and it is recommended to ask the driver to wait at the door, as it is difficult to get a taxi on the way back.
🕘Tour time: 1-1.5 hours
Wanfo Hall Stone Cave was built during the Taihe period of the Northern Wei Dynasty (AD 499), and was excavated by Yuan Jing, the then General Pingdong and the governor of Yingzhou, to pray for the Emperor Xiaowen, and invited Tanyao to preside over the excavation (Tanyao was also the supervisor of the Yungang Grottoes).
Unfortunately, the preservation of the stone caves is not good, and the valuable stone caves are only 2-3.
The sixth cave, the cross-legged Maitreya, is a typical Northern Wei statue,
The first cave is not allowed to take pictures, the central square tower cave, there are Buddha statues and donor figures on the column body and around, there are the same mountain leaf banana flower shapes on the column head as in the Yungang Grottoes, but overall it looks much rougher.
The recently added statue of Guan Gong and the Buddha statues and murals stuffed in each cave are vulgar and out of place, and are a poor continuation.
The protection of cultural relics requires funds, technology, and most importantly, the support of concepts. Otherwise, the so-called protection behavior is more destructive than inaction.
📍Address: South side of Wanfo Hall Village, Yixian County, Jinzhou City, Liaoning Province
🎫Ticket: 40/person (Ctrip booking 35/person)
Bijia Mountain Travel Recommendations for 2024 (Updated in Mar)
Mount Michel in China
In August of the 23rd year, when I took the big loop line from Shanghai to the northeast, I visited the Pen Holder Mountain in Jinzhou - I call it the low-end version of Mount Michel. There is another place that can also compete for this title, which is the Falling Star Dune in Lushan.
At 7 o'clock in the morning, it was already low tide, and a wide stone road emerged from the water, walking towards the Pen Holder Mountain. The religious buildings on the mountain are all made of stone. After the Republic of China, I think this is related to local materials.
Next to it is the Jinzhou Port Wharf.
Take a motorboat back to the shore, and then drive to the Red Beach in Panjin. When passing the Daling River Bridge, I saw many fishermen on the bridge, a scene often seen in the United States.
On the way, I also saw the rice fields that produce Panjin rice, and the river crabs raised in the rice fields. Why haven't I heard of crabs being raised in rice fields elsewhere, only rice flower fish?
Later, I saw Panjin river crabs for sale in many places in the northeast, such as Manzhouli. I didn't buy it because I didn't bring cooking utensils in my car, not even an electric kettle - otherwise I might buy a few to taste, and have a drink.
Spring Festival without leaving the province | A paradise within 2 hours from Guangzhou
🤩For a Spring Festival outing without leaving the province, I recommend Qingyuan Bijia Mountain, a paradise within 2 hours from Guangzhou, with beautiful mountains and clear waters, and a strong Spring Festival atmosphere~
🏃🏻♀️Tour route:
🔸Enter and turn right➡️Bamboo forest➡️Qinglong Lake➡️Bijia Mountain waterfall (suspended wooden plank road, water curtain cave, glass waterfall viewing platform)➡️Dongtian Nine Curves Bridge➡️Mountain top➡️Canyon waterfall viewing platform➡️Canyon glass boat
🌟Recommended attractions
🌊208 meters waterfall
🔸The majestic waterfall cascades down, you can overlook the whole waterfall from the glass waterfall viewing platform, and also feel the coolness of the waterfall at a close distance under the canyon waterfall viewing platform, experiencing the visual and auditory shock brought by the waterfall from multiple angles
💦Qinglong Lake
🔸The clear green lake gives a calm and peaceful feeling. Riding a glass boat on the lake, leisurely and comfortable, immersed in the lake and mountain scenery and can't extricate yourself
⛰️Exploration-type mountain climbing
🔸The park develops various interesting adventure climbing experiences: single-plank bridge, tire road, floating bridge... For friends who like high-altitude challenges, you can also take the eagle flying cable, wandering and flying between the mountains~
🏨Stay at 【Bijia Mountain Residence】 in the evening, soaking in the hot spring + bonfire party is comfortable and lively, with a strong New Year atmosphere, and you can also taste fresh farm dishes at the Yuejing Restaurant
🔍Qingyuan Bijia Mountain
⏳Opening hours: 9:00~17:30
🎫Ticket: ¥68
🚗Transportation: It is recommended to drive
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