Travel Notes on Handan and Xingtai, Hebei (July 2019)
In July 2019, I took a self-driving trip to Handan and Xingtai for 2 days.
I visited the Wahuang Palace, Congtai Park, Xuebu Bridge, the Lu Xian Temple of the Yellow Millet Dream, Guangfu Ancient City, etc. in Handan, and also took a trip to the urban area of Xingtai.
1. Handan, She County, Wahuang Palace:
National 5A scenic spot. Ticket 60 yuan, battery car 20 yuan, cable car 40 yuan.
After entering, first take the battery car, then take the upward cable car. After reaching the top, play horizontally and then walk down the mountain.
Wahuang Palace, commonly known as "Grandmother Peak", is located on the mountainside of Tangjiao Mountain in the northwest of She County. It is the largest and earliest ancient building in China dedicated to the worship of the ancient goddess Nüwa. It was another summer palace built by Emperor Wenxuan of Northern Qi, Gao Yang, on his round trips between Yecheng and Jinyang. It is a national key cultural relic protection unit.
Wahuang Palace initially opened three stone chambers and carved several statues of gods. After successive repairs and expansions, it now has 135 rooms and covers an area of 760,000 square meters. It is divided into two groups of buildings: the lower and upper parts. At the foot of the mountain are Chaoyuan Palace, Tingcan Palace, Guangsheng Palace, and stelae pavilions. Going up along the winding 18 bends of stone steps, you will reach the highest Wahuang Palace.
Legend has it that Wahuang Palace is the place where "Nüwa smelted stones to repair the sky and molded earth to create humans."
According to legend, after Pangu created heaven and earth, there were the sun, moon, and stars in the sky, and mountains, rivers, plants, birds, and animals on the ground, but there were no humans. The goddess Nüwa molded yellow earth into humans in her own image. Because the earth was vast, molding earth to make humans was tiring and slow, so Nüwa dipped a vine into a mud pool, then raised the mud-covered vine and splashed it onto the ground. The mud droplets turned into humans when they hit the ground.
Just as Nüwa was happy with her invention, a catastrophe suddenly struck. The originally peaceful universe changed in an instant: the sky collapsed, the earth cracked, forests caught fire, and the earth was flooded. Nüwa was very sad to see the great suffering of the humans she had created, so she decided to step forward to save them. But how could she repair the broken sky? Nüwa thought and thought, and suddenly remembered that the Fenghuang Mountain area in She County was the best place to smelt stones to mend the sky. So she quickly came here and began to smelt five-colored stones to repair the sky. Sure enough, the holes in the sky were soon repaired.
But Nüwa was afraid that the sky would collapse again, so she cut off the four feet of a giant turtle, placed them upright at the four corners of the earth with Fenghuang Mountain as the center, and firmly supported the sky. From then on, "the sky was mended, the four poles were straightened, the floodwaters dried up, and Jizhou was peaceful." Later generations built Wahuang Palace at the place where Nüwa smelted stones to repair the sky in memory of her.
The biggest confusion when visiting Wahuang Palace is that legend says Nüwa molded earth to create humans, but here there are mostly stones, very little soil?
There is also a statue of Fuxi at the foot of the mountain. According to the inscription, Fuxi and Nüwa were first siblings and later became husband and wife. I was very surprised: Is that allowed?
Stayed at Shexian Longshan Hotel:
2. Handan City:
Handan, a 3,100-year-old central plain city that "hasn't changed its name or moved", is unique in China.
Han, mountain name. Dan, end.
Handan was the capital of the Zhao State during the Warring States period, lasting through eight generations of kings and enjoying 158 years of prosperity.
The wise King Wuling of Zhao pioneered reforms, worked hard to strengthen the state, and contended for hegemony in the central plains, making Zhao one of the seven great powers of the Warring States and the only state capable of competing with the powerful Qin.
Handan, a national historical and cultural city.
The vast territory and glorious history gave birth to ten major cultural systems: Zhao culture, Cishan culture, Nüwa culture, Cao Wei Jian'an culture, Northern Qi grotto culture, dream culture, Cizhou kiln culture, Guangfu Tai Chi culture, idiom and allusion culture, and border revolutionary culture, with more than 1,500 popular idioms and allusions, making it unique in the corridor of Chinese history and culture.
1. Congtai Park:
4A scenic spot, ticket 5 yuan per person.
Congtai were elevated platforms built by the Zhao king for reviewing troops and drinking. There were many along the city wall, hence the name Congtai.
The above picture shows "Purple Air from the West". I had only seen "Purple Air from the East" before?!
The former dynasty of Zhao was corrupt and fatuous. The loyal and famous Zhao family of more than 300 people were all executed, leaving only the "Orphan of Zhao" to survive, but he was still relentlessly pursued by the treacherous minister Tu'an Gu. The loyal ministers Cheng Ying, Gongsun Chujiu, and Han Jue went through dangers, sacrificing their own children and lives, and together performed a great feat of "entrusting the orphan to save Zhao", which led to the great achievements of the Zhao state. Generations of literati have written about the touching deeds of the three loyal ministers, promoting their loyalty to the king and patriotism. The earliest temple built for Zhao was the "Temple of Three Loyalties".
The greedy King of Qin coveted Zhao's national treasure, the He's Jade Disc. Lin Xiangru, of humble origin, stepped forward to negotiate with the powerful Qin, using his eloquent tongue to see through Qin's schemes and ensure the "Jade Returned Intact to Zhao". Later, at the "Meeting at Mianchi", he used bravery and wisdom to protect the national dignity and was appointed by the Zhao king as Senior Minister, ranking above Lian Po. General Lian Po was indignant and humiliated Xiangru. One day, they met in a narrow lane in their carriages. Xiangru, understanding the greater good, voluntarily backed up to give way. Lian Po, ashamed, went bareback with a thorned branch to kneel and beg for forgiveness. The two became "sworn friends", and the beautiful story of "General and Minister Reconcile" has been passed down through the ages.
Zhao She, the upright tax official of Zhao, was not afraid to suffer even in a lowly position, was not afraid to walk through fire and step on landmines, and paid taxes according to law. But his son Zhao Kuo, who talked big without war strategies, led 400,000 troops to their bloody massacre. The son, skilled only in "armchair strategy", did not damage Zhao She's reputation as a "law-abiding official".
General Li Mu, guarding the border, fought against the Xiongnu in the north and resisted the powerful Qin in the west. He was known as the "most cowardly" general in Zhao history but won brilliant victories without ever losing a battle.
"The world must have extraordinary people before extraordinary things happen, and extraordinary things before extraordinary achievements." The loyal ministers and good generals were later revered as the "Seven Worthies" for their great achievements, and the "Temple of Seven Worthies" was built for people to pay homage.
2. Congtai Square:
The sculpture of "Hufu Qishe" (Wearing barbarian clothes and learning archery from horseback), a landmark sculpture of Handan.
3. Museum:
Handan often calls itself the "Ancient Capital of Yan and Zhao".
Some Beijingers say: Why do you include our Yan state when you are the ancient capital of Zhao?!
4. Xuebu Bridge:
It is about "Handan Learning to Walk" (the idiom of imitating others and losing one's own style).
3. Handan, Lu Xian Temple of the Yellow Millet Dream:
3A scenic spot, ticket 30 yuan per person.
Yellow Millet Dream is a small village in Handan County, where the Yellow Millet Dream happened.
The incense in Lu Xian Temple is flourishing, and tourists are numerous.
All this is thanks to the young man Lu Sheng who had a dream here.
Yellow Millet Dream is ten kilometers north of Handan city.
The mountain gate of Lu Xian Temple faces west, and above the lintel is a plaque with four characters written by Mr. Qigong in a strong and powerful style: "Handan Ancient Observatory".
This is a thousand-year-old temple built in the early Northern Song Dynasty, the only cultural scenic spot in China themed on dreams.
Above: On the south wall screen, there are four characters: "Penglai Fairyland".
According to legend, "Penglai Fairy" was written by Lü Dongbin, and "Land" was added by Emperor Qianlong.
The legend goes that during the Ming Dynasty reconstruction of Lu Xian Temple, four green stone slabs were left on this screen wall. Many master calligraphers were invited to write inscriptions, but none were satisfactory.
One day, a beggar came, picked up a broom, dipped it in leftover soup from his begging bowl, and scribbled on the stone slabs. The crowd drove him away and quickly washed the slabs with clean water, revealing the three characters "Penglai Fairy". Then everyone realized that it was the immortal Lü Dongbin who had manifested and given the characters.
Later, Emperor Qianlong passed by here on his southern tour and added the character "Land".
Later observers carefully noticed that the three characters "Penglai Fairy" were vigorous and smooth, while the character "Land" appeared stiff and constrained. Thus, it was said that "imperial brush is inferior to immortal brush".
Above: Han Zhongli, the immortal master of Lü Dongbin.
Above: Lü Dongbin, the immortal master of Lu Sheng.
Below: The Dream Character Stele on the west side.
This stele was carved and donated 30 years ago by a Mr. Chen Shanli from Zunyi, Guizhou.
After visiting the Yellow Millet Dream, he deeply understood the essence of the dream and used the traditional character "夢" (dream) as the background pattern, narrating the whole story of the Yellow Millet Dream in stroke order. The wonder of this stele is that there are characters within characters, and a dream within a dream.
The content: The young scholar Lu Sheng, chatting with the old man Lü Xian, felt that he was already at the age of ambition but had no achievements or career, and sighed. He wanted to sleep. The old man gave him a porcelain pillow. At that time, the inn was just steaming yellow millet rice. Snoring, he looked, the hole on the pillow gradually enlarged, entering he saw a splendid world, feeling ashamed of his ragged clothes, but fortunately he was spotted by a wealthy family and married the kind and beautiful Miss Cui, so he no longer worried about food and clothing. Next year, he passed the imperial examination and became a scholar. He was appointed as the county magistrate of Weinan, repeatedly performed remarkable feats, and was promoted to Minister of Revenue, granted the title of Duke of Yan, enjoying all the glory of officialdom and the prominence of his descendants. Old, sick, the emperor sent the brave general Gao Lishi to take care of him. One day, relatives gathered at the bedside, thinking it was time for a final farewell. He gasped and woke up, seeing the old man beside him, the yellow millet rice at the inn was not yet cooked. Because of this dream, it is called the Yellow Millet Dream.
In addition, this Dream Stele symbolically reveals four stages of life.
The traditional character "夢" is divided from top to bottom into four parts: "艹, 罒, 冖, 夕", which correspond to the four stages of Lu Sheng's dream: The first part: Lu Sheng's youth, devoted to study, good at fantasy, longing for the future. The second part: Lu Sheng's thirties and forties, married a beautiful wife, passed the imperial examination, and realized his ambitions. The third part: Lu Sheng's fifties and sixties, both joy and sorrow, reaching the highest official position, enjoying life. The fourth part: Lu Sheng's seventies, enjoying family happiness, wife honored and children noble, approaching twilight. These four parts can also be compared to the "spring, summer, autumn, and winter" of life, i.e., the period of rooting and sprouting, the period of lush growth, the period of abundant fruit, and the period of severe cold.
Below: The stone gourd on the east side.
This was donated more than ten years ago by Hong Kong businessman Cai Huilong.
On the front of the gourd stele, the Taoist yin-yang and tai chi symbol is carved at the top, and the characters carved below remind one of Zheng Banqiao's "hard to be糊涂" (muddle-headed). What things in life should be muddled and what should be taken seriously, the measure can only be grasped by each person. Therefore, the two characters "涂" (muddle) on the gourd stele are each missing a dot. This warns people: In life, you must both work hard earnestly and relax your mind to cultivate your nature. If you can achieve both, life will be perfect. But this measure is not easy for mortals to grasp.
On the back of the gourd stele, a poem is carved at the bottom, composed of six different Chinese characters: 想, 天, 不, 通, 过, 难 (think, sky, not, through, pass, difficult).
These characters can be arranged in four different ways, each reflecting a different attitude towards life.
First way: Every day is hard to pass, every day passes. Thinking but not understanding, thinking and understanding.
Second way: Every day, every day hard to pass, pass. Think, think but not understand, understand.
Third way: Every day passes, every day is hard to pass. Think and understand, think but not understand.
Fourth way: Every day, every day passes, hard to pass. Think, think and understand, but not understand.
Overall, the first two ways express an optimistic and enterprising attitude, while the latter two ways express a pessimistic and dark attitude.
It's quite interesting. The combination and variation of just 14 characters let you appreciate the wonder of Chinese characters and also feel the depth of Chinese culture and the richness of life, making one ponder and reflect.
Inside the hall, there is a statue of Lu Sheng sleeping, carved from a large bluestone. He lies with his head to the west and feet to the east, side-lying, eyes closed, sleeping soundly.
A local folk rhyme says: Touch the sleeping man's head, no worries all life; touch the sleeping man's hand, whatever you want you have.
The three walls inside the hall are vividly painted with the entire process of Lu Sheng's dream, painted by some Handan painters based on the story of Shen Jiji's novel "The Story of the Pillow".
The story goes like this:
The disappointed young scholar Lu Sheng (riding posture leaning forward indicates disappointment; pride is chest-out) traveled by donkey through Handan. Feeling tired, he stopped at an inn to rest.
At the inn, he met an old man named Lü. They chatted cheerfully.
During the conversation, Lu Sheng expressed that although he had great ambitions, heaven was unfair, and he had failed the imperial examinations many times. He lamented for being born at the wrong time and felt disheartened as he approached middle age without any achievements or fame.
Seeing this, the old man wanted to enlighten Lu Sheng. He took out a blue-and-white hollow porcelain pillow (blue-and-white porcelain is a specialty of Handan's Cizhou kiln) from his bag and handed it to Lu Sheng, saying: "You are tired from your journey. Rest for a while."
Lu Sheng fell asleep with the porcelain pillow. At that time, the innkeeper had just put a pot of millet rice on the stove.
In a daze, Lu Sheng saw the small hole in the pillow gradually turn into a door, and he stepped into it, entering a splendid world.
Dream scene 1: Wedding night and passing the imperial examination.
Wedding night and passing the imperial examination are two great blessings in life. Lu Sheng's dream naturally included these.
He first met Miss Cui from a wealthy family in Qinghe. Lu Sheng, with his scholarly air, honest and simple, was immediately favored by the beautiful and virtuous Miss Cui. Then Lu Sheng's fate changed instantly, and he enjoyed a life of wealth and honor.
Free from worries about food and clothing, Lu Sheng studied even harder. The next year, he passed the imperial examination and became a scholar. He was summoned to the court by the emperor and appointed to draft imperial edicts. From then on, his official career was smooth, and he rose step by step.
Dream scene 2: Rapid advancement in officialdom.
First, he was sent to Tongzhou to control floods. He dredged rivers, opened new canals, making the local area prosperous, with good governance and harmony. The people saw hope in Lu Sheng and erected a stele to record his merits.
Then, he led the army on an expedition westward to repel foreign invaders. Lu Sheng led his troops into battle, victorious in every battle, invincible, repeatedly making military achievements until they recovered lost territories, leaving the border peaceful.
Dream scene 3: Ups and downs, several rises and falls.
While commanding troops at the front, there must be slander and framing behind the back. The emperor, not knowing the truth, imprisoned Lu Sheng, and all his subordinates were executed. Later, considering his contributions in controlling floods and recovering lost territories, the emperor showed leniency and exiled him to the border. On the way, he was nearly killed by an official but was saved by an old subordinate. Lu Sheng sighed: Without fame, he longed for fame; with fame, he realized the danger and hardship of officialdom.
After a turn of events, the emperor found out the truth and recalled him to the capital. Eventually, he was promoted to the position of Zhongshuling, granted the title of Duke of Yan, and achieved success and fame. He enjoyed state salary, had many descendants, and lived a life of wealth and glory.
Dream scene 4: A dream of yellow millet, seeing through the world.
When Lu Sheng was over eighty, he fell ill and was not cured for a long time. It seemed he was about to die.
Startled, he woke up from the dream. Looking around, everything was as before; the innkeeper's millet rice was still not cooked. Lu Sheng was confused: Was all this just a dream?
The old man Lü smiled and enlightened: "Isn't a whole life like this?"
Lu Sheng listened, pondered for a long time, and felt an epiphany. He finally saw through fame and wealth, followed Lü to practice Taoism, and left.
The couplet on the two sides of Lu Sheng's hall: "By the second or third watch of the night, all fame and achievement become illusions. Thinking of a hundred years later, no matter young or old, all are ancients."
This is a very interesting or thought-provoking couplet. Most people would understand it as not to be burdened by fame and achievement; after a hundred years, everyone, regardless of status, will return to silence.
Some say this couplet reveals the affairs of a thousand years in one phrase, and two lines awaken the dreamer.
Or it can be seen as: One phrase reveals Lu Sheng's dream, two lines confuse the real-world person. Life is like a dream; the difference is the choice after waking up. After dreaming, Lu Sheng saw through the world and disappeared, staying away from the troubles of the world to seek a pure mind and few desires. Perhaps if it were Li Sheng, after waking up, he would feel inspired and act in practice, then pursue his ideals for a brilliant life.
This eternal dream is thus frozen in this small village, both real and illusory. The illusion on the pillow disappears instantly, but the aftertaste of the dream lingers.
Most people think the Yellow Millet Dream represents a negative attitude. In idiom explanations, it is also used as a derogatory term to describe an illusory dream.
But some interpret it as a longing for beautiful things, containing rich life philosophy.
Life without dreams is boring, but life with many dreams inevitably brings disappointment.
For the ordinary people who come here, perhaps some will cool their ever-growing greedy thoughts, perhaps some will arouse their ambition to fight for life. Most people might just treat it as a visit.
Whether good or bad, it's up to you to comprehend with different moods.
4. Handan, Guangfu Ancient City:
Located 20 kilometers from downtown Handan, Guangfu Ancient City has a history of more than 2,600 years. It was recorded as early as the Spring and Autumn period. During the Warring States period, it was the fief of Mao Sui of Zhao State. At the end of the Sui Dynasty, Dou Jiande established the Xia Kingdom here. During the Ming and Qing Dynasties, it became Guangfu Prefecture of Zhili Province.
Yongnian Guangfu Old City has over 46,000 mu of low-lying wetlands. The Yongnian ancient city of "nine li and thirteen steps" sits in the center of the wetlands.
With a square city surrounded by water and ten thousand acres of reed ponds, it is a rare Jiangnan-style small town in northern China.
The well-preserved Hongji Bridge to the east of the city is the sister bridge of Zhaozhou Bridge.
The moat of Guangfu Town is wide, and the terrain is low, surrounded by water, making it easy to defend and difficult to attack, a strategic military location for all dynasties.
The ancient city wall, built during the Yuan, Ming, and Qing dynasties, is well-preserved. It is called "the forgotten mysterious ancient city of the East" online.
According to legend, Yongnian was Mao Sui's fief. Mao Sui's tomb is located inside the embankment five li southwest of the city. Those who want to "volunteer" (Mao Sui recommending himself) or "stand out" can come to see it.
Guangfu Ancient City was originally an earth city with an area of six li and thirteen steps. In the Yuan Dynasty, it was expanded to nine li and thirteen steps, with four gates and four gate towers.
The scenery of the ancient city is similar to Pingyao Ancient City.
Guangfu is also the hometown of Tai Chi in China, the birthplace of Yang-style Tai Chi and Wu-style Tai Chi. There is the former residence of Yang Luchan, the founder of Yang-style Tai Chi.
To be honest, newly built ancient cities nowadays are basically similar. Having seen many, I've lost interest. But since Guangfu Ancient City is 5A, I was afraid of regret if I didn't go. After hesitating, I went. But even then, I just drove around the city and counted it as having been there.
5. Xingtai City:
Pictures 1234 are, picture 5 is Qingfeng Tower, pictures 6789 are Kaiyuan Temple.
Xingtai has a history of more than 3,500 years of city building and more than 600 years as a capital. Human habitation and reproduction can be traced back 50,000 to 100,000 years. It is the first city in northern China in history, one of the ten oldest cities in China, and one of the earliest ancient capitals in China. Historically, it established a kingdom four times and set as capital five times, known as the "ancient capital of five dynasties and strong prefecture of ten dynasties." Its administrative establishment has never been interrupted for more than 3,000 years, and its city site has never been moved, earning the title "First City of Yan-Zhao." Xingtai Ancient City is known as the "First City South of Beijing."
Xingtai's long history gave rise to sages such as Guo Shoujing, Li Mu, Wei Zheng, Song Jing, and Liu Bingzhong, and emperors such as Guo Wei, Chai Rong, Meng Zhixiang, and Meng Chang. The First Emperor of Qin, during his eastern tour, died at Xingtai's Shaqui. Xingtai is also the ancestral home of the Tang imperial family (Tang Zuling). Events such as Yao and Shun's abdication, wearing barbarian clothes and learning archery from horseback, the Battle of Julu, and the Yellow Turban Rebellion occurred here, influencing the course of Chinese history. Nearly a hundred idioms and allusions, such as "burning boats and kettles," "who will win," "flesh and blood of the people," and "assault from front and rear," originate from Xingtai.
1. Historical and Cultural Park:
2. Qingfeng Tower:
3. Kaiyuan Temple:
This is my 37th travel note.
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