2018 National Day Shanxi Self-Drive Tour

Departed at 6:10 AM on October 1st. There was some traffic on the Jiangsu section. Arrived at Handan Jindu Hotel at 10 PM, covering 1010 km in 16 hours, with no rest at noon.

The hotel was nice, with a National Day special rate of 315 yuan per room. Breakfast was 58 yuan per person, really good. At 8:30 AM, we arrived at the entrance of Congtai Park, not far from the hotel.

Congtai is the symbol of Handan City, a 4A-level tourist area. Legend says it was first built during the time of King Wuling of Zhao in the Warring States period, used by the King of Zhao to review troops and enjoy singing and dancing. It was anciently called 'Wuling Congtai'. The existing ancient platform was built during the Tongzhi period of the Qing Dynasty and is no longer the original. From the hotel's city introduction, we learned that in 2002, the State Post Bureau and Slovakia jointly issued a set of two special stamps 'Pavilions and Castles', one of which is China's 'Handan Congtai'. The park is free, but entering Congtai costs 5 yuan, parking is 4 yuan, and payment must be via WeChat.

Left Congtai at 9 AM, drove 100 km in 2 hours to the Wahuang Palace in Shexian, Handan. Wahuang Palace was first built during the Northern Qi period of the Northern and Southern Dynasties, suspended on the mountainside of Tangwang Mountain on the eastern foothills of the Taihang Mountains. After successive renovations and expansions, it is now the earliest and largest ancient architectural complex dedicated to the goddess Nüwa in China. Today's Wahuang Palace is mainly Ming and Qing architecture, but there are also cliff inscriptions from the Northern Qi period. The scenic area is very large, with a 2 km walk from the entrance to the foot of the mountain—perhaps just to charge for the electric cart? At the foot are the mountain gate archway, Chaoyuan Palace, and Bùtiān Square. Without touring the lower buildings, we took photos with the statue of Nüwa at Bùtiān Square, then directly walked up the mountain to see the buildings on the mountainside.

On the mountainside is the suspended main hall of Wahuang Palace. All three floors enshrine the goddess Nüwa. In the adjacent halls are remnants of Northern Qi grottos and stone-carved scriptures. The view from the mountainside is very open, but there isn't much to see. Behind the main hall of Wahuang Palace, nine iron chains are attached; I don't know if they are functional.

Originally, we planned to also visit Guangfu Ancient City in Handan, a newly promoted 5A attraction. Not far from the ancient city is Hongji Bridge, similar to Zhaozhou Bridge, rebuilt during the Wanli period of the Ming Dynasty. But in Handan, the weather didn't feel cold, so we decided to go to Mount Wutai instead, changing our itinerary.

Finished visiting at 1:30 PM. The navigation didn't take us back to the expressway; instead, it first led us on provincial roads, many of which were rural roads. We didn't stop for lunch. After 35 km, we got onto the Tianli Expressway. This expressway had just been built, and several service areas offered little service.

Mountains to the north, and more mountains to the north. We passed through 24 tunnels, the longest being 8800 meters. After 5 hours and 330 km, we arrived at Mount Wutai. At 7:30 PM, we checked into Yunfeng Hotel, named by Xu Xiangqian, in Taihuai Town. The luxurious standard room cost 680 yuan per night (480 yuan after National Day). The advantage of not booking on Ctrip was that we got two extra free breakfasts for the same price. At the hotel restaurant, we ordered two Shanxi dishes.

The Yunfeng Hotel surprisingly had no elevator. Breakfast was good. It was a bit cold in the morning, so I wore a cashmere sweater.

During the holiday, too many self-driving tourists; the public buses within the scenic area had stopped. We walked 3 km to the central temple area. We visited along the route of Shuxiang Temple, Wuye Temple, and Tayuan Temple. A monk at the entrance of Shuxiang Temple.

Tayuan Temple was originally the pagoda courtyard of Xiantong Temple. After the Ming Dynasty restoration of the Sakyamuni Stupa—the Great White Pagoda—it became a separate temple. Against the backdrop of the red walls and glazed tile roofs of Mount Wutai's temples, the Great White Pagoda looks particularly magnificent. According to research, the Great White Pagoda was first built in the sixth year of the Dade era of the Yuan Dynasty (1302) and was designed and constructed by Nepalese craftsmen. It is said that the Great White Pagoda encloses a 'Cishou Pagoda', whose exact construction date is uncertain, and inside is a relic of Sakyamuni Buddha. The pagoda is 75.3 meters tall, with a circumference of 83.3 meters. Below are prayer wheels. Many Tibetan people sat around the pagoda, holding prayer wheels and chanting scriptures.

Leaving Tayuan Temple, we encountered a car driver soliciting passengers. For 10 yuan per person, he took us from the back mountain to the top of Pusading. Although there are only 108 steps to reach Pusading, we took the car to save energy.

From the back gate of Pusading, we could see the North Terrace.

Pusading is located on Lingjiu Peak, resplendent and colorful, with imperial characteristics. It is the largest lamasery on Mount Wutai. It is said to be the sacred place of Manjushri Bodhisattva, i.e., Manjushri's residence, hence also known as Zhenrong Yuan or Great Manjushri Temple. It was founded during the reign of Emperor Xiaowen of the Northern Wei (471–499) and was rebuilt many times over the dynasties. After the Yongle era of the Ming Dynasty, Mongolian and Tibetan lamas settled on Mount Wutai, making it the foremost Yellow Temple (Gelug sect) on the mountain. Emperors Kangxi and Qianlong of the Qing Dynasty visited Mount Wutai several times and stayed at Pusading. The entire temple covers 45 mu (about 3 hectares), with halls built along the mountain slope, all covered with three-color glazed tiles. Inside the temple is a stele with Kangxi's imperial calligraphy, with a square base and dragon head, standing in the front courtyard; Qianlong's imperial stele is in the stele pavilion of the Eastern Chan Courtyard.

The steps of Pusading are a good place to take downward photos of the central temple cluster.

Coming down from Pusading, to the south is Xiantong Temple. It is said that Xiantong Temple is the second temple in Chinese history, built only after the White Horse Temple in Luoyang. In the year of Emperor Ming of Han, the Indian monks Kasyapa Matanga and Dharmaratna were invited to build the White Horse Temple in the capital Luoyang, and then they came to Mount Wutai to build Xiantong Temple, marking the beginning of the history of Mount Wutai as a Buddhist kingdom. Xiantong Temple is the largest (covering 120 mu or 8 hectares) and oldest temple cluster on Mount Wutai, commonly called the 'Ancestral Temple'. It was also the imperial temple of successive dynasties. Most of the existing buildings are from the Ming and Qing dynasties. Along the central axis, seven halls include the Guanyin Hall, Manjushri Hall, Great Buddha Hall, Infinite Hall, Thousand-Bowl Hall, Bronze Hall, and Sutra Repository Hall, each unique. There are three highlights: the all-wood Great Buddha Hall, the all-bronze Bronze Hall, and the pure-brick Infinite Hall.

Xiantong Temple is entered through the Bell Tower, built in the Ming Dynasty. Normally, the first hall of a temple is the Heavenly King Hall, with the Bell and Drum Towers behind it. But because Xiantong Temple is separated from the front Tayuan Temple, it lacks a Heavenly King Hall.

It is said that Emperor Kangxi, seeing Pusading from this angle, considered it a feng shui treasure site and ordered the filling of two wells in the temple.

The Great Buddha Hall (Mahavira Hall) was rebuilt in the 25th year of the Guangxu era of the Qing Dynasty (1899), a fully wooden structure. On the horizontal beam in front of the hall hangs a wooden plaque with Kangxi's imperial inscription 'Zhenru Quanying' (True Thusness, Responsive Adaptation). On the platform, three main Buddhas sit side by side; along the walls are the Eighteen Arhats, all sculptures from the Ming and Qing periods. On major Buddhist observance days, monks and nuns from all temples, draped in kasayas, gather here for ceremonies, led by the Mount Wutai Buddhist Association.

Most ancient Chinese buildings are wooden structures. This rare and distinctive brick-and-stone hall has no beams or stone pillars, hence called 'Beamless Hall'. Built in the Ming Dynasty, it is also known as 'Qichu Bahui Hall' and 'Infinite Hall' (taking the meaning of infinite Buddhist dharma). Painted white, it symbolizes the infinite brightness of the Pure Land. The Infinite Hall was built in the 34th year of the Wanli era of the Ming Dynasty (1606). The inner walls are cast with ten thousand Buddha statues, so it is also called the 'Ten Thousand Buddha Hall'. The column capitals, brackets, beams, roof, and ridge ornaments are all intact. The lattice patterns on the partitions and the flower-and-bird figures on the panels are exquisitely crafted.

The Bronze Hall of Xiantong Temple, about 8 meters high, was built in the 37th year of the Wanli era of the Ming Dynasty (1609), a bronze imitation of a wooden building. On the upper four sides, there are six lattice panels each; on the lower four sides, eight lattice panels each. The inner walls of the lattice panels are cast with Buddha statues, layer upon layer, claiming ten thousand statues. In the center sits a large bronze Buddha. The outer walls are cast with various patterns, flowers, and animals, vivid and full of life. Originally, there were five bronze pagodas cast at the same time in front of the hall; three were taken by the Japanese during the war, only the east and west ones remain.

Leaving Xiantong Temple, we entered the back courtyard of Luohou Temple to see 'Kaihua Jian Fo' (a mechanical flower that opens to reveal a Buddha).

At nearly 2 PM, we went to a small restaurant on the periphery of the central temple area and had the 'Five Terrace Small Four Bowls'.

The last scenic spot was Dailuo Peak. I let my father rest by the river, while my brother and I climbed the 'Great Wisdom Path' of 1080 steps. Dailuo Peak is located on the mountainside ridge east of the central temple cluster. The five terraces of Mount Wutai each have a statue of Manjushri Bodhisattva. Pilgrims who visit all five terraces and worship the five Manjushri statues are said to complete the 'Great Pilgrimage'. Dailuo Peak has replicas of all five Manjushri statues gathered together, so coming here to worship them is called the 'Small Pilgrimage'. We rested on the steps for a few minutes midway and reached the top after 45 minutes. Looking west, we could clearly see the North Terrace and West Terrace.

In the evening, we had a small hot pot at Yunfeng Hotel, not expensive. Eating canned yellow peaches and grapes was refreshing.

After checking out in the morning, at 8 AM we drove to Nanshan Temple on the mountainside opposite the hotel. We entered through the back door. First, we visited Wansheng Youguo Temple. On the second floor, there were clay sculptures; a monk forbade photography. After leaving Youguo Temple, we went to Jile Temple. The largest spirit wall on Mount Wutai is at Nanshan Temple. Behind the spirit wall, after 108 steps, we saw a very imposing archway carved entirely from white stone. We were viewing the archway from above, so we couldn't see the spirit wall. Nanshan Temple is a relatively quiet place with fewer tourists. It is large, consisting of three temples. We only spent half an hour, took a photo of me with my Q5 and Nanshan Temple, then left Mount Wutai.

The distance from Mount Wutai to Jinci Temple was 230 km, taking nearly 4 hours. We arrived at Jinci at noon. The road to the scenic area was congested, so we parked in a fishing parking lot, walked through rural roads, and had lunch near Jinci Park. Because there was an elevated road under construction nearby, there was a lot of dust.

Although Jinci is not very large, Jinci Park is quite big. We walked one kilometer to reach the entrance of Jinci. Jinci is located in Jinci Town, Jinyuan District, Taiyuan. Originally called the Temple of the King of Jin, it was built to commemorate Tang Shuyu, the founding marquis of the State of Jin, and his mother Yi Jiang. It is the earliest existing imperial garden in China. In March 1961, Jinci was listed as one of the first batch of national key cultural heritage sites. In 2011, it was designated as one of the first batch of national 4A tourist attractions. I wonder why it hasn't been upgraded to 5A yet.

Entering the main gate of Jinci, along the central axis are Shui Jing Tai (Water Mirror Platform), Jin Ren Tai (Golden Man Platform), Dui Yue Fang (Archway of Dui Yue), Xian Dian (Offering Hall), Yu Zhao Fei Liang (Cross Bridge over Fish Pond), and Sheng Mu Dian (Hall of the Holy Mother), covering architectural styles from the Northern Song, Yuan, Ming, Qing, and Republic of China periods. The distinct yet harmonious styles make it an open-air museum of ancient architecture.

On Jin Ren Tai, there are four iron figures. The one in the southwest corner is the finest, cast in the 4th year of the Shaosheng era of the Northern Song Dynasty (1097), well-preserved. This iron figure raises his right arm high, left arm across his chest, gripping a weapon (originally present), very vivid. The chest, back, and legs have inscriptions recording the casting date and purpose.

The iron figure in the southeast corner was cast in the 4th year of the Yuanyou era (1089), eight years earlier than the Shaosheng one. This figure's left arm is damaged, and he wears armor. The craftsmanship is fine; he is the only one among the four wearing armor and the earliest cast.

Dui Yue Fang was built in the 4th year of the Wanli era of the Ming Dynasty (1576). The roof is covered with glazed tiles. A pair of iron lions crouch on either side of the archway, giving it a majestic air. Dui Yue Fang is famous for the calligraphy of the two characters 'Dui Yue' on the plaque, said to be written by the donor, a successful candidate named Gao. 'Dui Yue' comes from the Book of Songs: 'Bing wen zhi de, dui yue zai tian' (Uphold the virtuous deeds of the ancestors, and repay heaven). 'Dui' means to repay, 'Yue' means to proclaim, implying repaying and proclaiming the noble virtues of the ancestors.

Xian Dian (Offering Hall) was first built in the Jin Dynasty, the earliest known offering hall with a clear date. It was rebuilt in the Wanli period of the Ming Dynasty and restored to its original form in 1955. Liang Sicheng praised it: 'The beams are simple and light, neither weak nor overdone, hence able to last long without decay; the overall appearance is quite clever and bold.' It is one of the three national treasure buildings of Jinci.

Yu Zhao Fei Liang (Cross Bridge over Fish Pond) was built in the Song Dynasty, in the shape of a cross like a giant bird spreading its wings. Located between Sheng Mu Dian and Xian Dian, it is elegant and unique in style.

Sheng Mu Dian (Hall of the Holy Mother) was first built in the Tiansheng era of the Northern Song Dynasty (1023–1032), originally called 'Nülang Ci' (Temple of the Maiden). The Holy Mother is said to be Yi Jiang, the mother of Tang Shuyu. The hall contains 41 exquisite painted clay figurines of maids from the Song Dynasty, plus two later additions from the Ming Dynasty. Yi Jiang sits in the center, dignified and graceful. Except for the small statues flanking the Holy Mother, which were added later, all others are original Song sculptures. The attendants have distinct duties and unique expressions.

The carved wooden coiled dragons are the earliest surviving coiled dragon pillars in China, carved in the 2nd year of the Yuanyou era of the Song Dynasty (1087). Eight dragons each coil around a large pillar, with glaring eyes and sharp claws, surrounded by wind and clouds, full of vitality. Though nearly a thousand years old, their scales, beards, and manes remain vivid.

Nanlao Spring, commonly called 'Nanhai Eye', emerges from a fault layer and flows year-round. During the Northern Qi period, someone named it 'Nanlao Quan' (Ever-Young Spring) based on a line from the Book of Songs: 'Yong xi nan lao' (Ever grant eternal youth). A pavilion stands over the spring.

The Zhou Dynasty Cypress and Tang Dynasty Scholar Tree are representatives of Jinci's ancient trees. The Zhou cypress, planted in the Zhou Dynasty, is lush and green, located north of Sheng Mu Dian. Originally there were two, called 'Qinian Gu Bai' (Ancient Cypress of Equal Age), but only this one remains. The Tang scholar tree, planted in the Tang Dynasty, stands in front of Shui Jing Tai and is the most luxuriant among Jinci's ancient trees.

At 5 PM, we arrived in Taiyuan. We drove along Fuxi Street, Wuyi Square, and Yingze Street, then checked into the Binhe Hotel. In the evening, I met with an old classmate at the Old Taiyuan restaurant.

Early the next morning, we passed by the Shanxi Museum. Many people were already lining up. Later, I somewhat regretted not going in. Qiao Family Courtyard is very close to Taiyuan, about 60 km away. On the way, along a stretch of road, there were several gas stations right next to each other. I didn't do any research on Qiao Family Courtyard; I just looked around and took photos as I went.

The layout of each courtyard in Qiao Family Courtyard is roughly the same. After two hours, we left and drove 60 km to Pingyao Ancient City. We entered the ancient city through the Upper West Gate at 1:30 PM.

The commercial atmosphere was too strong. We had no intention of staying to see the night view. We left at 5 PM, stopped at a supermarket to buy some Pingyao beef, had dinner, and then drove to Jincheng.

Before 8 PM, we drove to the entrance of the scenic area.

The last photo was taken on a small hill next to the Prime Minister's Residence (Huangcheng Xiangfu).

At 10:30 PM, we set off for home. We had a buffet at the Jiaozuo service area, 35 yuan per person, quite good. We arrived home at 1:40 AM. In six days through Shanxi, we visited the Wahuang Palace and Wuling Congtai in Handan, Hebei, and two World Heritage sites in Shanxi: Mount Wutai and Pingyao Ancient City, as well as the Prime Minister's Residence and Jinci.

Gas: 2338 yuan (278 liters / 3210 km), Accommodation: 2373 yuan, Meals: 720 yuan, Tickets (including electric carts and parking): 1618 yuan. Total: 7000 yuan.

Travelogue table of contents: 1. Day 1 – Oct 1: Nantong to Handan; 2. Day 2 – Oct 2: Wuling Congtai, Wahuang Palace; 3. Day 3 – Oct 3: Mount Wutai; 4. Day 4 – Oct 4: Jinci, Taiyuan; 5. Day 5 – Oct 5: Qiao Family Courtyard, Pingyao Ancient City; 6. Day 6 – Oct 6: Prime Minister's Residence, Jincheng.

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