1, the free edges (2002-9-8)

The decision to go Shanxi collecting folk songs is quite accidental.

Prior to this, tedious working conditions have long plagued me, so I did not dare to dream of their own free space to do more to expect.
When more than three years of confusion and anxiety about their savings into an irrepressible desire, I finally realized that, buried deep in the heart, and yes I am most unwilling to sink dream.
With limited freedom to chase a dream without limits, that is my heart request.
But at the moment I was in a free edge. Resignation, for me, was like the longest endured a war. End of the war, I am relieved. But this is not my ultimate goal, I have to adjust the state, to seek a better existence and development of space.

It is in this relatively free state, the one to follow the student the opportunity of Shanxi collecting folk songs attracted me.
Half a month's travel schedule, it sounds really tempting! I have more than once envisaged to have sufficient time to achieve at least once a year, travel packages, that is one of my dreams: to experience life and sentiment of life ... ...
However, generous vacation for me, the idea has always been just a luxury but has been! I have the freedom to heap the most intense crowd in the annual tourist season had.
So let me in a stable, before the luxury of flying for once! I do advocate their own.

And a group of sophomore students in sketching trips together, feeling there are some special, the face of a passionate Zhang occasionally innocent face, could not help but let me find some simple life of a student's memory.
This trip a total of 21 people, including 11 girls, seven boys, leader of the female teachers copies of my fellow classmate added, as well as Wang, who teaches the young men and, finally, I was neither a teacher nor a student a free man.
With a little luck of the psychological, I am prepared to heap mixed in with the students posing as students, along with sketches, and then experience the life of a passionate age! Ha ha!
So hit the road, with a special state of mind.

Went in a hurry, I have no time to inspect the Shanxi, tourist information and any related articles, art and culture for the Shanxi almost a blur, we can say this is the most were not prepared for an excursion!
On the train finally have time to read books about traveling in Shanxi Province, and did not realize that actually there are so many Shanxi treasures: its temples, caves, ancient city, the complex, sculptures and murals ... ...
Apart from surprise, I felt an enormous magnetic field caused by the endless appeal.
But all this is just skimming over the surface, the most profound knowledge, still have to wait until after the trip to explore and tap slowly Bar!
Our broad line of this trip is: Taiyuan - Datong - Hengshan - Qixian - Pingyao Ancient City.

2, Taiyuan Glimpse (2002-9-10)

Taiyuan is our first destination, is also a transit point for us.

This city than I imagined to be prosperous, and my impression is that in Shanxi has long been a relatively poor province, and now it seems pretty good developed, but the poor urban environment, perhaps for geographical reasons caused by the bar ! Shanxi's coal is rich in resources, but the lack of water, so over the whole city is filled with flying dust. Can be seen from time to time on the road coal trucks, coal Xiao by the wind, the whole a "brilliant (Gray)" City!
Fortunately I was wearing a hat, but can easily be used to cover gray!
(Sorry, there is no intention to discredit Shanxi)

1, days Longshan Grottoes

Taiyuan, the most famous attractions have to be Jinci, and relatively far away from the city. We played a severe drought, but also can not find the line coach, finally finally pack into a Pakistani. Along the way the driver constantly presented to us Taiyuan, attractions, special mention of the days not far from the Jinci Longshan Grottoes scenic areas, still retains Eastern Wei, Northern Qi, Sui and Tang dynasties of the four caves.
Heard a cave, we all moved heart, as if previous knowledge Grottoes in Shanxi Province to stay only the Yungang Grottoes in Datong, Taiyuan, did not expect that there are caves attractions. Since all one line, may wish to look at the way in!

After the uphill feels there are some disappointed.
Caves here is not very dense, most of the caves because the exposed, wind erosion has been blurred into a rubble mound on the hillside ancient inscriptions have weathered to look at the structure unclear, and clearly visible are mostly descendants copy a carved in the side.
The carving in the cave inside the statue has long been completely, to varying degrees, been subjected to various man-made damage, being ignorant and greedy people who dig up, and it has been poached by the Japanese devils. Today, only an empty stone niches, and some lack of head, small body of the statue.
Traitor and home thieves, which one is more hated then? That scene could not tell the desolate!

The only reservation the mountain was relatively complete the only remaining one of the largest caves!
This cave is located in Shanxi Dragons peak cliff waist, was a three-story wooden structure, attic (Man Shan Court) to protect the, into the House where his back you will see a tall stands of the 10 side view of audio and video, which kinds of Guanyin standing elsewhere is really rare, that a high degree of perspective to produce a strong effect, standing on the threshold very difficult to see the full outside.
From the view of the side of audio and video delves into perspective, one can also see more large Maitreya Buddha posture, but from the attic side of a very steep wooden ladder has been climbed the third layer, we can look at the overall Maitreya Buddha , facial outline clear gesture serenity Looking back, there are about 8 meters tall it.
This project! Perhaps the reason is because large area was able to survive Bar!

(I smoothly turned about tourist information and found that the earlier picture, these two statues are the open outward, the lower of that cliff standing Guanyin's head is incomplete, then the head of the 11 face Guanyin as that is fixed by modern man, Man Shan Court should also be built up and protect the stone of the!)

In addition to caves, Tien Shan in fact nothing special about the landscape, the northern mountains, far south of beautiful mountains, but because of lack of water, also feel the lack of a number of spirituality.

Dragon hill there is a Shengshou Temple, but did not leave me much impression, I only Teramae of a millennium old pines had a great interest, it is a rare ancient trees, has more than 1500 years of history , and the tree is not high, but very large, all the branches radiate to the surrounding level of divergence-like growth, thick interwoven like a large canopy of umbrellas, because the foliage extends too long, and in order to prevent broken branches, , there is a circular steel frame under the tree care, the entire child care all the tree trunks are up.

Old pines, called Beaulieu pine tree because the tree trunk is like a winding dragon circling the body, if bent around the trunk of careful observation, in a way you can see the leading position of hiding, it is magic ah!
I have been transferred in the fence outside the ring, really wanted to go there pine Dacheng natural arbor to sit under the United States and the United States to sit呀!

Sitting in pine trees outside the break, the students began arguing with eating pasta in Shanxi, where the results of extremely poor workmanship noodle, noodles and chopsticks were almost rough cut, but the majority of students were born in the South, where the North tasted authentic flavor呀! I am here in the Dahushangdang, distasteful, next to actually have students sing praises of delicious! Multi-funny!

Stay no more, we have to go back jinci.

2, the characteristics of Jinci

Jinci known as "Shanxi first spot," said Jin Wang Temple in ancient times called, is the West after the man-made by studying the second son of King Wu of Zhou, Ji Yu Jin founding monarch built, and also because the water source is located in Shanxi, called jinci.

Makes it difficult to understand is that the half-price student tickets Jinci actually does not include college students, this seems to be a phenomenon not found elsewhere, the students began to have cried unfair!
Yongsan days there is no student price of tickets, but the fares are not high, 15 yuan is acceptable. Jinci 40 yuan tickets, group bookings there is no point offers.
Enter or to abandon? Think after that there are more important attractions go, the students opinions are not uniform, and 1:00 at loggerheads.
A group of students who are poor paint ah! No way!
I do not matter, do not have to go into any case, the center of gravity that attracted me is not here. Go with the flow bar!

Several local CMB Coushang come shrouded in mystery to drag us to our next Jinci Zhidianmijin, Taiyuan's dialect too hard to understand, before finally understand what they mean, the original that they can help us further look for paths which enter the jinci. Only half of the door to pay the fare. Sounds good, that is, students be able to enjoy price. The two sides of the transaction.

The local organizations can we be Dahushangdang the so-called paths which the original is Jinci backyard walls, it was not that free riders Well! True Black! The taxi driver!
To tell the truth the first time such a disgraceful Changzhemetai means of free riders - to climb over walls, but most of the techniques I not good at, and several drivers bravely contributed their shoulders to help us climb, but the results I glass has been scratched on the wall of the fingers! Poor ah! But have to pretend to brave!

In fact, I personally have been visiting the temple on the temple attractions like I could not get much interest, because many of the cultural heritage of the original name of famous flag with the previous renovation, reconstruction has long been replaced by modern antique buildings. Reproduction of art, itself has lost its original creative value. I was more willing to explore a number of distinctive architectural features.
While I do not line architecture.

However, it Jinci where there are indeed a very unique place.
Cinei hills and water around, Dan Bo trees, all kinds of halls, pavilions, pavilions, bridges, Xie portfolio layout, overall feel not only like a temple, but also as a garden.
Jinci the most valuable ancient buildings is Shengmu Dian, complete timber-framed buildings, is also our earliest wooden sculpture.
The whole hall looked magnificent Guzhuo bold, massive legislation is also under the eaves of the hall with a few thick columns, each column is the root disk has a hall vividly carved wooden dragon, shape Zhang Yang, domineering, as a group of emissaries to guard the ancient law-enforcement Sheng Mudian.

Another marsh fly fish before Shengmu Dian Liang is also a very unique, the fish is a fish pond marsh, flying on the beam refers to the fish pond, is the bridge-building in the Song Dynasty, was cross-shaped bridge leading to the spacious deck Sheng Mudian things flat, while the north-south bridge is slightly to the sag, nowhere to be seen, such as the Mirs wings in general.

Ta Guo Fei Liang face can be seen sitting on a high-Sheng Mudian the central statue of Our Lady, Yong Yung posture.
Madonna on both sides and the hall on both sides, respectively, there are various shapes of different legislation in ancient statues of women, including eunuchs, female officer and her maid a total of 42 statues of women in ancient times. But it is a pity, hall door was added in the railings, can only be separated at the door Lex can not be near to thin to scrutinize.
Nevertheless, we can roughly a taste of unique artistic charm of the Song dynasty painted sculpture, we could really be described as the art treasures of ancient Chinese clay sculpture.
These statues are basically realistic style, from the gesture, but his face to the characters look, vivid image, different modality. Not only are we to judge from the costumes props on the status of each character, identity, and their relationship between the noble and humble, but also through facial expression seemed to feel their inner thoughts and feelings of available ... ...

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Travel Small with disabilities:
Tickets - Day Longshan Grottoes: 15 yuan, Jinci: 40 yuan (students half-price tickets excluding students)

Author: fishsy428