Datong

Cloud Ridge Caves, one of the three major cave clusters in China, punctuate the north cliff of Wuzhou Mountain, Datong. The area was excavated along the mountain, extending 1 km (0.62 miles) from east to west, revealing 53 caves and over 51,000 stone statues.

The Caves are divided into east, middle, and west parts. Pagodas dominate the eastern parts; west caves are small and mid-sized with niches. Caves in the middle are made up of front and back chambers with Buddha statues in the center. Embossing covers walls and ceilings.

Started in 450, Yungang is a relic of the Northern Wei Dynasty (386-534). Absorbing Indian Gandhara Buddhist art, Yungang sculptures developed traditional Chinese art melded with social features of the time.

During the reign of Emperor Xiao Wen a monk named Tanyao took charge of the construction of Yungang Grottoes. The largest cave is No.6. In the 20-meter (65.6-foot)-high cave stands a 15-meter (49.2-foot)-high pagoda-like column decorated with Buddha statues and designs. On the four sides of the tower pillar, and on the east, south and west walls of the cave, 33 embossed panels depict the story of Saykamuni.

Caves worth special attention are No.16, 17, 18, 19, and 20. Upon Tan Yao's suggestion, five statues of Emperors Taizu, Taizong, Shizu, Gaozong, and Gaozu as Buddha express the religious theme that the Emperor is Buddha. Caves housing these statues are known as the Five Tan Yao Caves, similar in style but not identical. The statue in Cave 20 is martial and stately, No.19 handsome and elegant, while No.18 is dignified but lively. Their similarity lies in their thick lips, big noses, slanted eyes and broad shoulders depicting the ethnic culture of the time.

Hanging Monastery

Lying outside the town of Hunyuan, the Hanging Monastery is 75km southeast of Datong. It was built on sheer cliffs above Jinlong Canyon with a history about 1400 years. On the base of the natural hollows and outcrops along the contour of the cliff, many halls and pavilions were built, which are connected each other by corridors, bridges, boardwalks.

Hanging Monastery is an architectural wonder. A unique mechanical theory was applied to building the framework. Crossbeams were half-inserted into the rock as the foundation, while the rock in back became its support. Seen from below, Hanging Monastery appears to be a tumble-down castle in the air. Inside, Hanging Monastery provides the same scene as other temples. Construction experts from countries including Britain, Germany, and Italy, come to see the monastery. In their words, Hanging Monastery, which mixes mechanics, aesthetics, and Buddhism, is rare. The monastery and everything it symbolizes embodies a great cultural achievement of Chinese people.

The second attraction of Hanging Monastery is that it includes Buddhism, Taoism and Confucianism. Inside the monastery, the sculptures of Sakyamuni, Confucius and Laotzu appear together, which is unusual. There are 40 halls and cabinets, which contain about 80 sculptures made of copper, iron, terracotta, and stone. The features are vividly carved. The most important building is the Three Religions Hall where Buddha, Laotzu and Confucius sit side by side. In recent years, the hall has been repaired and some sections of it have been closed to outside.

Temple of Lord Guan

The Temple of Lord Guan is located in Rongcheng, Jieyang City (east Guangdong). The temple is built to memorize a hero in ancient China named Guan Yu, or Guan Yunchang. The temple was originally constructed during the Sui dynasty, but was destroyed by fire in AD 1702 and subsequently rebuilt.

Lord Guan was actually an honorary title bestowed on Guan Yu, or Guan Yun-Chang. Guan was born in 160 AD and died in 219. In assisting Liu Bei as one of his chief lieutenants in establishing the kingdom of Shu-one of the three "Superpowers" of the period, in China, he passed a career of fierce strives and valiant expeditions that provokes sad reverence. Although, as a military man, he had of course not made any score in the history of ancient Chinese ideologies, the heroic exploits and legendary adventures throughout his life made him a model of moral perfection, embodying fidelity, integrity, and valor, and national idol of all walks of the late feudal China from kings, courtiers, and generals down to soldiers, craftsmen, farmers, and merchants.

Five-terrace Mountain

Mt. Wutai (Five Terrace Mountain) is one of Buddhism’s Four Sacred Mountains, and is dedicated to the Bodhisattva of Wisdom Manjusri (Wen shu). It is located about 200 km (77 miles) north of Taiyuan in mountainous country, centered on the beautiful monastic village of Taihuai, is one of China’s sacred Buddhist mountain areas.

Taihuai lies deep in an alpine valley enclosed by the five peaks of Wutai Shan, the highest of which is the 3058m northern peak, Yedou Feng, known as the roof of northern China. Taihuai itself has 15 or so old temples and monasteries, and some 20 others dot the surrounding mountains.

The Buddhist associations of the site date back to the Han dynasty when an Indian monk is supposed to have had a vision of Manjusri there. The mountain became an important Buddhist center in the Northern Wei through the Tang dynasties, when more than 200 temples there were dedicated to the study of the Avatamsaka Sutra. After a period of decline, the mountain regained popularity in the Ming and Qing periods, when the emphasis on Tibetan-style Lamaist Buddhism made Mt. Wutai an important pilgrimage site. In the 15th century the founder of the austere Tibetan Yellow Hat Sect came to Mt. Wutai to preach.

Yingxian Wooden Pogada

Yingxian Wooden Pagoda is located in Yingxian, Shanxi province. People can see a high pagoda towering aloft in the area about 70 kilometers away from Datong, which is Yingxian Wooden Pagpoda, one of the five ancient architectures in Shanxi province.

Yingxian is in the north of Shanxi province, the wooden pagoda is in the north-west of the county. Yingxian wooden pagoda is also called Buddha Palace Mosque Shijia pagoda, which was set up in 2nd year of Da Liao Qingning (1056 A.D.).

The outside appearance of the pagoda is octagon, 67.3 meter high. The diameter of ground floor is 30 meters. It has 5 floors and 6 eaves if you look it from outside, In fact, every floor has inner layer, so, it has 5 floors outside and 4 floors inside, 9 floors together.

The image of Sakyamuni is in the middle of first floor which looks grand and solemn, gives people mysterious feeling. There are 6 portraits of Buddha in the wall with proper proportion and bright colour. "Feitian" (one of fresco) beside the Buddha head look active and plentiful, glowing with health and radiating vigour, it is a masterpiece among fresco.

There is a sitting Buddha who faces to four directions on the 3rd floor. There is a sitted image of Sakyamuni in the middle of 5th floor, 8 Bodhisattva sit around it. As there are no inner floors in the center of the pagoda, the image looks more solemn and grand. All these used structure-gap well and designed very scientifically.

There are sidewalks and surrounded railing for people leaning on and enjoying a distant view from the 2nd to 5th floor. Especially, when people mount on the top floor, they not only can see the whole county, but also see the Heng hill in the distance dimly.

During 200 years from the wooden pagoda finished to the years of Yuanshun emperor, it passed 7 times of strong earthquakes, but it still kept well; During the war of Yan and Feng warlords in 1926, it shot by 200 shells, only 2 pillars was broken.

Since 1974, the local government maintained the wooden pagoda, spent 8 years, used 300CBM wood, costed RMB 380,000 yuan. During the period of maintaining, a lot of scuptures and silk Buddha painting of wooden block printing were found in the stomach of Buddha image.

Every floor (inside or outside) were preserved Buddha image and relics in the pagoda. It occupies special position in architecture scale and art among the ancient pagodas today in China. It is the only highest and oldest Buddha pagoda with wood only. So, it can be called a treasure of ancient building in the world.

Qiao Family Courtyard House

Qiao Family Courtyard House lies in the beautiful and richly-endowed Jinzhong basin, Shanxi province. It is located exactly in Qiao Jia Bao village, 12 kilometers north-east of Qi county city, greatly admired as a very special artistic treasure by folkmore and architect, also one of the ten best tourism spots in Shanxi procince.

Qiao Family Courtyard House was built by Qiao Guifa, a small-time tea and beancurd merchant who rose to riches in the years of Qianlong in Qing Dynasty, occupied 8724.8 square meters of land, consisted of 6 large yards and 20 small yards (totally 313 houses). It was repaired and rebuilt many times during the years of Tongzhi, Guangxu in Qing Dynasty and the beginning years of the Republic of China.

It was a Chinese old residential courtyard which leaped over two centuries. Its overall arrangement was well-knit and its architecture was exquisite, regular as well as changeable. It was not only nice in its entirety but also special in every part. When you look down at the overall yard above ground, it just looks like "double happiness" in Chinese.

There are 4 main buildings, 6 other attics such as gate pavilion, Geng pavilion, Tiao pavilion. The sidewalks on the roof of every yard link up each other in order to patrol. Looking from outside, it is serious and grand, yards are deep; looking inside, it is splendid, orderly, reflect residential style of big family in feudal society in north of China.

More than 50 films, TV plays selected spot and took pictures here. The film "Raise the Red Lantern" which was directed by Mr Zhang Yimou was filmed here. Miss Gong Li acted as a leading role in the film.

People who visited the yard have same feeling that "imperial family own the Imperial Palace, ordinary people only own Qiaojia (Qiao Family)."

The Ancient City of Ping Yao

Ping Yao in Shanxi, China, was the central bank for much of the Silk Road trade during the Ming and Qing dynasties. One of only two Chinese ancient cities with UNESCO World Heritage status, but with over 40,000 low-income residents within its ancient walls, Ping Yao faces unprecedented pressures and deterioration of its core historic Qing Dynasty district and last remaining temples, towers, palaces, banks, and ancient residences. The Global Heritage Fund is developing a plan for conservation, restoration and responsible tourism in Ping Yao.

Ping Yao is an exceptionally integral and well-preserved example of a traditional Han Chinese city, founded in the 14th century. Its ancient narrow, small temples and courtyard houses shows the evolution of architectural styles and town planning in Imperial China over five centuries. Of special interest are the imposing buildings associated with banking, for which Ping Yao was the major centre for the whole of China in the 19th and early 20th centuries.

The Yongle Temple

The Yongle Temple is located on the east side of Longquan Village, 3 kilometers to the north of Ruicheng County, Shanxi Province.
The original site of the Yongle Temple is in Yongle Town, Yongji County. To make way for the Sanmenxia Water Control Project, the whole buildings and the frescoes were moved to Ruicheng County in 1959. The Yongle Temple, originally called Da Chunyang Wanshougong (Big Pure Sun Longevity Temple), is very grand in scale and has a compact layout. The temple is imposing and magnificent and the building complex appears splendid.

The Yongle Temple is famous for its well-preserved and rarely seen frescoes of the Yuan Dynasty. There are elegant frescoes of 960 square meters in the main halls. The frescos feature rich themes and superb painting techniques, and are the masterpieces in the painting history in China.

The Hall of Trinity, also called the Wuji Hall, is the largest hall in the temple. It was so called because the hall enshrines statues of three important figures in the Taoism myths. The base of the hall is big, tall and plain, looking grand and splendid. The hall is seven-bay wide and four-bay deep. On the roof, colored glaze relieves, with yellow, green and blue alternated with each other, are connected to form five ridges.