Bozhou Travel Recommendations for 2024 (Updated in May)
Huaxi Hall Travel Recommendations for 2024 (Updated in May)
Anhui Bozhou Huaxi Building | One of the must-visit attractions in Bozhou
Please check out the travel guide for Huaxi Building ✅||| Huaxi Building, originally named Ge Tai, is a stage for performances. It is a temple for worshipping the famous person from Shanxi, Guan Yu, and also served as a meeting place for Shanxi and Shaanxi medicine merchants operating in Bozhou during the Ming and Qing dynasties, hence it was called 'Shan-Shaan Guild Hall' and 'Great Guandi Temple'.
The main hall of the Guandi Temple was built in the twelfth year of the Shunzhi era of the Qing dynasty (1656), and the Huaxi Building was added in the fifteenth year of the Kangxi era (1676). During the Qianlong era, many colorful paintings and carvings were added. It is famous at home and abroad for its exquisite carving art and brilliant color paintings; the entire building covers an area of 3,163 square meters, consisting of the Huaxi Building, Bell Tower, Drum Tower, Seating Tower, and the Great Hall of Guandi. The guild hall is called Huaxi Building because the colors are dazzling and magnificent in the courtyard.
📍Huaxi Building
🚗 It is recommended to drive directly to 🔍Huaxi Building
🚆 By train/🚝 high-speed rail, you can also get off and take a taxi directly to Huaxi Building
⏰: 09:00--17:30 (Entry to the scenic area stops at 17:30)
🎫Ticket: Adult ticket 50r
6-18 years old, 60-65 years old 25r
✅ Must-visit photo spots 📸
1⃣️ Iron Flagpole: A pair of iron flagpoles built in the first year of the Daoguang era of the Qing dynasty, piercing the sky. The flagpoles are over 16 meters high and weigh more than 12,000 kilograms. They were forged and cast by craftsmen with their blood, sweat, and several tons of pig iron, standing tall through more than three hundred years of wind and rain, becoming an indispensable symbol of Huaxi Building. 🚩
2⃣️ Brick Carving: The large poplar through-carving on the opera stage is known as the divine product of wood carving because it has a strong sense of hierarchy and dimensionality, a grand scene, and delicate knife work, inlaid on the outer eaves of the stage's large pillars. Perhaps because Bozhou is the hometown of the Three Kingdoms characters Cao Cao and Hua Tuo, the wood carving drama is themed entirely on Three Kingdoms stories. 🎨
3⃣️ Wood Carving: The singing and dancing on the stage are flowing wood carvings, and the inlaid wood carvings are frozen singing and dancing. An old artist sang about Huaxi Building like this: 'The decorated Ge Tai spans ancient and modern times, awakening how many people from ancient and modern times? The color carving is indeed the work of a divine craftsman, with the smoke and clouds of the Three Kingdoms right before your eyes.' 📙
✅ Accommodation and Dining 🍔
Huaxi Building is located in the northern old city area of Bozhou, and there are many homestays nearby, such as Sanguan Residence. The Bozhou Old Street at the entrance of the scenic area is the famous local snack street, with all kinds of snacks readily available (ordering takeout is also very convenient~)
✅ Small tips
In the evening, the Wo River road next to Huaxi Building is the preferred place for local people in Bozhou to stroll after dinner~🉑
Gabriel Wellington
Central Treasure - Bozhou Huaxilou!
Huaxilou, originally named Daguandi Temple, is also known as Shanxi Shaanxi Guild Hall. Its brick carvings, wood carvings, and colored paintings are mainly based on local opera dramas, so everyone is used to calling it Huaxilou. Huaxilou was first built in 1656, located in Xianning Street, Guanyu, north of Bozhou City, Anhui Province. Shanxi businessman Wang Bi and Shaanxi businessman Zhu Kongling both participated in the fundraising, and then experienced several expansions over more than a hundred years during the Kangxi and Qianlong periods.
The gate of Huaxilou is a three-story archway frame, imitation wood structure, the water-milled brick wall is filled with brick carvings, including characters, carriages, cities, mountains, flowers, birds and beasts, etc. The main hall of Huaxilou is the main building, and the theater building is next to it. The main hall is 10 meters high, with a courtyard on each side, containing the book carvings of Yuan Zhao Mengshun and Qing Liang Xian. Then there is the main hall, with a wooden statue of Guan Yu in the hall, and the images of Guan Ping and Zhou Cang on both sides, unfortunately destroyed during the Japanese invasion. The stage of the theater building is convex-shaped, with the four golden characters "Performing Ancient Style Today" in the center of the stage. The east side of the theater building is the bell tower, the west side is the drum tower, the front door is in the middle of the two towers, it is an imitation wood structure three-story archway water-milled brick facade building, with exquisite brick carvings inlaid in it.
The layout of Daguandi Temple is facing south, with the main hall as the main building in the courtyard, the theater building as a foil, and the sitting building on both sides, where you can watch the opera and drink. There is a deep path courtyard on each side of the main hall, and there is a Zen hall on the west side. The bell tower and drum tower are on both sides of the theater building.
The front wall of the mountain gate of Daguandi Temple has three passages, which are the main gate, the bell tower, and the drum tower. The entire wall is full of various reliefs, all made of water-milled bricks, all hand-carved, and have a history of more than two hundred years.
There are nine colored paintings in the caisson above the stage of Huaxilou, including "Dragon and Phoenix Bring Auspiciousness", "Cranes Dance to the Sun", "Deer Spirit Offers Longevity" and other patterns. Between the pillars, there are two heavy beams, with lotus hanging lions on the beams, divided into two or three sections, each section is a large wooden through-carving, with clear layers, which complements the front door brick carving.
Address: Xianning Street, Guanyu, North City, Bozhou City, Anhui Province.
Opening hours are 8:00-17:00
The ticket is 50 yuan/person
Huaxilou
Traveler sOasis
Bozhou Flower Opera House: The millennium echo of resounding drums and gongs
Flower Opera House, in Bozhou, is known to all. It is located in the old street of Bozhou and is the most famous attraction in Bozhou. Initially, it was a Shanxi and Shaanxi guild hall built by the medicine merchants from Shanxi and Shaanxi provinces in Bozhou, also known as the Great Guandi Temple. The Flower Opera House was originally just a magnificent opera house built in front of the Great Guandi Temple in the courtyard. Over the years, the performances here have enriched the lives of the locals, and the reputation of the 'Flower Opera House' has gradually overshadowed the Shanxi and Shaanxi guild hall and the Great Guandi Temple. The editor also recommends the three unique features of the Flower Opera House - the iron flagpole, brick carvings, and wood carvings. These brick carvings of the Flower Opera House are based on various opera stories, which are very unique.
The Flower Opera House was named as the Anhui Provincial Patriotic Education Base in the 1990s, and now the Flower Opera House has become a research base. Many primary and secondary school students and some university students will be organized to visit the Flower Opera House, and there are also activities such as Chinese studies lectures. Through these activities, patriotic education is carried out for primary and secondary school students and the majority of tourists, and the awareness of Chinese studies is increased, achieving good results.
Wanderlust Foodie
Bozhou Tourism
🗺 Overview of Bozhou
There are always surprises in the search for ancient times in the north of Anhui, and Bozhou, a cultural city, is even more so. From Shang Tang to Cao Wei and then to the Red Turban Army, it accumulates the foundation of being a key town in the Central Plains. The trend of large-scale construction has not deeply intervened in the lives of Bozhou people. The old streets and alleys still retain the ancient meaning. There is no full commercialization here, and there is no potted landscape in the city that imitates the ancient.
🌸 Huaxi Building
The national protected unit Huaxi Building full of brick carvings is a symbol of Bozhou. The Shanxi merchants built this large Guan Di Temple. They borrowed the brick carving skills of Huizhou craftsmen to carve the historical story themes that the northern folk art is keen on, quietly explaining the important position of Bozhou's integration of the north and south. The fact that the Huanghuai area, which has been plagued by floods and wars in modern times, can retain such a delicate ancient building is even more difficult. This also makes the Central Plains treasure status of the Huaxi Building Guandi Temple unshakable. Moreover, this place is almost integrated with the old city residential area, and the sense of harmony is the theme of the tour here.
🏛 Underground Troop Transport Tunnel and Cao Cao Family Tomb
The legacy left by Cao Wei is even more. Compared with the Cao Cao family tomb group named "Lonely Pile" in the south of the city, the underground troop transport tunnel, which is also a national protection, is even more amazing and mysterious. This is the most complete and huge relic left by the fleeting Cao Wei in the world, a microcosm of Emperor Wu of Wei's life of conquest. Everyone comes here, all for the well-known hometown of Cao Wei in the Three Kingdoms, Pei County, Qiao County. It's just that the underground tunnel buried deep underground is too narrow and cramped, and can only accommodate people to move forward with their waists down, and the structure is tortuous, and they will be dizzy after a while. The two big signs of Bozhou tourism are both 4A scenic spots, and the ticket prices are reasonable, the content is colorful, which shows the hard work of the local creation of a tourist city. The Cao Cao family tomb has recently been temporarily closed due to water accumulation.
✨ Bozhou Museum
Although the Bozhou Museum is small, the exhibition of cultural relics from the Cao Cao family tomb is the most interesting. The inscribed bricks unearthed from the Cao Wei family tomb are the most interesting. Walk into the museum and take a look at the words of sorrow or flattery carved by the craftsmen who built the underground palace on the bricks. A live drama of the end of the Han Dynasty emerged before our eyes.
🛴 Wandering Bozhou
There are temples and palaces such as Huazu Temple, Tao De Zhong Palace, and Baiyi Law Court in the old city of Bozhou, all of which are worth seeing. And Tao De Zhong Palace also left a famous allusion in history that Confucius asked Lao Tzu for rituals, and the alley is still called Wenli Alley. Walking in the old city of Bozhou, historical allusions are everywhere.
🚩 Tang Wang Tomb
Not far from the city is the second largest tributary of the Huai River, the Wo River. Although it is in the midwinter season, the Wo River has no intention of freezing, and it is rolling to the southeast. The north bank is the tomb of King Tang, who established the capital of Bo, which is the beginning of the founding of Bozhou. Now Tangling has become a playground for Bozhou people. Children chase and play, play on swings and merry-go-rounds; young people compete on the basketball court in the mausoleum. Everyone in front of this ancestor of Bozhou, put down the fatigue of life, enjoying the relaxed moments in life. On the south bank of the Wo River, in the flood pool, there are the palaces where Xiao Ming Wang Han Lin'er built the capital in Bo, which makes people feel sad about the sorrow of the millet.
VioletWhisper23
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Cao Cao Military Transport Tunnel Travel Recommendations for 2024 (Updated in May)
Reverse Dragon Boat Festival Tourism: Cao Cao actually built a two-dimensional world
Cao Cao's Troop Movement Path, also known as Cao Cao's Hidden Troop Path, is located under the main streets of the old city in Bozhou, Anhui Province, centered around Dazhui and extending in all directions to the outside of the city. It is the oldest and most well-preserved large-scale underground military facility in China.
The Cao Cao Troop Movement Path includes the Qiaowang Tower and the ancient tunnels. The entire network of tunnels is interwoven in a complex grid, with a multi-level distribution and intricate structure. More than eight thousand meters have been discovered, earning it the nickname 'The Underground Great Wall'.
The saying goes, 'In war, deception is key,' hiding the troops and then striking unexpectedly and unpreparedly, which is very much in line with Cao Cao's cunning nature.
Address: No. 548, Renmin Road, Bozhou City.
Little tip: Cao Cao's underground troop movement path is now open at night, with opening hours from 18:00 to 22:00.
NovaStardust15
A Rare Sight: The Underground Great Wall | Cao Cao's Troop Transport Path
Cao Cao's Troop Transport Path. During the Han Dynasty, Bozhou in Anhui was the administrative center of Yuzhou and the Qiao region of the Pei state, which was Cao Cao's hometown. He grew up here, and also took refuge here during Dong Zhuo's tyranny. Cao Cao and his son had deep affection for this place, and after the establishment of the Wei Kingdom, the Qiao region was promoted to Qiaodu, becoming one of the five capitals. To protect his hometown during the chaotic times, Cao Cao constructed a secret military facility beneath the city—the Troop Transport Path.
Today's Troop Transport Path is located underground in the old city district of Bozhou. The brickwork sections of the tunnel date back to the Tang, Song, and Yuan dynasties, while the earth and wood structure parts can be traced back to the Cao Wei period. Centered around the Qiao Watchtower, the tunnel extends in all directions, with a total length of nearly eight thousand meters. Currently, about seven hundred meters are open for public visits, with a complex and extensive layout. It is the earliest and largest underground military tunnel discovered to date and is known as the 'Underground Great Wall'.
The Qiao Watchtower was reconstructed based on historical records of the military watchtower built by Cao Cao in his hometown, and Cao Zhi once composed 'Three Variations of the Plum Blossom' for this tower. This antique-style building has four stories and stands out among the ancient city. Before entering the underground battle tunnel, visitors can choose to climb the tower and enjoy the surrounding views of the ancient city.
🌟 Highlights:
Below the tower, on the first underground level, there is a newly built Jian'an Literature Museum, which details the literature of Cao Cao, Cao Pi, Cao Zhi, and the Seven Scholars of Jian'an, who inherited the Han Dynasty's music bureau and greatly innovated, perfected the seven-character and five-character poetry genres, and empathized with the sorrow and generosity of the common people. They were later praised as the 'Spirit of Jian'an' and also reveal the profound hometown sentiment towards Qiao County (Bozhou) in the literary works of the father and sons.
👍 Highly Recommended:
Going down another level, visitors enter the actual range of the tunnel. The once spacious area suddenly becomes narrow, and the real chill of the underground air surges up, making it impossible for taller individuals to stand upright, allowing visitors to truly experience the oppressive feeling of ancient secret passages. Although only a few hundred meters of the tunnel are open, the cramped atmosphere has already made some people feel slightly uncomfortable.
The main tunnel is a parallel double path, with holes between the two paths for communication. There are crisscrossing side paths, single-lane paths, and double-decker paths, as complex as a city's overpass. The general depth here is 2-3 meters, with the deepest point reaching 7 meters, and the floor undulates. The tunnel also has many mechanisms, with ventilation holes at the top leading to the surface, niches in the walls for oil lamps, and military facilities such as trip boards and traps.
adeline.cressida.everhart
The Mysterious Underground Great Wall - Cao Cao's Troop Transport Path
Cao Cao's Troop Transport Path, also known as Cao Cao's Hidden Troop Path, is located beneath the main streets of the old city in Bozhou, Anhui Province, centered around Dazhui and extending in all directions to the outside of the city. It is the oldest and most well-preserved large-scale underground military facility in China. The scenic area consists of three parts: the Qiaowang Tower, the Jian'an Literature Museum, and the Underground Troop Transport Path. The entire network of tunnels is intricately woven and crisscrossed; the layout is ingenious, with diverse changes; it is distributed in three dimensions and has a complex structure; the scale is grand, and the engineering is vast. More than eight thousand meters have been discovered, and its value far exceeds that of a complete ancient city preserved above ground, earning it the nickname 'Underground Great Wall'. On June 25, 2001, Cao Cao's Troop Transport Path was listed as a national key cultural relic protection unit in the fifth batch. In February 2016, the Bozhou Cao Cao Underground Troop Transport Path Scenic Area was rated as a national AAAA-level tourist attraction.
Accommodation and Dining: Up the slope at the entrance of the Troop Transport Path is Bozhou City Gate Old Street, where a variety of Bozhou's special snacks are available. There are many nearby homestays and hotels to choose from, depending on your travel plans.
A single Bozhou city holds half the history of the Three Kingdoms, taking you to appreciate the grand talent and strategy of Cao Cao.
Cao Cao's Troop Transport Path
GlobalWayfarer
Bozhou, a city of Bozhou, half of the Three Kingdoms history~ (with guide)
📍Bozhou, you're right to come✔
✅Producing traditional Chinese medicine, one of the four major medicine capitals, the air is filled with the smell of traditional Chinese medicine.
✅The historical background is very heavy, it is the hometown of Cao Cao, Laozi, Hua Tuo and others, we also learn about history and culture.
✅In addition to various delicacies, there is also the regional specialty 'medicinal diet', which is a win-win situation.
About transportation🚝
🚝High-speed rail direct (suitable for long distance)
🚗Self-driving (nearby)
About accommodation🏠
1️⃣Near the high-speed rail station: convenient for taking a bus, good environment, a bit far from the attractions
2️⃣City center accommodation (near Bozhou Old Street), convenient transportation, close to attractions
🗓Itinerary:
Day1️⃣
Cao Cao Underground Troop Transport Tunnel-Huazu Temple-Dao De Central Palace-Flower Play Tower-Bozhou Old Street-Nanjing Lane Money House
Day2️⃣Bozhou Museum-Cao Cao Park-Kangmei Chinese Medicine City
About attractions🌴
1️⃣Cao Cao Troop Transport Tunnel
The earliest and largest underground military tunnel in history, with roads crisscrossing inside, it is said to be more than 8,000 meters long, known as the Underground Great Wall! There are also roadblocks, ambush points and various ingenious mechanisms along the way, and the narrow places inside the tunnel can only accommodate one person...
Ticket: 50
2️⃣Huazu Temple
How can you not come to Huazu Temple in the capital of traditional Chinese medicine? Here you can check in Hua Tuo's surroundings, health preservation people will definitely worship for three minutes, there is a 'Washing Mushroom Pool' in the temple, the medicine garden is blooming with peony, mandala, atractylodes and other medicinal flowers, you can also take beautiful photos by the flower sea at sunset
Ticket: 27
3️⃣Dao De Central Palace
Here is the statue of Laozi (that is, the so-called 'Taishang Laojun'), not many people, the environment is also very simple, it is a treasure place for Hanfu to take pictures
Ticket: 18
4️⃣Flower Play Tower
Flower Play Tower is a Qing Dynasty theater in a small city in northern Anhui, built during the Shunzhi period, also known as Shanxi Guild Hall and Daguan Temple. Flower Play Tower has three unique features: the iron pillars at the door, brick carvings and wood carvings, which are worth savoring.
Ticket: 45
5️⃣Bozhou Old Street
Go out along the Flower Play Tower and you will arrive at Bozhou Old Street. The gray tiles and green bricks are all over the street. You can see the leisurely old people chatting and drinking tea at the door, the peddlers pushing bicycles and selling loose wine along the street, it really feels like when I was a child
Ticket: Free
6️⃣Nanjing Lane Money House
Built during the Daoguang period of the Qing Dynasty, it is the best preserved ancient money house in the country. The whole is a three-entry four-courtyard, and the architectural relics such as the accounting room, the shopkeeper's room, and the treasury inside are still well preserved
Ticket: Free
7️⃣Bozhou Museum
If you want to experience Bozhou, a city with a heavy historical background, the museum is undoubtedly the best check-in point! The collection is rich, there are statues of Cao's three fathers and sons, brick carvings of Cao Cao's clan tombs, and Cao Cao's father's luxurious burial goods 'Silver Thread Jade Clothes', people who like Cao Cao's family are blessed~
❗No need to make an appointment in advance, just swipe your ID to enter
8️⃣Cao Cao Park
The largest park in Bozhou, after visiting the museum
You can continue to stroll here, it is the best place to understand the history of Cao Cao and his family
Ticket: Free
9️⃣Kangmei Chinese Medicine City
Bozhou Kangmei Chinese Medicine City is the largest traditional Chinese medicine trading center in the country. Here! Although it is a big market, you can really feel the enthusiasm and boldness of the locals. There is no business-mindedness, more simplicity, here you can buy all kinds of traditional Chinese medicine, there are several floors, each floor has different areas, basically you can buy all the medicinal materials on the market! There are also various kinds of flower tea! Remember to go before ten o'clock~
Ticket: Free
❗❗This place is optional, you don't need to buy medicinal materials, I personally think you don't need to go
🔟North Street Night Market
A paradise for food and snack lovers! Remember to try the pancake roll gluten, rock roast cheese, fried cold noodle roll stinky tofu and bridge head ribs here, and the sour plum soup, medicinal diet, medicinal diet steamed buns developed according to medicinal materials are absolutely irresistible
Ticket: Free
Food recommendation🍲
Beef bun, dry pot duck, Lixin soup, Bozhou skin...
And the medicinal diet and medicinal diet steamed buns developed according to medicinal materials are absolutely irresistible
In general, Bozhou is very suitable for reverse tourism, those who like the history of the Three Kingdoms can come here~
AdventureAcrossBorders#777
Buddhas Pagoda Travel Recommendations for 2024 (Updated in May)
The Wanfo Pagoda in Bozhou, Anhui | One of the must-visit attractions in Bozhou
Anhui Bozhou Mengcheng County Wanfo Pagoda Song|||In terms of architectural style, the Wanfo Pagoda is similar to the Chongfa Temple Pagoda (in Yongcheng County, Henan Province), which was built about 10 years earlier than the Wanfo Pagoda, and the two locations are only a little over 100 kilometers apart.
According to inscriptions, it took an astonishing 10 years to build this pagoda.
It is a national key cultural relic protection unit.
Located in a park within the county city, it is open to the public for free.
The Wanfo Pagoda, also known as the Flower-Inserting Pagoda, gets its name because nearly ten thousand small glazed Buddhas are inlaid inside and outside the pagoda.
The Wanfo Pagoda was built during the Northern Song Dynasty. It belonged to Xinghua Temple during the Song Dynasty and to Cishi Temple during the Ming Dynasty. It is an octagonal thirteen-story brick pagoda with a height of 42.2 meters. The pagoda has doors on the four main sides and false windows on the other four sides. The second and third outer eaves are made of brick to form a flat base for the pagoda eaves. Inside the pagoda, there are currently three Song Dynasty steles. According to the inscriptions, the construction reached the fourth floor in the first year of Chongning (1102) and the eleventh floor in the fifth year of Chongning (1106). Based on the time interval between the two steles, it can be inferred that it took four years to go from the fifth to the eleventh floor. With a total of thirteen floors, plus the construction of the foundation and the pagoda spire, the entire pagoda took about ten years to complete, which shows the enormity of the project and the difficulty of construction.
| Mengcheng Zhuan Pagoda. The world is so big, let's go and see it -
In the 1990s, the crosstalk actor Niu Qun, who was popular all over the country, faded out of the public's sight after serving as the deputy county head in Mengcheng County, Bozhou City, Anhui Province. As for the subsequent failure, let's not mention it.
As a senior crosstalk enthusiast, Rui Vision has always wanted to visit Mengcheng, where Niu Qun has struggled, but has not been able to implement it.
The Ning (Nanjing) Luo (Luoyang) Expressway crosses the middle of Mengcheng County from east to west. Rui Vision has passed through Mengcheng County twice on the Ning Luo Expressway, but has not been able to stay.
Until a friend's son who works in Hangzhou got married, I went there with my friend a few days in advance and stayed in Mengcheng for one night.
Early the next morning, the two of us came to the Wanfo Pagoda Park on Baota Road in the north-central part of the county, and checked in this brick pagoda from the Song Dynasty that was selected as the sixth batch of national cultural relics protection units.
This 'National Treasure' also known as the Flower Insertion Pagoda, Xinghua Temple Pagoda, and Cishi Temple Pagoda, which is called 'Mengcheng Brick Pagoda' by the locals, was built in the first year of Chongning in the Song Dynasty (1102), and was named 'Wanfo Pagoda' because of the nearly 10,000 small Buddha statues inlaid inside and outside the pagoda.
Wanfo Pagoda, an octagonal thirteen-story pavilion-style brick pagoda, is 42.2 meters high, with a base circumference of 24 meters and a diameter of 8 meters. It is named for the more than 8,000 Buddha statues inlaid inside and outside the pagoda. There is a temple on the east side of the pagoda, named Xinghua Temple, so the earliest name of the pagoda was Xinghua Pagoda.
The pagoda is made of iron, with a duplicate bowl, five wheels, a treasure cover, and a treasure bottle.
The 13-story Wanfo Pagoda is 38.6 meters high (42.2 meters according to one account), with a base circumference of 24.3 meters. Each floor has 8 doors, 4 real and 4 fake. The positions of the doors and windows below the 7th floor are the same, and they are changed layer by layer above the 8th floor. They are staggered up and down. Each floor is decorated with various patterns under the flying eaves, and the top of the pagoda is equipped with an iron bell, and each corner of the flying eaves hangs a bell.
The pagoda is built with water-milled green bricks, and the inner and outer bodies are inlaid with more than 1,300 red, yellow, and green glazed bricks. Each brick is carved with 3 Buddha statues, with Sakyamuni in the middle, Jia Ye on the left, and Anan on the right. There are also a few bricks that only have one Buddha statue, totaling more than 6,000.
The Buddha statues on the pagoda, another saying is that there are more than 8,000 in total.
These Buddha statues are relics of the Song Dynasty, and some are added in later generations.
The fourth floor of the pagoda is commonly known as the 'small temple', enshrining the three statues of Guan Yu, Guan Ping, and Zhou Cang, which were destroyed in the 1950s
There are two inscriptions on the construction of the pagoda in the Wanfo Pagoda: one is on the fourth floor, carved in the first year of Chongning in the Song Dynasty (1102); the other is on the eleventh floor, carved in the fifth year of Chongning (1106).
Judging from the time difference between the two inscriptions, it took four years from the fifth to the eleventh floor. The whole pagoda has thirteen floors, plus the construction of the foundation and the pagoda, it took about ten years to build the whole pagoda.
The Wanfo Pagoda is majestic and beautiful in shape, and is a direct reflection of the superb architectural craftsmanship and social aesthetic concept of the Northern Song Dynasty.
Since 1977, the cultural relics department has carried out comprehensive maintenance on the Wanfo Pagoda, reinforced the pagoda base, filled in cracks, repaired severely damaged Buddha statue bricks, added a lightning rod to the top of the pagoda, and restored the original appearance of the pagoda.
In 1981, the Wanfo Pagoda was included in the 'Dictionary of Famous Scenic Spots in China'.
In 2006, the Wanfo Pagoda was announced by the State Council as the sixth batch of national key cultural relics protection units.
Wanfo Pagoda
GARRETT COPELAND
Take a look at the Wanfo Pagoda in Mengcheng in early spring
Take a look at the Wanfo Pagoda in Mengcheng in early spring
In March 2023, I returned to my hometown Mengcheng and suddenly wanted to see the Wanfo Pagoda. Although I often go back, I suddenly realized that it seems that there has been nearly 20 years of time, and I haven't seen it up close. People are like this, often overlooking the people and things around you, maybe they are the precious and cherish in life. In early spring, it is warm and cold, the willows are green, and when you walk into the Wanfo Pagoda Park, time seems to be now, and it seems to shuttle back 20 years ago, moving forward and stagnating, indescribable mixed feelings, just like visiting a familiar and strange old friend. Nothing has changed and it seems that everything has changed. The Wanfo Pagoda, as its name suggests, has a pagoda body with a so-called ten thousand glazed Buddha statues. Also known as the Flower Insertion Pagoda, Xinghua Temple Pagoda, Cishi Temple Pagoda (because there was Xinghua Temple in the Song Dynasty and Cishi Temple in the Yuan Dynasty here), commonly known as "Mengcheng Brick Pagoda", located in Baota Middle Road, Chengguan Town, Mengcheng County, Bozhou City, Anhui Province. The entire pagoda is an octagonal thirteen-story pavilion-style brick pagoda, 42.2 meters high, with a circumference of 24 meters at the bottom and a diameter of 8 meters. The Wanfo Pagoda was built in the first year of Chongning in the Song Dynasty (1102). The body is not very large, but the shape is beautiful, the structure is rich in changes, and the preservation is relatively complete. It is a fusion of Chinese north and south pagoda construction techniques, with beautiful shapes and gorgeous decorations, unique, both iconic and prayerful and symbolic. It is now also a national cultural protection unit.
When I was young, I went to see the pagoda. At that time, the management was not perfect. The pagoda could be climbed and played at will. The more you go up, the narrower it becomes until it is solid. There are many folk tales and life anecdotes about the pagoda. Some say that the pagoda is inhabited by spirits and fairy objects, and some say it is a holy place for lovers to date. The current pagoda, renovated, with trees planted around it and a square laid out, also has a guardian beast. Of course, the current pagoda cannot be climbed, it can only be viewed from a distance. Although it is more majestic, it also lacks a bit of life intimacy. People grow year by year, and the pagoda also becomes more ancient, as if they are all growing. Whether you are in a foreign land or near the ground, take the time to take a look at the Wanfo Pagoda! Maybe it is a period of time in your life.
DANNA BECK
Yimen Ancient Town Travel Recommendations for 2024 (Updated in May)
The Yimen Ancient Town in Guoyang, Anhui Province is a Hui people's settlement, so there are still ancient mosques in the area. And there is also a lot of halal food like the Huimin Street in Xi'an. There are no gorgeous decoration and gorgeous dishes in the restaurant. They are all real delicious. The dim sum before the meal, the cold dish mixed with sesame oil, etc., is also unique with the local food taste. Finally, I have to mention that Yimen is the "hometown of moss" and can even be exported to South Korea and Southeast Asian countries.
ET.HU.
There is a Yimen Town in Guoyang County, Anhui Province, which has a history of more than a thousand years. This time I was catching up with the mobile stage performances in the town. I was very touched when I saw the story of the local opera interpretation of "Bo Yu Coughstick". I know that this is the hometown of Xiao Bo Han Bo Yu. The mobile stage also attracts folks who are full of scent, so lively, there are more than ten days from the Spring Festival, and it is already full of strong flavor.
ET.HU.
Travel Recommendations for 2024 (Updated in May)
Guan Yin Temple in Bozhou
The Guan Yin Temple, originally named the Inverted Guan Yin, was established during the Hongwu period of the Ming Dynasty and has a history of more than 400 years. The temple covers an area of 60 acres with a building area of 8764 square meters. It has built the Inverted Guan Yin statue, Heavenly King Hall, Guan Yin Hall, Ksitigarbha Hall, Bell and Drum Tower, Daxiong Treasure Hall and other 16 places. The temple is a brick and wood structure with carved beams and painted buildings, pink walls and black tiles, magnificent momentum, beautiful scenery, Sanskrit sounds around the beams, integrating tourism and sightseeing, and has been recognized as a 3A scenic spot by the cultural tourism department.
The Guan Yin Temple scenic area is located in Guantang Town, Qiaocheng District, Bozhou City, Anhui Province, about 25 kilometers away from Bozhou City. The temple is located in the southeast corner of Guantang Village in Guantang Town. The temple covers an area of 60 acres with a building area of 8764 square meters. It has built the Inverted Guan Yin statue, Heavenly King Hall, Guan Yin Hall, Ksitigarbha Hall, Daxiong Treasure Hall, Jade Buddha Pagoda and other 16 places. The temple is a brick and wood structure, with carved beams and painted buildings, pink walls and black tiles, and magnificent momentum. The Guan Yin Hall in the temple is the most spectacular. The Guan Yin Bodhisattva is enshrined in the main hall, and the Guan Tang is named after the Guan Yin Hall.