Remember to look up when admiring ancient buildings in Shanxi.

What is Changzhi | The human hanging sculptures that are not inferior to Xiaoxitian in Xixian County Changzhi has a nice ancient name "Shangdang". This city in southeastern Shanxi, with the Taihang Mountains as its barrier and the Zhuozhang River as its boundary, has the pride and glory of "being a party with heaven". The "Twenty-Four Solar Terms" that embody Chinese wisdom originated from here. The name change in the Ming Dynasty embodies the rulers' ideal of "long-term stability" here. The resplendent ancient buildings and statues protect Changzhi's title as the "Chinese Color Sculpture Capital", while the exquisite brocade craftsmanship and delicious donkey meat delicacies firmly capture the eyes and taste of experienced travelers. ①See ancient buildings There are also ancient buildings and colored sculptures worth seeing in Changzhi city. All Guanyin Hall If the hanging sculptures in Xiaoxitian Temple in Xi County represent the Buddhist heaven, and those in Chongqing Temple represent the underworld, then the Guanyin Hall represents the bustling mortal world. This small space hides more than 500 hanging sculptures! The hanging sculptures in Guanyin Hall represent the integration of Confucianism, Buddhism and Taoism, which can be seen from the statues of Sakyamuni, Laozi and Confucius sitting on top. The walls on both sides have distinct layers: the red-faced statue of Guan Yu, one of the twenty-four heavenly beings on the second layer, is lifelike with his arrogant and unrivaled demeanor, and can be regarded as a masterpiece among the hanging sculptures in Guanyin Hall; there are actually only eleven of the twelve Perfect Enlightenment Bodhisattvas on the third layer, and judging from the missing heads of many of the statues, the other one must have been stolen. Why do we say that the hanging sculptures in Guanyin Hall resemble the human world? Because the expressions and movements of each statue are less solemn and more friendly. For example, the Guanyin sitting in the middle looks like a Shanxi girl resting on the roadside. There are also many Buddhist scriptures and historical stories hidden in the hanging sculptures, such as the 53 Pilgrimages of the boy Sudhana behind the three great bodhisattvas, the Eight Immortals celebrating the birthday and Emperor Tang welcoming the sutras on the south wall, as well as the Battle of Tumu, the restoration of Nangong Palace, and other Shangdang Gate stories. Of the thousand-year-old Shangdang Palace, only the Shangdang Gate and the Bell and Drum Tower rebuilt in the Ming Dynasty remain. Its asymmetrical layout is its biggest attraction. One theory is that it was built on the foundation of the Sui and Tang Dynasties, and early buildings were indeed beautiful in their asymmetry. Another theory is that it was related to the Feng Shui of the time. This can be seen from the fact that the top of the Shangdang Gate is at the same height as the top of Taihang Mountain in the east, which shows the City God Temple of Lu'an Prefecture. The largest and highest-level City God Temple in China, where you can see all the buildings from the Yuan, Ming and Qing dynasties in one go, is totally worth the 5 yuan ticket price. The rough shape and reduced column construction of the core hall are typical features of the Yuan Dynasty, which can be compared with the gorgeous shapes of Ming and Qing Dynasty buildings. The exquisite colored glaze decorations and intricate bracket setbacks are typical of the Ming Dynasty style. The black-glazed dragon on the ridge of the rear hall, in particular, is a rare masterpiece in China. There are also copper incense burners and fossil trees in the courtyard, which are also highlights. The Six Dragon Wall, Grand Gate and two archways of the City God Temple are hidden in the outer residential area and have long been integrated into the city life. If you are interested, you can look for them. 2 bites of donkey meat If you don't eat donkey meat, your trip to Changzhi is in vain. I still remember the taste of Luzhou Shuangbing and donkey meat hotpot, which are must-eats. 3 Appreciation of pile brocade The Duijin craft of Changzhi is well-known far and wide. You can visit the Deyifang to see the Duijin production process, and there are also extremely exquisite but expensive handicrafts available for purchase in Changzhi.