Wukong Takes You to Shanxi (Xi County Duiyun Cave)

Duiyun Cave - Shanxi's Little Potala Palace (1) Ticket: Adult ticket 30 yuan, free with Yuncheng Tourism Annual Card (2) Parking: Free parking (3) Tour time: 1-2 hours Attraction Introduction: In Xi County, Yuncheng, Shanxi, there is an ancient building located on the Tugang of Niucun, Jiwang Mountain, 25 kilometers west of Xi County. After the rain, clouds gather around the hill, mist lingers, and the cave entrance is shrouded in clouds, hence the name "Duiyun Cave". Because its appearance resembles the Potala Palace in Tibet, Duiyun Cave is also known as Shanxi's "Little Potala Palace". This famous Taoist temple was first built in the late Yuan and early Ming dynasties, with a history of over 700 years. In the first year of the Kangxi reign of the Qing Dynasty, the Longmen sect of the Quanzhen School of Taoism took over and continued to expand and build. The temple housed many Taoist priests and was called "Heguang Cave" and "Chaoyang Cave". Its peak period was during the Qianlong to Daoguang years of the Qing Dynasty, and it reached its current scale in the third year of the Xianfeng reign. The entire Duiyun Cave has nine courtyards, with large and small courtyards stacked upwards. From the main entrance of Duiyun Cave, you have to pass through one gate after another and then enter the first courtyard. It can be described as "building on top of buildings, searching for courtyards within courtyards, hiding caves within caves". Duiyun Cave was built from top to bottom, starting from the "Ninth Courtyard" at the top and gradually building downwards, forming the current scale. The precious Qing Dynasty stone carving "Panoramic View of Duiyun Cave" in Duiyun Cave realistically depicts the cave's scenery during its prosperous period. Admiring its scenery, Qing people praised the eight scenes of Duiyun: Double Streams Converge, Stone Cave Hides Clouds, Road Twists and Turns, Courtyard Overlooks Tall Trees, East Tower Morning Rain, West Hall Evening Breeze, Pen Peak Retains Moon, High Platform Stands Alone. A poem says: "Winding and spiraling, step by step ascending, clouds at your feet will soar. Looking back at the path taken, already twelve levels away from the jade tower." The courtyards of Duiyun Cave are layered and constructed in an orderly manner, embodying the essence of ancient architectural styles and the charm of both northern and southern architecture. Coupled with the surrounding loess hills and lush forests, it resembles a fairyland and has long been known as a "Taoist fairyland" and a "worldly scenic spot". Industry insiders praise it as a "condensed fairyland, enlarged bonsai". In 1928, the Hedong Special Committee of the Communist Party of China was established here, leading the people of southern Shanxi in a hard and arduous revolutionary struggle. It is known as the "cradle of the southern Shanxi revolution" and has now become a base for patriotic education and a red tourism destination in Yuncheng.