Just four days, a complete guide to ancient architecture in Shanxi (Southern Shanxi edition)

You asked for it, and here comes the Southern Shanxi guide! Day1 Yuncheng ·Yongle Palace—Guangren King Temple—Jiezhou Guandi Temple Stay: Hejin Highlight 1: Yongle Palace One of the world's largest existing ancient mural art treasures, the 'Chaoyuan Tu' of Yongle Palace is the pinnacle of group composition development in the history of world painting, a rare masterpiece. (For details, refer to the video on the homepage) Highlight 2: Guangren King Temple This is one of only 3.5 Tang Dynasty wooden structures in all of China. It is recommended to arrive in the afternoon, bring your own tea, find shade on the stage opposite the temple, drink tea, and watch the ancient architecture shine. (For details, refer to the video on the homepage: Guangren King Temple) Highlight 3: Jiezhou Guandi Temple The earliest Guandi Temple in the country, I personally think the highlight is in the last building, the Spring and Autumn Tower. On the second floor of the Spring and Autumn Tower, you can see the highly artistic value of the chrysanthemum caisson and the true image of Guandi. (For details, refer to the video on the homepage: Jiezhou Guandi Temple) Day2 Linfen ·Xixian Xiaoxitian—Guangsheng Temple Stay: Hongtong Highlight 1: Xixian Xiaoxitian The most shocking place along the way, known as the 'ultimate song of hanging sculpture art'. The full wall of hanging sculptures that have survived three hundred years are presented before you, and that visual shock can only be felt when you come to Xiaoxitian. Also, for game enthusiasts, this is the filming location for the upcoming blockbuster 'Black Myth: Wukong' (I filmed a documentary about Old Wang, the temple keeper of Xiaoxitian, interested friends can find my video online: Shanxi Temple Keeper) Highlight 2: Guangsheng Temple Lower Temple Water God Temple Murals It is recommended to arrive at Guangsheng Temple around 3 pm. Guangsheng Temple is divided into upper and lower temples, start with the lower temple, the highlight is the Water God Temple murals, which contain a large number of Yuan Dynasty life scenes, these are murals included in history textbooks. Highlight 3: Guangsheng Temple Lower Temple Lost National Treasures Overseas Go to the Daxiong Hall of the lower temple, where only some remnants of murals remain today. The original murals on the walls, the Yuan Dynasty 'Blazing Light Buddha Assembly' mural on the east mountain wall of the rear hall is displayed in the Chinese Temple Hall of the Nelson Museum, and the Yuan Dynasty 'Medicine Buddha Assembly' mural on the west mountain wall is displayed in the Sackler Gallery of the Metropolitan Museum of Art; the two Ming Dynasty murals 'Blazing Light Buddha Assembly' and 'Medicine Buddha Assembly' in the front hall are displayed in the Chinese Rotunda of the University of Pennsylvania Museum. (For details, search online for my video: Failed Temple Keeping) Highlight 4: Guangsheng Temple Upper Temple Feihong Tower The best-preserved glazed tower in the country, remember to arrive before sunset. Birds circling the tower at sunset is a spectacular sight, as the upper temple is on high ground, perfect for watching the sunset below the tower, where you can feel the romance of the ancients. Day3 Jinzhong Shuanglin Temple—Zhenguo Temple Stay: Taiyuan Highlight 1: Shuanglin Temple The World's Number One Weituo The name of the Shuanglin Temple, the hall of Eastern colored sculpture art, comes from 'Both forests enter nirvana', and the representative sculpture here is the 'Eastern David', the world's number one Weituo statue. Highlight 2: Shuanglin Temple Ksitigarbha Hall Here, the philosophy of life from death is expressed, showing the ancient view of life, with an alternative group of statues. Highlight 3: Zhenguo Temple Great Bell At Zhenguo Temple, I found the answer to why Shanxi people have preserved so many intact cultural relics. It all started with thinking about a great bell here, for which I filmed the old man selling mineral water in the Erlang Hall of the temple. He told me a lot of valuable information. Day4 Taiyuan Northern Qi Mural Museum Highlight 1 Northern Qi Murals China's first tomb mural art museum of archaeological site type, Chen Danqing said these murals represent the highest realm of Chinese line aesthetics, with explorations of the Northern Qi people's cultural demeanor, as well as various depictions of beasts from the 'Classic of Mountains and Seas' in the tombs, especially recommended: Ascension Diagram Highlight 2 VR Walk into the Tomb You can experience wearing VR glasses and use high-tech means to walk into the tomb to appreciate the murals. This is a four-day easy and comfortable journey through the essence of ancient architecture in Southern Shanxi. Of course, Shanxi's treasures cannot be seen in one go. If you have any good suggestions, feel free to add them in the comments section to provide more clues for those about to set off. More extended video content is on my homepage, feel free to follow me. I am the documentary director Bai Song, hoping to accompany you on every journey, making it worthwhile.