Things to do in Shuozhou

No. 3 of Best Things to Do in Shanxi

Yingxian Wooden Pagoda

Yingxian Wooden Pagoda is centered on the Sakyamuni Pagoda of Fogong Temple. This pure wooden pavilion-style pagoda was first built in the second year of Qingning of the Liao Dynasty (1056) and later expanded and completed during the Mingchang period of the Jin Dynasty. It is the oldest surviving wooden pagoda in China. The pagoda has five visible stories, with concealed stories inserted between them, making nine stories in total, and stands about 67 m tall. Apart from the stone platform base on the first story, the main body of the pagoda is built entirely of wood, connected using traditional mortise-and-tenon craftsmanship, and the whole pagoda uses more than 50 types of bracket sets, demonstrating exquisite structural design. For more than nine hundred years, the pagoda has withstood many major earthquakes and modern artillery bombardment and still stands today. Due to the need for cultural relic protection, visitors may only visit the first floor inside the pagoda. There is a door on each of the north and south sides of the first floor. In the center of the inner chamber is a seated statue of Shakyamuni about 10 m tall, with a dignified face and a solemn expression. Looking up, you can see the exquisite coffered ceiling at the top. On the walls of the inner chamber are painted six Buddha images of Tathagata, and on the walls on both sides of the doorway are painted Liao Dynasty-style murals featuring Vajra, disciples, and offering figures, with bright colors and lifelike figures. Multiple plaques from various dynasties hang under the eaves of each story of the wooden pagoda, two of which were written by Ming emperors and are particularly striking. Under the south eaves of the fifth story hangs the plaque "Supreme Divine Craftsmanship," written by Zhu Di, Emperor Chengzu of Ming, when he climbed the pagoda during a northern military campaign in the Yongle era; under the south eaves of the fourth story hangs the plaque "Wonder of the World," written by Zhu Houzhao, Emperor Wuzong of Ming, when he ascended the pagoda to feast and reward his ministers after the Yingzhou victory in the Zhengde era. These plaques are not only calligraphic treasures but also record the intersection of the wooden pagoda with historical figures, together with the architecture itself forming a distinctive cultural view of the attraction.

No. 2 of Best Things to Do in Shuozhou

Jingtu Temple

It is located in the northeast corner of Ying County, also known as the North Temple. Founded in the second year of Jintianhui (1124). The main hall is the Daxiong Hall, which was rebuilt in the twenty-fourth year of Dading (1184). The temple originally had a mountain gate, a stupa, the Hall of Heavenly Kings, the Bell and Drum Towers, the East and West Side Halls, the Mahavira Hall, the apse, and the Tibetan Sutra Building. Today, only the Mahavira Hall remains. The Daxiong Hall is the main hall of the whole temple. It was built in the twenty-fourth year of Jin Dading. The single eaves rest on the top of the mountain, the roof of the hall is covered with tubes and tiles, and the eaves are inlaid with green glaze. The building is magnificent. The caisson in the hall is surrounded by golden dragons on all sides, with beautiful shape and fine composition. The murals on the four walls of the hall were painted in the Qing Dynasty, mainly describing the Buddhist deeds of Sakyamuni Buddha and various Bodhisattvas.

No. 3 of Best Things to Do in Shuozhou

Chongfu Temple

Chongfu Temple, commonly known as "Big Temple", is located on the north side of East Street in Shuocheng District. It was built in the second year of Tang Linde (665) and was built by Chi Jingde, the Duke of E. The monastery faces south from the north, with five entrances and ten major halls in the front and back. The main hall of Chongfu Temple is the Amitabha Hall. It was built in the third year of Emperor Xizong's reign (1143) and has a history of more than 800 years. Under the eaves of the front of the hall, there is a vertical plaque of "Amitabha Hall", which is the 20th year of Jin Dading. Four years (1184) of the original. In order to expand the internal space area, increase the space for the location of the Buddhist altar and the location of the Buddha, the use of column reduction and column shifting is a bold innovation in the history of Chinese architecture. The Hall of Amitabha is the essence of the whole temple, especially known as the "Five Wonders".

No. 20 of Night Attractions in Shanxi

Shuozhou Old Town

Located in Shuozhou City, Shanxi Province, Shuozhou Old Town is an ancient city full of history and cultural heritage. As the historical core area of Shuozhou City, the Old Town attracts many tourists and history lovers with its well-preserved ancient buildings and profound cultural heritage. There are many buildings and relics of historical value in the Old Town, including ancient city walls, traditional courtyards and temples. These buildings not only demonstrate the exquisite craftsmanship of ancient Chinese architecture, but also reflect the important position of Shuozhou in history. Walking through the streets of the Old Town, visitors can feel the strong historical atmosphere, as if traveling back in time. In addition, Shuozhou Old Town is also famous for its rich folk culture. Local traditional festivals, handicrafts and local cuisine provide tourists with a diverse cultural experience. Especially during festivals, the Old Town will hold various folk performances and market activities to showcase the unique cultural charm of Shuozhou.

No. 1 of Fall Viewing Attractions in Shuozhou

Guangwu Great Wall

The Guangwu Great Wall starts from the east of Baicaokou River in Daixian County, Xinzhou City in the west, and ends at Xinguangwu Village in Shanyin County, Shuozhou City in the east, with a total length of 10 kilometers. This section of the Great Wall was built by Li Jingyuan, the governor of the capital, in the thirty-third year of the Wanli reign of the Ming Dynasty (1605). This line is also a mature donkey line, which is very famous among donkey friends. According to historical records, this section of the Great Wall is made of bricks and stone, with stone tombs at the bottom, bricks above, and soil construction inside, 6-10 meters high, 4 meters wide at the top, and 5 meters wide at the bottom. The towers, the enemy towers, the fortresses are disposed of in the narrow, and the secret doors are set up, and the east-west extension is connected to the outer Great Wall. Today, many of these brick walls have been demolished by locals to build houses, leaving only some remnants of the city walls and wall stacks. There are also many castles scattered inside and outside the Great Wall. Xinguangwu City is one of them. This kind of castle on the edge of the Ming Dynasty is usually planted, and it is used for expeditions during wartime. This is also the second line of defense to defend the Central Plains when the Great Wall defense line of the Datong Line is broken through. You can charter a car from Shanyin or Daixian to the scenic spot.

Fogong Monastery

The core of Yingxian Wooden Pagoda Scenic Area - Fogong Temple, carries thousands of years of history and culture, and shines brightly in the long river of time. Fogong Temple was first built in the second year of Qingning in the Liao Dynasty (1056 AD). At that time, Emperor Xingzong of Liao agreed to build it under the advocacy of Empress Xiao. Monk Tian was ordered to build it, and it was later completed in the sixth year of Jin Mingchang (1195 AD). The temple is arranged along the central axis, with buildings such as the mountain gate, wooden tower, and brick gatehouse distributed in sequence. In front of the mountain gate, the bell and drum towers on the east and west sides echo each other; when you step into it, the east and west side halls have their own characteristics. The east hall enshrines the guardian deity of the temple, while the west hall has a statue of Bodhidharma. The most eye-catching thing in the temple is the Sakya Pagoda of Fogong Temple, which is also known as the Yingxian Wooden Pagoda. It is the only existing pure wooden pavilion-style ancient tower in China. It looks like a five-story, six-eave tower, but it actually has nine floors, with five visible floors and four hidden floors. The tower houses 34 colorful statues and about 304.65 square meters of murals. It also excavated and restored 160 Liao Dynasty cultural relics, including two particularly precious Buddha tooth relics.​

Shahu Pass Scenic Area

Shahu Pass Scenic Area is located at the junction of Shanxi Province and Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region in Youyu County, Shuozhou City, Shanxi Province, with theAncient Great Wallto the north and theCangtou Riverto the west. During the Ming Dynasty, troops were frequently dispatched from this pass to defend against the southward invasions of the Oirat Mongols, hence it was named "Shahu Pass" (literally "Kill the Hu Pass"). In 1925, the National Army led by Feng Yuxiang was stationed here, and the garrison commander Han Duofeng renamed it "Shahu Pass" (using the character for "tiger" instead of "Hu") to ease tensions. The terrain here is strategically perilous, with a 3,300m long, narrow corridor formed between the eastern and western mountains, creating a natural pass. It was also an important tax checkpoint in history. During the Ming and Qing dynasties, it became the birthplace and main thoroughfare for Shanxi merchants. The birthplace of the once-thriving "Dashengkui" trading firm is located here. Additionally, the "West Pass" mentioned in the "Zou Xikou" (Journey to the West) refers toShahu Pass. Here you can find the majesticAncient Great Wall, the well-preserved Shahu Fortress, rows of beacon towers, the desolate and primitive ancient battlefield, the Changlu Slope ancient road which is rare in the province, and the exquisitely crafted ancient music pavilion.

Mayi Museum

The Mayi Museum is the Shuozhou Museum, the hometown museum of Zhang Liao and Yu Chigong.

Shuozhou Ancient City Site

The ancient city of Shuozhou in the Northern Qi Dynasty and the ancient city of Shuozhou in the late Yuan and early Ming Dynasty are located in the Shuocheng District of the present Shuozhou City. According to the records of Shuozhou Chronicle, the exact construction age of the ancient city wall was founded in the eighth year of Tianbao in the Northern Qi Dynasty (557). The Sui, Tang, Liao and Jin dynasties continued to use it, and it has a history of 1439 years. It was expanded on the old site of Mayi City in Qin and Han Dynasties. At the end of the Yuan Dynasty and the beginning of the Ming Dynasty, half of the northwest city wall was omitted, and the Shuozhou city was rebuilt using the north Qi city wall in the southeast corner. The ancient city of Northern Qi is rectangular in plan, with a length of 1,800 meters from north to south, a width of 1,600 meters from east to west, and a circumference of 6,800 meters, covering a total area of 2.88 million square meters. The existing city wall has a residual height of about 8 meters, a bottom width of about 15 meters, and a top width of about 10 meters. The structure of the upper part of the city wall is unknown. Shuozhou City, built in the late Yuan and early Ming Dynasty, was encased in the southwest corner of the northern Qi city. At that time, the city wall was 12 meters high, the battlements were 2 meters high, the total height was 14 meters, and the circumference was 4,000 meters. There are 4 gate towers and 4 piers. The four gates are called Wende Gate in the east, Wuding Gate in the west, Chengen Gate in the south, and Zhensai Gate in the north. Except for the south city wall, city gate, west city wall, city gate, and urn city, all other buildings have been destroyed. The streets and alleys in the city are basically kept in the original system.

Ying County Wooden Pagoda Scenic Area - Yingzhou Ancient City Wall Site