Strong friendship and connected love! This was a recent visit by the reporter, which was carefully planned and organized by the Beijing Target Action Zhao Xiangjie and Zhang Qiuyue, conveners Geng Heping, Zou Xiaofei and others. Comrades from the eight regiments of the Heilongjiang Production and Construction Corps of the Shenyang Military Region of the former People's Liberation Army participated in the "Shanxi-Shaanxi Grand Canyon" inspection and collection activities.

Departure from the assembly place (Photo: Feng Ganyong)

On the morning of October 8, 2021, 40 group members from all over the capital gathered at Anhui Building, the departure venue, to wait for departure. Who wanted to wait for the bus to travel was late and did not arrive until 08:35. Faced with the long wait in the cold weather, everyone was a little unhappy.

Geng Heping greets everyone (Photo: Feng Ganyong)

However, when the car started and witnessed the rolling traffic along the route and the serious congestion of the road, coupled with the witty opening remarks and sincere apologies from the organizers of this event, Geng Heping and Zhao Xiangjie, everyone quickly turned the unhappiness in their hearts into laughter of understanding... So, the next exciting journey that we are looking forward to really kicked off...

Scenery along the way (Photo: Feng Ganyong)

It may also be God's reward for everyone waiting for the train in the early morning for the cold. That day, we caught a sunny and good weather. The bus left Beijing and drove onto the highway. There were few vehicles on the road and the scenery outside the window was endless. In an instant, the scenery around the Badaling Great Wall came into people's eyes one after another.

First group photo after traveling (Photo: Feng Ganyong)

At 13:30, the Jinsha-Shaanxi Grand Canyon tour team arrived at the first stop of the famous wooden pagoda in Ying County in Shanxi after nearly five hours 'drive. In order to make up for everyone's shortcomings in waiting for the long time this morning, Zhao Xiangjie, president of the organizer Target Action Cultural Tourism Group, changed the lunch originally planned to be taken care of by him to entertain everyone at the Fengzeyuan Hotel in Ying County. The rich dishes allowed everyone to enjoy an emotional Shanxi-style lunch after traveling.

Walking into the wooden tower in Ying County (Photo: Feng Ganyong)

At 14:30, the reporter walked with the team to the famous wooden pagoda scenic area in Ying County. In front of the archway in the scenic area, the team left their first group photo after traveling. After that, he entered the scenic spot under the guidance of a local tour guide. At the same time, the tour guide's vivid explanations began to ring in people's ears.

The gate of the scenic spot (Photo: Feng Ganyong)

Located in the Fogong Temple in the northwest of Ying County, Shuozhou, Shanxi Province, the Sakya Pagoda, commonly known as the wooden pagoda in Ying County, is fully known as the Sakya Pagoda in Fogong Temple. It was built in the second year of Qingning in Liao Dynasty (the third year of Zhihe in Song Dynasty, 1056 AD) and completed in the sixth year of Mingchang in Jin Dynasty (the first year of Qingyuan in Southern Song Dynasty, 1195 AD). It is the tallest, oldest and only existing wooden tower building in China. Together with the Leaning Tower of Pisa in Italy and the Eiffel Tower in Paris, it is also called "the world's three largest towers." In 2016, the Sakyamuni Pagoda was recognized by the Guinness World Records as the world's tallest wooden pagoda.

Ying County Wooden Pagoda Scenic Area (Photo: Feng Ganyong)

As the world's oldest wood-structure stupa, the Ying County wooden tower is 67.31 meters high, the bottom floor has a diameter of 30.27 meters, and has a flat octagonal shape. The entire tower consumes 3000 cubic meters of red pine wood and more than 2600 tons. It has a pure wood structure and no nails or riveting.

Photo taken on the wooden pagoda cultural relic stele (Photo: Geng Heping)

According to research, in the past thousand years, in addition to withstanding day and night, four seasons, wind, frost, rain and snow erosion, the wooden towers in Ying County have also been attacked by many strong earthquakes. There have been more than a dozen earthquakes with a crack of more than five degrees.

Back courtyard of the scenic area (Photo: Feng Ganyong)

Historical records show that in April of the ninth year of the Yuan Dade, a strong 6.5-magnitude earthquake occurred on Datong Road, with a sound like thunder and affecting the wooden pagoda. During the reign of Emperor Yuan Shun, on the seventh day of the Yingzhou earthquake, all the houses and buildings beside the tower collapsed, but only the wooden tower stood still.

A wooden tower surrounded by greenery (Photo: Feng Ganyong)

In modern times, several major earthquakes in Xingtai, Tangshan, Datong, and Yanggao all affected Ying County. The wooden towers shook greatly, and all the wind chimes shook for more than a minute. After that, the wooden towers still stood tall. The ruthless lightning strikes and the fierce winds outside the Great Wall for years have all exerted excessive power on the wooden tower. The chaos of war and chaos, and the smoke of war have also damaged the wooden tower's muscles and bones.

Freeze the happy moment (Photo: Feng Ganyong)

Especially during the warlord scuffle in 1926, the wooden pagoda in Ying County was shot more than 200 times, and the bullet marks are still visible. However, the wooden tower is strong and unyielding, and it still stands tall and piercing into the sky.

Corner of the wooden tower (Photo: Feng Ganyong)

Ancient and modern literati in Ying County have researched the historical origin of its place names in many ways. Ming Tianhui once explained that it was named after the two mountains of Yanmen and Longshou echoed each other, which was obviously a coincidence. The Buddhist scriptures say that the sacred objects of the Buddha "correspond to the heaven of heaven above and the cuteness below, but actually correspond to the earth." "Heaven's Way, Group Meng" means gods in the sky and all living beings on the earth. The place where the Buddha's bones and teeth appear is the "Yingdi".

Photo taken in the wooden pagoda scenic area (Photo: Yang Jianmin)

The origin of the ancient name of Ying County as "Yingzhou" is the same. A pair of Buddha's teeth reappeared in the world in the "Yingdi" Ying County, showing the unique cause of victory here. Ying County must be the Ying County in the world. The Sakyya Pagoda is of course the only ashram where Buddha appears in the world.

The wooden tower under the blue sky (Photo: Feng Ganyong)

Wandering in the wooden pagoda scenic area and looking up at the towering wooden pagoda under the blue sky and white clouds is very spectacular. I can't help but sigh with the high technology of the ancients to solve architectural problems. Even modern people find it unbelievable and magical.

Looking up at the wooden tower plaque (Photo: Feng Ganyong)

Especially when you look closely at its architecture, you can feel the profoundness of ancient Chinese architectural art. For example, the outer eaves of the corridor on the bottom floor of the tower are supported by 24 wooden columns. When at rest, each column on the lower floor carries 120 tons. However, there is no nest mortar at all on the stone foundation under the column. The scene of the wooden column's section standing directly flat on the stone foundation is really amazing today. It is said that a curious person once held a string with both hands and crossed it between stone foundations and wooden pillars. Therefore, there is a folk legend that 24 wooden pillars take turns intermittently.

Lower corner of the wooden tower (Photo: Feng Ganyong)

Walking into the tower, you will see the Buddha statue of Sakyamuni on the first floor, which is 11 meters high. Looking up in the tower, you will feel even more majestic. Surrounded by murals of King Kong, King Kong, disciples, and donors, are exquisite and vivid, which is a unique painting style of the Liao Dynasty.

Wooden Tower and Bell Tower (Photo: Feng Ganyong)

The entire tower is equipped with wooden stairs that can be climbed step by step to each floor. Each floor you climb will have a different landscape. But nowadays, in order to protect cultural relics, it is no longer possible to climb up the stairs and overlook the scenery outside the tower. However, the landscape inside the tower can still be savor and admired carefully.

Photo taken in front of the wooden tower (Photo: Feng Ganyong)

In particular, the tour guide explained the several floors that could not be climbed, which made up for the regret of not being able to climb the tower. The second layer became suddenly enlightened due to the light coming from all directions. One master Buddha, two Bodhisattva and two assistant followers were arranged in a vivid manner.

Wooden Pagoda Cultural Relics Monument (Photo: Feng Ganyong)

The third, fourth and fifth floors are also equipped with Bodhisattva statues of Buddha statues. The statues on each layer are different and constructed differently. In particular, a silver sill couplet on the third floor is well written: "Look at the eyes of thousands of miles, try to pick your clothes and come up to the sixth floor." The wooden couplet on the east and west side of the outer trough on the third floor reads: "Looking down at the mulberry trees rolling and waves lingering like a belt, facing the Hengyue Mountains in the distance, the green peaks are like screens," revealing the refreshing scenery of mountains, rivers and forests around them. The most special thing is that the Buddha statues enshrined in this tower are very large and have high sculpture skills. Among the countless pagodas in China, they are all outstanding in terms of architectural techniques, interior decoration and sculpture skills.

Temples in Muta Scenic Area (Photo: Feng Ganyong)

The group members were really lucky. They came to visit the wooden pagoda in Ying County, Shanxi Province, and just in time for the performance of the local opera "Playing with Children", which "Shanxi Province 2021 is on the verge of performing operas to benefit the people." Playing children, also known as cough cough, is one of the traditional operas that are popular among audiences in Datong, Shanxi.

Local drama plays with children (Photo: Feng Ganyong)

"Shua Children" is a type of opera sound-tune drama named after the name Qupai. It originated from the middle reaches of the Sanggan River and was once active in Datong, Shuozhou, Shenchi and Wuzhai in northwest Shanxi, Hohhot, Baotou and other places in Inner Mongolia, and is deeply loved by the audience. There were already class clubs to play with children during the Jiaqing and Daoguang periods of the Qing Dynasty, and it was formed at least before that. Playing with children is a wonderful flower in the opera garden of the motherland and is praised by experts as a "living fossil in the history of drama."

Arrive at the ancient city of Shuozhou (Photo: Feng Ganyong)

The trip to the Shanxi-Shaanxi Grand Canyon successfully ended the sightseeing tour of the wooden pagoda in Ying County and continued to drive forward, arriving at Chongfu Temple in Shuozhou, the second scenic spot in Shanxi, at 16:40 that day. Here, he was warmly received by Mr. Zhang Qingjun, Secretary-General of Shanxi Shuozhou Tourism Association, who personally served as the explanation of Chongfu Temple.

Chongfu Temple (Photo: Feng Ganyong)

Walking into the solemn courtyard of Chongfu Temple, Zhang Qingjun introduced to the group members that Chongfu Temple is located on the east side of the ancient city of Shuozhou, Shanxi Province and is a national key cultural relic protection unit. Chongfu Temple has mountain gate, Tianwang Hall, Bell Tower, Drum Tower, Thousand Buddha Pavilion, Manjusri Hall, Tibetan Hall, Third Hall, Amitabha Hall, Guanyin Pavilion and other buildings. The Jin Dynasty buildings, statues and murals in the temple are well preserved, making it an ancient temple with high historical value.

Chongfu Temple Courtyard (Photo: Feng Ganyong)

This temple was built in the second year of Linde of the Tang Dynasty (665). The main hall, Amitabha Hall, was built in the third year of the reign of Emperor Xizong of the Jin Dynasty (1143). It has a history of more than 850 years. Its buildings, statues, murals, glaze, door and window partitions, plaques under eaves, ink inscriptions and other cultural relics of the Jin Dynasty have gone through more than 800 cold and heat and remain intact. It is rare and valuable.

Stone lion statue in the temple (Photo: Feng Ganyong)

As the main hall and the largest hall in the temple, Mituo Hall is tall and spacious. The roof of the hall is trimmed with green glaze. The front eaves and window lattice flowers in the hall are elegant and exquisite. It is a well-preserved work of the Jin Dynasty in China. On the Buddhist altar, there are three sitting statues of the "Three Saints of the West". On both sides of the main statue, there are four bodies of the Buddha and two Vajra Vajra. These statues are all original works of the Jin Dynasty, with simple and exquisite sculptures.

Mituo Hall of Chongfu Temple (Photo: Feng Ganyong)

The Amitabha Hall is located on a tall platform with a height of 2.4 meters. There is a spacious platform in front of the platform, which makes the temple tall, majestic and magnificent. Under the eaves of the front of the hall, there is a vertical plaque of "Amitabha Hall" hanging, which is the original object of the 24th year of the Jin Dynasty (1184). The hall has seven rooms wide, a total width of 40.96 meters, and a depth of four rooms and eight rafters, 22.31 meters. The hall is a single-eared mountain top with a total height of about 21 meters.

Photo taken in front of the Hall of Amitabha (Photo: Feng Ganyong)

The five rooms in front of the hall are separated doors, and the rear eaves and two end rooms are each equipped with two large doors to allow visitors to enter the hall. In order to expand the internal space area, pay attention to the five rooms, subtract the middle pillar, and leave only two of the four gold pillars in the front slot and move them to the center line of the secondary room, increasing the space for the location of the Buddhist altar and the Buddhist ceremony. This reduction and relocation of pillars are bold innovations in the history of architecture in our country.

Visiting the Amitabha Hall (Photo: Feng Ganyong)

Walking into the Amitabha Hall, I saw the statues inside, distributed on the four-span Buddhist altar. The main statue sat down. In the middle is Amitabha Buddha, on the left is Amitabha Bodhisattva, and on the right is Daqi Bodhisattva. Buddhism calls it the "Three Saints of the West". On both sides of the main statue, four Bodhisattva statues are sculpted, with their bodies bent and curved; two Vajra Vajra standing at the two corners of the stage, majestic and vigorous, with eyes wide open. It seems to be fulfilling their respective duties of protecting the law. These colored sculptures were all created during the construction of the temple. Although they were redecorated in the Ming Dynasty, their shape, body, clothing, and appearance have not changed much. They are still treasures among the statues of the Jin Dynasty in my country.

Corner of Bell and Drum Tower (Photo: Feng Ganyong)

In addition to the above-mentioned glorious halls and pavilions, Chongfu Temple also retains woodcarvings and pavilions shaped Buddhist shrines, stone carvings and many unearthed cultural relics from the Tang, Liao and Song dynasties. Among them, stone statues of the Liao Dynasty and stone towers and temples of the Northern Wei Dynasty are also very eye-catching.

Night view of Haiyuan Hotel (Photo: Feng Ganyong)

After the visit to Chongfu Temple, the first day of the trip to the Shanxi-Shaanxi Grand Canyon also came to a successful conclusion. That evening, Zhang Qingjun warmly hosted all the delegation members in the Northwest Oat Noodle Village on behalf of the tourism industry in Shuozhou. Everyone tasted an authentic Northwestern meal and then stayed at Shuozhou Haiyuan Hotel. (Photo and text: Feng Ganyong)