Live Your Best Lives
"When I was young, I was strong and fierce, wandering alone with my sword in hand."
In 126 BC, at the beginning of the Western Han Dynasty, in the prosperous city of Chang'an, a 20-year-old young man who was not very worldly-wise packed his bags and said goodbye to his parents, starting to travel around the country, his footprints covering present-day Shandong, Henan, Hubei, Zhejiang, Jiangxi and other places.
His observations and feelings about the customs and cultures of many places laid a good foundation for him to write the "masterpiece of historians" in the future. Many tourists must have guessed that this young man was Sima Qian.
In 1930, China was engulfed in war. In order to decipher a "heavenly book" from the Song Dynasty, two architects traveled to hundreds of cities and counties over five years. Qin, Jin, Sichuan, Chongqing, Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Shandong and Henan all witnessed their visits to ancient sites.
As a result, countless ancient buildings and inscriptions were valued and protected. Later, they also compiled the pioneering work in my country's architectural field, "History of Chinese Architecture". They are Liang Sicheng and Lin Huiyin.
In 1940, a 12-member Northwest Art and Cultural Relics Survey Team braved the Japanese invasion and traveled from Chengdu to Xi'an to rescue and protect precious art and cultural relics. They visited the Mogao Grottoes in Dunhuang, the Longmen Grottoes in Henan, the Han and Tang Dynasty tombs in Guanzhong, Shaanxi, and Maijishan in Gansu, and preserved a wealth of valuable materials.
Whether it is Sima Qian, Liang Sicheng, Lin Huiyin or the Northwest Art and Cultural Relics Investigation Team, countless pioneers have traveled between mountains and rivers, discovering history and creating history.
Today, the baton of history has passed into our hands. As the saying goes, "Reading ten thousand books leads to traveling ten thousand miles." Having walked, seen, heard, touched, and felt deeply along the way, we finally understand that visiting ancient sites, though seemingly obscure and unattainable, is actually not far away from us.
Yinxu Museum
This year's bumper wheat harvest at the Song Tombs in Gongyi, Henan, sparked heated online discussion. The golden wheat, nestled among the nearly thousand-year-old stone statues, is perhaps the empathy inherent in every Chinese, forever captivated by the vastness and grandeur of Chinese history, a glimpse into a corner of past prosperity and a desire to witness the full splendor of a prosperous age.
Now, Xiaoxia would like to invite you to embark on a more in-depth ancient tour!
True travel is not about blindly following trends, repeating what others say, or just skimming the surface. Travel has its own story, especially when it comes to visiting ancient sites.
From Foguang Temple, we understand the hardships Liang Lin went through in his search for Tang Dynasty wooden structures; at Huayan Temple and Shanhua Temple in Datong, we look back at the century-long entanglement between the Liao and Jin dynasties in the northern frontier and the Central Plains.
The changes in the stone carvings under the Tang Dynasty imperial tombs indicate the decline of the prosperous era. Behind the splendor of the Xiangtangshan Grottoes is a dark and cruel era of chaos. Not every historical relic will tell the truth consistently.
The China-TravelNote program aims to help more people understand and better tell the stories of history. Whether good or bad, dark or noble, we seek the truth hidden in the dust of history.
Retracing Lianglin Road is a journey of in-depth exploration of ancient sites.
Since 2021, we have launched the Lianglin Road Retracing series of routes. The China-TravelNote Xi'an Station humanities product manager team of less than 20 people has visited the route dozens of times, walked tens of thousands of kilometers, and carefully polished and designed 10 routes, covering five provinces including Shanxi, Henan, Hebei, Shaanxi and Gansu. A total of 5,000+ tourists have visited cultural relics and historical sites with us, and these routes have been highly recognized by many tourists.
We will continue to expand ancient travel to more provinces in the future. If you have any places you want to go, please leave a message in the comment area!
Are you still worried that the explanation will just stick to the boring old days, with you reciting the length, width, and height of the building? Or are you worried that you don't have enough exposure to ancient cultural buildings and won't understand? Then just follow us!
We have specially invited knowledgeable and experienced teachers to accompany you throughout the entire journey, breaking down the obscure ancient knowledge into a language that is easy for everyone to understand, quoting classics and explaining it in simple terms, and taking you to explore the stories behind each ancient monument.
The big teachers are professional and patient, and the enthusiastic group members also like to help each other. If you have any confusion, you can raise it and discuss it with everyone. I guarantee you will gain a lot along the way!
If you limit yourself to seeing and hearing, a visit to a historical site would lack soul. Therefore, we have also included some activities that tourists can participate in firsthand, allowing you to fully immerse yourself in the wonders of history and culture.
Copy of the murals in Yongle Palace
Building the Dougong
Copy the murals in Yongle Palace, draw the gods with fluttering robes by yourself, and feel the straightness and agility of the lines; use your brains with your group members to build brackets under the ancient buildings and appreciate the ancient wisdom of mortise and tenon joints; tie a wishing belt in Wutai Mountain and pray for peace every year; learn to make flower buns in Shanxi and integrate into the local customs and culture.
Our trip to retrace Lianglin Road was not a decision made by a product manager sitting in his office on a whim, nor was it a decision made by pressing Ctrl+V after reading a few "must-see" posts online.
For each route, the product manager has gone through many trips and repeatedly verified the feasibility and depth of the route. At the same time, he looks at the long river of history, connects cultural coordinates one by one, and compares and verifies ancient buildings, murals, and colored sculptures from different eras along the way, taking you to trace the roots and explore why ancient Chinese architecture has developed into what we see.
We're brainstorming every day and absorbing the valuable knowledge from our renowned instructors, but we need to keep up the pace physically! So, we've arranged comfortable accommodations and local delicacies to help everyone recover quickly and say goodbye to the arduous cultural journey.
We've developed a unique and exquisite journal for visiting ancient sites. You can collect stamps, leave messages with your group members and expert teachers, and learn about Liang Lin's visit to the ancient sites. After the trip, you can take it home and keep it as a souvenir.
On this journey, you're not just a traveler, but also a cultural explorer. Come join Xiaoxia as he journeys through mountains, fields, bustling cities, and alleyways to uncover traces of history and experience the charm of China's rich history and culture.
To thank all tourists for their support, from June 26th to July 10th, the summer sale for the entire range of products of Retracing Lianglin Road is here!
Available all year round, refundable if not used or expired
June 26-July 10
Place an order for the Lianglin Road series of products
7-day tour, 200 yuan off
4-day tour, 100 yuan off
Can be combined with the 9.9 yuan discount coupon
Equivalent to a maximum discount of 300 yuan~
Conditions for participating in the lucky draw:
1. Purchase a 9.9 RMB off 100 RMB coupon for "Retracing Lianglin Road"
2. Scan the QR code below to join the group draw
prize:
One free trip to Shanxi (choose one of the following: Light of Ancient Buildings, Clouds on the Wall, Colorful Sculptures of Shangdang, or Buddhist Kingdom of Wutai Mountain)
One free trip to Hebei and Henan (choose one of Tiandizhong/Jizhou Aesthetics)
One free trip to Shaanxi and Gansu (choose one of the following: Eastern Valley of the Kings, Sanqin Historic Sites, or Longdong Grottoes Corridor)
Shanxi Ancient Buildings Map
Ancient Architecture Creative Notebook
200 points/100 points/50 points
Each person has one chance to enter the lucky draw every day. You can join the group at any time and enter the draw at any time! 100% chance of winning! Come and see who is our lucky fish!
This summer, let’s follow the big-name teachers on an in-depth ancient trip and walk the Lianglin Road again!
Visiting area: Northern Shanxi
This route is always ranked No. 1 in China-TravelNote's cultural routes, with 100% positive reviews from tourists who have visited. We will go to northern Shanxi to see the most wonderful ancient buildings!
2 Tang Dynasty wooden structures
There are three semi-Tang Dynasty structures still in existence in China, two of which are located in northern Shanxi, namely the Foguang Temple and Nanchan Temple that we are going to visit on this trip.
Nanchan Temple is the earliest existing wooden structure in China. Foguang Temple allowed Liang and Lin to turn the tide and refute the Japanese scholars' statement that "there are no more Tang Dynasty structures in China".
The huge brackets of Foguang Temple
Two thousand-year-old wooden wonders
The Hanging Temple and the Yingxian Wooden Pagoda, one has stood on a cliff for thousands of years without collapsing, and the other has been bombarded by artillery and destroyed by humans but still stands tall. The expert teacher interprets the "Legend of Mortise and Tenon Joints in China" for you.
4 Liao and Jin architectural complexes
Huayan Temple, Shanhua Temple, Chongfu Temple, and Jingtu Temple
It reached the pinnacle of art in architecture, murals, colored sculptures, caissons, glazed tiles and even doors and windows, and can be regarded as the best of Liao and Jin art.
The Western Heavenly King Guangmu of Shanhua Temple
1 Northern Wei Grotto
Entering the Yungang Grottoes, one is truly struck by the vibrant variety of carving styles. You can find styles from India and Central and West Asia, the rugged and heroic style of the Northern Wei Dynasty, and the delicate and refined images of localized Buddhism.
Visiting area: Southern Shanxi
There are 27,259.52 square meters of murals in Shanxi, accounting for more than 70% of the murals in temples and monasteries across the country. They have lasted for a thousand years from the Tang Dynasty to the Qing Dynasty. Walking along this route and accompanied by the teacher's explanation, you will have a deeper understanding of the thousand-year evolution of Chinese temple murals.
8 pinnacles of Chinese mural art: Yongle Palace, Guangsheng Temple Water God Temple, Qinglong Temple, Dayunyuan, Jiyi Temple, Zishou Temple, Kaihua Temple, Bofang Xianweng Temple
There are countless "only" Chinese murals here: Dayun Temple has the only extant Five Dynasties mural in China; Shuishen Temple has the only extant Yuan Dynasty opera mural in China; Kaihua Temple has the only extant Song Dynasty mural in China.
There is also the Yongle Palace, which has a low-key appearance and amazes the world with its "Chaoyuan Tu" painted with gods.
It is recommended to watch it in horizontal mode~
Four places filled with colorful sculptures of gods and Buddhas: Xiaoxitian Temple, Faxing Temple, Shuanglin Temple, and Zhenguo Temple
This is the true world of gods and Buddhas, the heavenly palace in the hearts of the ancients, especially the hanging sculptures in Xiaoxitian, which are lifelike and exquisite.
Little Western Paradise
Five Dynasties colored sculptures at Zhenguo Temple
5 ancient architectural wonders: Guangrenwang Temple, Guangsheng Temple, Feiyun Tower, Tiantai Temple, and Longmen Temple
Go see the Guangrenwang Temple, one of the three semi-Tang Dynasty structures in China, as well as the small mountain temples from the Five Dynasties period and the wonders of the wooden buildings on the banks of the Yellow River... You really can't get enough of seeing the ancient buildings in Shanxi!
Guangrenwang Temple
Feiyun Tower
Visiting area: Southern Shanxi
There are more than 12,000 colored sculptures in Shanxi, and countless of them are exquisite!
Qinglian Temple (Tang Dynasty)
Stepping into this thousand-year-old temple nestled deep in the mountains, you are greeted by the untold beauty of the Tang Dynasty in Dunhuang. The colored sculptures here can be called "the best Tang Dynasty sculptures in Shanxi."
(Song Dynasty) Chongqing Temple and Erxian Temple in Xiaonan Village
The Eighteen Arhats of Chongqing Temple each have a different expression; maids stand quietly at the Tiangong Pavilion of Erxian Temple. Three thousand worlds, countless beliefs...
Chongqing Temple
(Jin) Gaodu Dongyue Temple and Taiyin Temple
Taiyin Temple
(Yuan Dynasty) Fusheng Temple, Sanguan Temple, Longxing Temple, Jade Emperor Temple Twenty-Eight Constellations
Jade Emperor Temple
(Ming Dynasty) Guanyin Hall, Iron Buddha Temple, Taifu Temple
Guanyin Hall
Taifu Temple
Visiting area: Southeast Shanxi
Shangdang, considered a paradise by the ancients and the cradle of ancient Chinese architecture, is a place known as "alien to heaven." Changzhi boasts 73 nationally protected sites, Gaoping boasts 22, and Lingchuan boasts 17. Over one-fifth of Shanxi's nationally protected sites are nestled here, waiting for your exploration.
Ancient area: Mount Wutai
Half Buddhist kingdom, half mountain, you can pray devoutly in the temples of Mount Wutai; take a bus to the top of Mount Wutai to see the ultimate scenery; go to Nanchan Foguang Tanggou to appreciate the beauty of ancient buildings.
Puji Temple on the South Platform of Mount Wutai
Area of interest: Central and southern Hebei
When Yu the Great divided the country into nine provinces, Jizhou was the first. Hebei held an extremely important position in ancient times. Now, the phrase "So close, so beautiful, spend the weekend in Hebei" has become a global phenomenon. So, what exactly is so beautiful about Hebei? Let's explore it with our expert teachers!
The beauty of the grottoes
The North and South Xiangtangshan Grottoes inherit the Northern Wei Dynasty and usher in the Sui and Tang Dynasties. Beneath the beautiful stone carvings, there is a dark era. Listen to the teacher tell you the extreme contrast between art and the times.
The beauty of murals
The murals of Pilu Temple are masterpieces comparable to the murals of Yongle Palace in Shanxi and Dunhuang, and are known as "one of the four great murals in ancient China."
The beauty of the famous tower
The ceilings of the six ancient pagodas, including the Four Pagodas of Zhengding, the Flower Pagoda of Xiuding Temple, and the Wenfeng Pagoda of Tianning Temple, have different shapes and can be regarded as the pinnacle of China's extremely complex aesthetics.
The beauty of ancient bridges
Walk along the Zhaozhou Bridge and Yongtong Bridge, and follow the teacher to understand the "open-shoulder arch" structure, the first of its kind in the history of bridges in the world.
Zhaozhou Bridge
The beauty of ancient buildings
Here you can find Lu Xun's favorite Guanyin, as well as the cross-roofed Song Dynasty temple that shocked Liang Lin. More beauty of Longxing Temple is waiting for you to discover.
Longxing Temple Sitting Upside Down Guanyin
Mani Hall of Longxing Temple
Ancient area: Heluo area + Songshan area
This is the center of the world that the Chinese dynasties have been longing for since ancient times. From living in China to the center of heaven and earth, only after walking through here can you say that you understand China.
Dengfeng: Ancient Buildings in the Sky
On August 1, 2010, Dengfeng's "Heaven and Earth" historical building complex was listed as a cultural heritage on the UNESCO World Heritage List.
The Observatory in the Tiandizhong complex
"The Center of Heaven and Earth" includes 8 sites and 11 historical buildings, including Zhougong Observatory and Astronomical Observatory, Songyue Temple Pagoda, Taishi Que and Zhongyue Temple, Shaoshi Que, Qiumu Que, Songyang Academy, Huishan Temple, and Shaolin Temple Complex (including the Permanent Residence, Pagoda Forest and Chuzu Temple).
Qimu Que
Songyue Temple
Having gone through the Han, Wei, Tang, Song, Yuan, Ming and Qing dynasties, it is one of China's ancient architectural complexes with the longest time span, the most architectural types and the richest cultural connotations!
Songyang Academy
Luoyang: Exploring the Earliest China
The Erlitou culture opened the first chapter of the Chinese dynasty. Although the emperor's chariot of the Western Zhou Dynasty has been integrated into the earth, you can still get a glimpse of the grandeur of that huge dynasty.
The First Lord of China
Turquoise dragon-shaped vessel
The White Horse Temple symbolizes the first step of Buddhism into China, and the Longmen Grottoes witnessed the integration of the Han and the Hu peoples in the Northern Wei Dynasty and the prosperity of the Wu Zhou Dynasty in the Tang Dynasty.
White Horse Temple
Gongyi: Changes between the Northern Wei and Northern Song Dynasties
The Northern Wei Dynasty moved its capital and carried out Sinicization reforms, and a powerful dynasty began to dominate the world. The Gongyi Grottoes witnessed the ups and downs of this dynasty.
Zhao Kuangyin put on the yellow robe and the Northern Song Dynasty began to enter the historical stage. Nearly a thousand years have passed, and those emperors and generals have long been buried in the dust. Only the Northern Song Dynasty Imperial Tombs in Gongyi are still watching over the world in the wheat fields.
Ancient area: Guanzhong Xifu area
"Dust is flying in the 800-li Qinchuan Plain, and the emperor is buried in the loess of Shaanxi." The 72 imperial tombs of the Zhou, Qin, Han and Tang dynasties form the largest and most shocking Eastern Valley of the Kings in China.
Zhou: The glorious Zhou dynasty, the gateway to all nations
It's said that "Baoji is home to half the nation's bronzes." Over 20,000 Shang and Zhou bronzes have been unearthed in Baoji, including over 700 with inscriptions, representing 70% of China's total. The Baoji Bronze Museum showcases the splendor of the Zhou Dynasty, with its most striking treasure being the He Zun, inscribed with the inscription "Zhezi Zhongguo" (Zested Home in China).
He Zun
Qin: The mighty Qin, the king is about to raise an army
Qingong Tomb No. 1 houses Duke Jing of Qin, who reigned for over 40 years, allied with Chu to resist Jin, marking the first step in Qin's unification. This tomb holds five records in Chinese archaeology, constructed to the specifications of an emperor. You'll witness the collapse of rituals and music during the Warring States Period.
Han: Great Han Style, Desert Cavalry
Maoling, the tomb of Emperor Wu of Han, Liu Che, is the largest, longest-lasting, and richest of all Han dynasty imperial mausoleums, earning it the nickname "China's Pyramid." The bold, unrestrained, and powerful stone carvings convey the Han Dynasty's unwavering aura: "Whoever offends us will be punished, even though they are far away."
Tang Dynasty: The majestic and prosperous Tang Dynasty, Chang'an is still prosperous
Once the underground palace of Famen Temple is opened, it reveals half of the prosperous Tang Dynasty.
The wordless stele in Qianling Mausoleum demonstrates the broad mind of Wu Zetian; Li Shimin and his 22 founding generals in Zhaoling Mausoleum are a real-life version of "The Romance of Sui and Tang Dynasties"; the Tang Dynasty tomb murals in the underground palace show you the splendor of the prosperous Tang Dynasty court.
Qianling Mausoleum Stele without Inscriptions
Mausoleum of the Qin Emperor of the Tang Dynasty
Area for visiting ancient relics: Eastern Kanto Prefecture
From Cangjie to Sima Qian, from the King of Medicine Sun Simiao to the emperors of the Tang Dynasty, the Wei River Plain has left behind the traces of too many heroes.
The teacher takes you to visit China's most low-key national protected stone carving No. 004 in the first batch of national protected stone carvings. Liang Lin has visited here twice. This is the Yaowangshan Stone Carving, which combines inscriptions, grottoes, ancient buildings and murals.
Yaowangshan Stone Carvings
According to legend, Cangjie created 28 characters by observing the footprints of birds and beasts. The Cangjie Temple, which has a history of more than 2,000 years, is located in Baishui County, Shaanxi Province. Surrounded by 56 thousand-year-old trees, the dense cypresses with lush branches and leaves can block the scorching summer sun for you.
Next, we'll visit Hancheng, a city on the Yellow River where Sima Qian was born and buried, boasting 32 Yuan Dynasty wooden structures. We'll admire the exquisite ancient architecture, watch the Yellow River crash against its shores, and contemplate Sima Qian's challenging yet remarkable life.
Visiting area: Longdong area, Gansu
This is the starting point of the Silk Road. This is the low-key Longdong area (now Qingyang and Pingliang). There are more than 70 caves of various sizes, forming a cave corridor hundreds of miles long on both sides of the Jing River. From Chang'an to Longdong, there are caves, statues, murals, ancient buildings, and colored sculptures!
Daxiangshan Grottoes
Lashaosi Grottoes
Luohan Cave Grottoes
In the Buddhist kingdom of Maiji Mountain on the cliff, the gods and Buddhas in the hall seem to be ready to soar into the sky at any time; in the Seven Buddha Caves of the North and South Grottoes Temple, the 8-meter-high Buddha looks down on all living beings, with a square face and a majestic aura. Some experts believe that this is very likely the appearance of the seven emperors of the Northern Wei Dynasty.
Maijishan Grottoes
As Mr. Liang Sicheng said, "A nation's arrogance and inferiority complex all stem from ignorance of its own history and culture. Only by understanding its own past can it stand on an objective standpoint and develop deep national self-esteem."
I hope to continue on this journey of visiting ancient sites with everyone, and to tell everyone the stories behind the cultural relics and historical sites. Passion can withstand the passage of time.
Want to know more about ancient travel activities
Come and scan the QR code to join the group~
Copywriter @Zhaohui, Daxuanzi
Editor @Zhaohui
