Day 1 National → → → → → → Zhengzhou Assembly Day
All day
All-day Zhengzhou gathering day
Tourists will check in at the designated hotel after 2:00 PM. Please report "China-Travel Note + Name" to the front desk and proceed to free time. Please keep your belongings safe and take care of yourself.
Recommended attractions
There are only Henan Drama Fantasy City, Jianye Film Town, Erqi Memorial Tower, Big Corn, People's Park, Zhengzhou Museum, Zhengzhou Confucian Temple, Shangdu Ruins Museum, Zhengzhou Art Museum, Zhengzhou Science and Technology Museum, Kaifeng Qingming Riverside Park, etc.
Food recommendations
Mutton stewed noodles, spicy soup, Yellow River carp, nepeta knot soup, Geji braised pancakes, baked steamed buns with vegetables, Caiji steamed dumplings, Tielaoda mutton soup, baked carp noodles, fried jelly, Laojun roast chicken, etc.
Traffic Tips
From Xinzheng Airport, Zhengzhou East Railway Station, and Zhengzhou Railway Station, you can take the subway, taxi, and bus to the city center hotel. Pick-up service is not included, so please make your own way to the meeting hotel.
Day 2 Zhengzhou → Fucheng Jade Emperor Temple → Qinglian Temple → Xiaonan Village Erxian Temple → Check in Gaoping
All day
After breakfast, we will go to the Fucheng Jade Emperor Temple, a masterpiece in the history of Chinese sculpture, and a rare Taoist Twenty-Eight Constellations colored sculpture.
The Jade Emperor Temple's various halls contain statues from the Song, Yuan, and Ming dynasties. The Yuan Dynasty statues of the Twenty-Eight Constellations are the most impressive in the temple. Inferred to be the work of the great Yuan Dynasty sculptor Liu Luan, these statues are characterized by Greek noses, slender waists, and rich and profound facial expressions, representing the pinnacle of ancient Chinese sculpture. The Twenty-Eight Constellations painted sculptures exemplify the fusion of realism and romanticism in ancient Chinese sculpture, fully leveraging the maximum and richest expressive potential of clay sculpture. Some deities are as calm as water, while others are extraordinarily flamboyant. Their flowing clothing creates a sense of presence outside the temple, evoking a celestial palace, evoking the feeling of "the gates of the Nine Heavens open to the throne, and the people of all nations pay homage to the emperor."
Afterwards we went to [Qinglian Temple] National Three, where the drowning was reborn, the flowers bloomed for a thousand years, the beauty of the Tang Dynasty was not limited to Dunhuang, and the top of the Tang Dynasty sculptures in Shanxi
Qinglian Temple is divided into the Upper Temple and the Lower Temple. The Upper Temple, built during the Tianbao period of the Northern Qi Dynasty, boasts ten steles inscribed with calligraphy from the Tang, Song, Ming, and Qing dynasties, featuring regular, cursive, official, and seal scripts. These inscriptions are valuable resources for studying temple history and calligraphy. The Lower Temple, built during the second year of the Tang Dynasty's Dahe era, comprises two main halls, the North and South Halls, and a stupa. The seven painted sculptures within the Maitreya Hall are relics of the Tang Dynasty. Qinglian Temple is renowned for its 54 existing Tang and Song Dynasty painted sculptures, the Song Dynasty sculptures employing four different gilding techniques. These techniques, a product of contemporary innovation, imbue each statue with a profound sense of history. Within the ancient Qinglian Temple, the Guanyin statue, a double-sided woven wall halo, is particularly striking. This statue, unlike the more common female Guanyin, features a rare male figure, highlighting the unique charm of ancient Buddhist culture.
During the summer and autumn of 2021, Qinglian Temple faced the threat of flooding after three consecutive periods of heavy rain. The sustained, exceptionally heavy rainfall, unprecedented in a century, plunged this ancient temple, nestled deep in the mountains, into a critical situation. After three years of concerted efforts, Qinglian Temple was successfully salvaged and repaired, marking a valuable exploration of social participation in post-disaster cultural relic restoration.
Afterwards, we went to [Xiaonan Village Erxian Temple] National Four, the local guardian goddess of Shangdang area, and their gorgeous heavenly palaces and pavilions.
Erxian Temple is dedicated to the two sisters known as the "Zhenze Erxian," and is primarily a folk cult. The "Zhenze Erxian" refers to two sisters, Chonghui and Chongshu, who lived in a village near Lingchuan and Huguan in ancient times. The sisters sought spiritual cultivation in the Western Mountains and ultimately achieved enlightenment. They benefited the people of southeastern Shanxi, granting them their prayers. To express their gratitude, the local people built temples and set up censers for their worship. This explains the abundance of Erxian Temples in southeastern Shanxi. According to statistics, there are over 50 Erxian Temples throughout the region, and the Jincheng Erxian Temple boasts the oldest preserved statues of the two immortals in the region. The main hall is a classic Northern Song Dynasty wooden structure. Inside, a stunning wooden shrine, the "Heavenly Palace Pavilion," is intricately detailed with brackets, double-height corridors, and multi-story pavilions. The complex, breathtaking structure is a reference to the "Yingzaofashi" (Architectural Style). The Song Dynasty statues flanking it are also incredibly lifelike.
Stay in Gaoping at night, you can enjoy shopping, eating and rest~
Day 3 Gaoping → Tiefu Temple → Chongqing Temple → Faxing Temple → Check in Changzhi
All day
After breakfast, we will go to Gaoping Iron Buddha Temple. "Black Myth: Wukong" is online and it's a hit. Why is it so popular here?
Gaoping Iron Buddha Temple, named after an Iron Buddha statue that was returned to the temple in the seventh year of the Jin Dynasty's Dading reign, gained widespread public attention in 2010 during a field trip by faculty and students from the Sculpture Department of the Central Academy of Fine Arts. The temple stands as a tangible example of the transitional evolution of local architectural styles from the Jin and Yuan dynasties to the Ming dynasty. The 27 existing statues are arranged in the order of the Twenty-Four Heavenly Kings, with the Four Heavenly Kings at the corners and Yang Jian and Guan Yu at the southern end, a distinctly southeastern Shanxi style. Each statue is constructed with extensive iron wire, embodying the core construction technique of "iron for the skeleton and iron for the form," imbuing the painted sculptures with a sense of depth and dimension. The sculptures' bold silhouettes, exaggerated body language and expressions, and richly layered drapery are truly unique and unparalleled. You will surely be deeply moved by this artistic technique of exaggeration.
Afterwards, we went to [Faxing Temple] and walked into the three wonders of Faxing Temple, where we could appreciate the beauty of the twelve statues of the Perfect Enlightenment Bodhisattva and the harmonious and unhindered Heaven.
There are three wonders in Faxing Temple: the stupa from the Tang Dynasty, the burning lamp tower from the Tang Dynasty, and the colored sculptures from the Song Dynasty in the Yuanjue Hall.
The first thing that catches your eye upon entering the temple is the stupa, a two-story pavilion with a particularly spacious first floor. It resembles a pagoda but isn't, a temple but isn't, and is the only building of its kind to survive today with this unique style. The second unique feature is one of only three Tang Dynasty burning towers still extant in China, of which the one at Faxing Temple is exceptionally intricately shaped, meticulously carved, and well-preserved, earning it the distinction of a treasure of ancient stone sculpture. The third unique feature is the Song Dynasty sculpture of the "Twelve Perfect Enlightenment Bodhisattvas," hailed by art historians as the "crown of Song Dynasty Bodhisattva sculptures." Among the surviving Song Dynasty colored sculptures in my country, only the one here clearly bears a clear date and artist.
Afterwards, we went to [Changzhi Chongqing Temple] to experience the thousand-year beauty of the "Crown of Song Dynasty Sculpture" amidst the mountain breeze.
Built during the Northern Song Dynasty, Chongqing Temple, surrounded on three sides by mountains, is tranquil and exquisite. Its Thousand Buddha Hall is hailed as a "masterpiece of small, hip-and-gable-roofed wooden architecture from the early Northern Song Dynasty." The altar within the hall features one Buddha and two Bodhisattvas, with a reclining Guanyin statue behind them. The Eighteen Arhats in the Great Bodhisattva Hall are the earliest known surviving statues with precise dating. In June 1993, renowned sculptor Qian Shaowu, after inspecting them, praised them as "the crowning achievement of Song Dynasty sculpture," imbued with a profound sense of humanity. The Heavenly Kings in the Heavenly King Hall are the only and largest surviving Ming Dynasty colored sculptures in Changzhi. In Black Myth: Wukong, the Ten Yama Kings of Chongqing Temple are cleverly integrated into the game's landscape, serving as a mysterious bridge connecting the human world and the netherworld. Rendering effects have been applied to these ancient statues, imbuing them with new life. Players feel as if they've traveled through time and space, witnessing these guardians of the netherworld firsthand and experiencing the mystery and majesty of ancient legends.
Stay in Changzhi that night and try the local delicacies you won't want to miss: Shangdang cured donkey meat, crispy fire-baked bread, Lucheng shuangbing (a type of pancake), Changzi fried pancake, Qinzhou dry steamed bun, and Huguan mutton soup.
Day 4 Changzhi → Guanyin Hall → Dayun Temple → Longmen Temple → Disband at Anyang East Station
All day
After breakfast, walk into the Changzhi Guanyin Hall to experience the shocking effects of the hanging sculptures.
Built during the Wanli reign of the Ming Dynasty, the Guanyin Hall houses over 500 statues of various sizes within this small, three-room hall. It is one of the three best-preserved Ming Dynasty hanging sculptures in Shanxi Province. Entering the hall, one cannot help but be captivated, transported by a breathtaking, vibrant world of art. The statues, some seated on the altar, some leaning against the gables, some resting on pillars, and some gazing from the rafters, range from majestic and powerful to graceful and elegant, some serene and benevolent, and some possessing a handsome expression. From the Eighteen Arhats, the Twenty-Four Devas, and the Twelve Perfect Enlightenment Bodhisattvas to the popular deities of Confucianism, Buddhism, and Taoism, interspersed with pavilions, towers, exotic flowers, and auspicious clouds and lightning, the hall is truly a feast for the eyes! This is a true record of the religious beliefs and spiritual aspirations of the people of the Shangdang region during the Ming Dynasty. It also exemplifies the mutual learning and integration of Confucianism, Buddhism, and Taoism over thousands of years of historical development. It vividly embodies the unique intertwining dynamics of religion in my country and serves as a valuable resource for studying the historical development of Chinese religion and folk beliefs.
Afterwards, we went to Dayunyuan, one of the six existing wooden structures from the Five Dynasties period in China. The walls are covered with Five Dynasties murals depicting immortals in the wind and rain.
Dayun Temple, one of three Five Dynasties wooden structures in Shanxi Province, is renowned for the Five Dynasties murals preserved in its Amitabha Hall. 22 square meters of Five Dynasties murals cover the east and fan-shaped walls of the Great Buddha Hall, making them the only known surviving examples of these murals in ancient Chinese Buddhist temples and halls. The east mural depicts "Vimalakirti's Transformation," while the back depicts "Western Pure Land Transformation," with a celestial palace and pavilion suspended overhead. Due to the erosion of time and human damage, much of the mural has become blurred. Life is short, so don't miss out on these fragile yet beautiful pieces.
Afterwards, we will go to Longmen Temple, one of the ancient wooden structures of the Five Dynasties, which combines the architecture of the Five Dynasties, Song, Jin, Yuan, Ming and Qing Dynasties.
Longmen Temple is renowned for its diverse collection of existing buildings spanning a wide range of ages and roof styles, encompassing architecture from the Five Dynasties, Song, Jin, Yuan, Ming, and Qing dynasties. This unique site in China holds invaluable historical research and cultural value. The temple's West Side Hall, originally built in the Northern Qi Dynasty, is a unique example of a gabled wooden structure in China. While the courtyard is small, it encompasses a wide range of architectural styles and forms, facilitating comparison and study, while also creating a sense of winding paths leading to a secluded retreat. It's well worth a visit.
The estimated arrival time at Anyang East Station is around 18:30. It is recommended to buy a train after 19:30.
Due to the large number of high-speed trains between Anyang East Station and Zhengzhou East Station, tourists with transportation difficulties can choose to return from Zhengzhou. The tour will not be sent to Zhengzhou for disbanding. Please understand!
