Things to do in Ruicheng

Yongle Palace was built to commemorate Lü Dongbin. The entire building is grand in scale. In the 1960s, it was moved here to make way for the construction of the Sanmenxia Reservoir. As a result, the original site was not flooded, so the combined ticket also includes a visit to the original site. The most famous is the Yuan Dynasty mural "Chaoyuan Tu" in the Wuji Hall.

The Guangrenwang Temple in Ruicheng, Yuncheng, is one of the few remaining Tang Dynasty wooden structures in China and a fifth batch of National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units. The ancient temple sits atop a loess plateau, devoid of elaborate decorations; its simple yet robust brackets and walls perfectly embody the rustic and majestic spirit of Tang Dynasty architecture. Having withstood a thousand years of wind and rain, the temple retains the original Tang Dynasty structural features in its eaves and beams. This ancient building, far removed from the hustle and bustle of the countryside, stands quietly on the plateau, a must-see for anyone exploring early wooden architecture. A few words to say...

Yongle Palace The palace preserves the largest and most complete mural of a Taoist temple in the Yuan Dynasty, "Chao Yuan Tu", which is exactly 700 years old this year.   I finally know what the gods in Chinese mythology look like. It's so shocking. Photography is prohibited in the palace, but Liang Sicheng once said, "The roofs of ancient Chinese buildings are never dispensable." Chenghuang Temple This county-level Chenghuang Temple, commonly known as "Nan Temple", is the oldest and most complete building of its kind in the country. It was built during the Dazhong Xiangfu period of the Song Dynasty. The temple is a collection of ancient buildings from the Song, Yuan, Ming and Qing dynasties. The pavilion and backyard display nearly 100 monuments and statues from the Northern Wei Dynasty to the Sui and Tang Dynasties. Guangrenwang Temple One of the three existing wooden structures of the Tang Dynasty, the "Weather Bureau" of the Tang Dynasty, used to pray for rain. When navigating, the remote location made me suspect that I had gone the wrong way. Compared with the imitations of many cities in the Tang Dynasty, I finally saw the real Tang Dynasty. I touched it secretly and felt the legacy of the Tang Dynasty with my own hands.

This place is known as the Little Egypt of Shanxi, and it is a real site, unlike those broken things in Egypt, which are all modern forgeries. After investigation, it was found that this is an ancient site dating back 1.8 million years ago and is currently the earliest evidence of human use of fire in China.

The ancestral temple of Guan Yu, one of the 30,000 temples worldwide, is indeed magnificent and awe-inspiring. Several emperors personally inscribed plaques, making it a royal temple exuding grandeur. It's a bit far from the city center, so it's advisable to plan your time accordingly.

The transition between seasons, especially between summer and autumn, is a particularly good time to climb Wulaofeng. Firstly, it's not too hot, and secondly, the scenery changes distinctly with the seasons. Therefore, it's considered a relatively less-visited mountain near Yuncheng.

It's pretty good. There are supermarkets and parks nearby.

It opened on the 2nd yesterday. It was a long walk. The scenic area has a big height difference. There is the Yellow River Pearl Hotel inside. There was heavy rain this year and many landslides. Fortunately, there is a small transportation system at the foot of the mountain, otherwise it would be too tiring. Shanxi has rich tourism resources, but it's a pity that the management and operation are a bit poor. Goodbye Ruicheng.

If you go to Shengxin Lake when there are the most swans, you will definitely encounter a very pleasant surprise! Whether it is the swans in various postures or the colorful scenery under the sunset, it is enough to make people linger and go back. Although there were only a hundred swans when we went there, it gave us, the late tourists, some comfort that we finally saw its true body! Look carefully, there is a seagull standing on the top of the Zhixin Pavilion, and its beak has turned black, which is a signal to return to its hometown in Siberia. I have seen flocks of seagulls flying freely in Kunming Dianchi Lake and Dali Erhai Lake. It is a surprise to see seagulls in Ruicheng! I think Shengxin Lake is getting better and better!

I hadn't originally planned to visit the Stork Tower, as it's a reconstruction completed in 2002. However, I came across a travelogue about climbing it, and perhaps the focus for modern people isn't so much on whether it's an ancient building, but rather on Wang Zhihuan's famous line, "To see a thousand miles further, climb one more story." When you reach the top and gaze into the distance—the Yellow River, the Zhongtiao Mountains, the blue sky and white clouds overhead, the wind blowing from Fengling Ferry—don't we feel the same sentiment as Wang Zhihuan back then? Sometimes, even a simple visit can lead to unexpected experiences. The scenic area has set up signature boards for each province, autonomous region, municipality, and region. Surprisingly, this tourist experience made the friendship between Qin and Jin (Shaanxi and Shaanxi) more tangible. The board for Shaanxi Province has already been replaced twice, as it's become too densely packed with signatures from friends from neighboring Shaanxi. The scenic area simply put up a sign at the very front of the signature corridor that reads "Qin People Gather!" It looks like it'll be full soon too.