Tianjinisagoodchoiceasatraveldestination.Withitscoolseabreezeandfreshseaairyouwilldefinitelyfeelrefreshed.Historicalrelics,naturalscenery,temples,churches,assemblyhallsandcommemorativesitesoftheChineserevolutionwillilluminateTianjin'spast,presentandfuture.Tianjinishonoredas'BuildingMuseum'asitwasoccupiedbynineimperialpowersbeforethefoundingofthenewChina,leavingbehindmanybuildingswithextraordinaryandexoticarchitecturalstyles,arealfeastfortheeye!InthefollowingtextletmegiveyouabriefintroductiontotheJinmenShijing(toptenscenicattractionsinTianjin).
HuangyaguanGreatWall:
LocatedinthemountainousareaofTianjin'snorthernJiCounty,theHuangyaguanGreatWallwasfirstbuiltduringtheNorthernQiDynasty(550-557)andrepairedinlargescalewithbricksduringtheMingDynasty(1368-1644).WhenappointedasthechiefcommandingofficerintheJiGarrison(oneoftheelevengarrisonsoftheMingDynasty),QiJiguangaddedwatchtowersandotherdefensiveworks.
TheHuangyaguanGreatWallcomesoutfirstinthetenmost-visitedsitesinTianjin.ItisconsideredtobeaminiatureoftheGreatWall.Theentiresectionisbuiltonanabruptmountainridge.Beingendowedwithbothnaturalbeautyandculturalinterest,ithasbecomefamousasanaturalbeautyspotandasummerresort.ThemajorscenicareaiscomposedofHuangyaguanPassandTaipingMountainStronghold.
HuangyaguanPass:In1984,thepeopleofTianjinspentthreeyearsrepairing3,308yardsofthemainwallfromBanlagangMountainintheeasttoWangmaodingMountaininthewest.Theyrestored20terraces,theHuangyaguanWaterGate,andtheBaguaCastle(theEightDiagramsCastle).Thedefensivesystemofthewalliscomplete.Watchtowers,frontiercities,drainholes,emplacements,barracksandotherindispensablemilitaryfacilitiesarearrangedorderlyalongthewall.Besides,thesteleforestsoftheGreatWall,BeijiTemple,theexhibitionhalloffamouscouplets,theGreatWallMuseum(thefirstmuseumalongtheGreatWall)andthePhoenixFortresshavebeennewlybuiltwithinthearea.
TaipingzhaiGreatWall:
SixmilessoutheastofHuangyaguanPassistheTaipingzhaiGreatWall,anotherimportantmountainstrongholdofthewallduringtheMingDynasty(1368-1644).ItisalsocalledTaipinganzhai,meaning"avillageofpeaceandprosperity".StartingfromBanlagangMountainintheeastandarrivingatGuafuTower(WidowTower)inthewest,itwindsthroughtheprecipitousmountainsforabout955yards.
ThewallisanimportantcomponentofHuangyaguanGreatWall.Therearesixwatchtowers,onebattlement,andoneshortcutleadingtothewall.Thearchitecturalstylesofthemilitarytowersvaryconsiderably.Therearesquare,round,solidandhollowtowers,withsomeinsideandothersoutsidethewall.Besidetheshortcut,thereisasmallcitadelwherean8.5-meterstatueofQiJiguang,thechiefcommandingofficerofJiGarrison(oneoftheelevengarrisonsintheMingDynasty)islocated.Thelocalpeoplebuiltthisstatueinordertocommemoratehisgreatcontributiontofrontierpeaceandstabilityinthatperiod.Tothewestofthecitadel,asectionofthewallextends33yardsouttowhereasentrypostwassituated.
AtthewesternendofthewallisasquarestonetowercalledGuafuTower,"WidowTower"inEnglish,builtbytwelvewiveswhosehusbandsdiedduringtheconstructionofthewallintheMingDynasty.Thewidowserectedthistowertocommemoratetheirhusbands'notableexploits.Thetowerhastwolevelsandmeasures13-meters(14-yards)high.Archedarrowwindowsareonthefoursidesofthetower.
Besidestheseculturalpointsofinterest,TaipingzhaiGreatWallisalsofamousforitsamazinglyimpressivescenery.Zigzaggingalongthemountainridgeforover984yards,thewalllooksverymuchlikeagiantdragonflyingthroughclouds.
Mt.PanshanScenicArea:
Coveringanareaof106squarekilometers(about26193acres),Mt.PanshanScenicAreaislocatedinJixianCounty,110kilometers(68.4miles)awayfromTianjin,88kilometers(54.7miles)awayfromBeijing.Asthenamesuggests,thescenicareaismainlyMtPanshan–oriented.Endowedwithnaturalbeautyandahistoricalheritage,MtPanshanisknownas'TheFirstMountainEastofBeijing'andislistedasoneofthetopfifteenmountainsinChina.
Themountainacquireditspresentname,earlyintheEasternHan(25-220).Taizong,thesecondemperoroftheTangDynasty(618-907),wasprodigalofhispraiseofitssceneryonhischancevisitwhenheledthearmyinacampaign.Seventy-twotemples,thirteenpagodasandnumerousXanadusandtowerswerebuiltonthemountainintheMingDynasty(1368-1644)andtheQingDynasty(1644-1911).Qianlong,abrilliantandwiseQingDynastyemperorwassoimpressedthathemadethirtyorsovisitsandwrote1366poemstoexpresshisadmirationofthearea.Inthefirsthalfofthetwentiethcentury,thewholeresortallfelltoruinduetohostilitiesandneglect.Ithasundergoneaprocessofrestorationsincethe1990sandisnowregainingitsfame.
Itisfamousforjadepinetrees,strangeandastonishingpeaks,clearwaters,grotesquelyshapedrocksandclustersofancienttemples.Onthemountaintop,numerouspineshidetheskyfromviewandblockoutthesunshine.Ruggedrocksinavarietyofshapes,someofwhichresembleatoad,ageneraloraboa,willgreetyouinthemiddleofthemountain.Atitsfoot,clearwatersplashesontherocks.Themountainconsistsoffivepeaks,withthemainone,Guayue(MoonHanging)Peak.AlthoughGuayuePeakisonly857meters(2811.7feet)abovesealevel,tothenorthitispossibletoseeasectionoftheGreatWallwhiletothewestMtTaihangcanbeseen.
FromtheWeiStateduringtheThreeKingdomsPeriod(220-280)onwards,emperorsenthusiasticallycommissionedthebuildingoftemples,towersandXanadusresultinginover160suchsites.Therearefourmaintemples:TianchengTemple(GodProposingTemple),YunzhaoTemple(Cloud-HidingTemple),WanfoTemple(TenThousand-BuddhaTemple)andWansongTemple(TenThousand-PineTemple).TianchengTemplebuiltintheTangDynasty,wasenlargedandrepairedintheMingandtheQingdynasties.TotheeastofthistemplestandstheAncientDagoba.Asthebiggesttowerinthismountain,ithasthirteenfloors.TheroofoftheYunzhaoTemplewasagoldenyellow,acolorthatnormallywasonlyallowedtobeusedonimperialbuildings.Bygrantingpermissionforthis,EmperorQianlongdemonstratedhisapprovalandadmirationofthemountain.WanfoTemple(TenThousand-BuddhaTemple)has10,960smallBuddhasstatues.