2-Day Yongji Adventure: Mount Hua to Ancient Temples

A national AAAA-level tourist attraction and one of the top ten attractions in Shanxi Province, Guanque Tower is located on the eastern bank of the Yellow River west of Puzhou Ancient City in Yongji, Shanxi. Alongside the Yellow Crane Tower in Wuhan, Hubei; Yueyang Tower in Yueyang, Hunan; and Tengwang Pavilion in Nanchang, Jiangxi, it is renowned as one of China's four great historical and cultural towers. Originally built during the Northern Zhou Dynasty (557–571 AD) by military commander Yuwen Hu as a defensive watchtower, the tower earned its name from the storks that frequently perched on its structure. The Tang Dynasty poet Wang Zhihuan's celebrated poem "On the Stork Tower" ("The sun along the mountain bows; The Yellow River seawards flows. You will enjoy a grander sight; If you climb to a greater height.") has become an enduring masterpiece, widely known both domestically and internationally. After standing for over 700 years through the Tang and Song dynasties, the tower was destroyed during warfare in the early Yuan Dynasty (1222 AD). The reconstructed Guanque Tower follows Tang-style architecture, featuring four eaves externally with three visible tiers, while internally comprising six floors. With a total height of 73.9m, it epitomizes the grandeur of the Tang era. Ascending Guanque Tower not only offers breathtaking panoramic views but also immerses visitors in the brilliance of China's 5,000-year civilization.

Pujiu Temple, located 12 km southwest of Yongji City in Shanxi Province on the Emei Plateau, was built during the Northern and Southern Dynasties and is a thousand-year-old ancient temple. It is a national AAAA-level tourist attraction, one of Shanxi's "Top Ten" tourist attractions, and one of the Eight Scenic Spots of Hedong. The temple gained fame worldwide thanks to the Yuan Dynasty playwright Wang Shifu's "The Romance of the Western Chamber." The story of Zhang Sheng and Yingying breaking free from feudal constraints, with the matchmaker Hongniang facilitating their love under the moonlight through letters, has become a timeless tale. For centuries, Pujiu Temple has been regarded as a sacred destination for couples seeking love, drawing visitors from far and wide. The annual Qixi Festival's Love Culture Celebration further elevates the eternal theme of love with its enchanting beauty.

The temple was born from the drama, and the drama gave the temple its fame. The stupa within the temple was thus beautifully named the "Yingying Pagoda," and its remarkable frog-croaking echo effect is celebrated as one of China's four great echo architectures. Due to its unique acoustic structure, Yingying Pagoda is ranked alongside Italy's Leaning Tower of Pisa and France's Eiffel Tower as one of the "Six Wonder Pagodas of the World," truly a marvel of architectural acoustics.

"While temples worldwide shun romance, only Pujiu Temple in Shanxi embraces love." May Pujiu Temple bless all lovers to unite in marriage!

Wulao Peak, located 13 km southeast of Yongji city in Shanxi Province, stands at the intersection of Shanxi, Shaanxi, and Henan provinces within the Golden Triangle of the Yellow River. This national AAAA-level tourist attraction and national forest park is one of the Eight Scenic Wonders of Hedong. Recognized as the 52nd Taoist Blessed Land, it forms a famous north-south pairing with the Buddhist sacred site Mount Wutai in northern Shanxi. Facing the Western Sacred Mountain Huashan from afar, it has historically earned the beautiful title "Eastern Huashan."

Wulao Peak, originally named Wulao Mountain, earned its name from the legend that five ancient immortal sages bestowed the "Hetu" and "Luoshu" texts upon an emperor here. Before the completion of the "Book of Changes," this site served as a sacred center for the early spread of He-Luo culture and became one of the birthplaces of the Quanzhen School of Taoism in northern China.

Wulao Peak consists of Yuzhu Peak, East Jinping Peak, West Jinping Peak, Qipan Mountain, and Taiyi Peak, with the highest elevation reaching 1,809.3 meters. The main peak, Yuzhu Peak, also known as Cloud Peak or Spirit Peak, resembles a towering jade pillar piercing the sky. The other four peaks surround it like four dignified seniors sitting in a hall engaged in earnest conversation, hence the name "Wulao Peak."

The Puzhindu Ruins are located outside the west gate of the ancient city of Puzhou, 18 kilometers west of Yongji City, Shanxi Province, on the east bank of the Yellow River. It is adjacent to the Puji Temple, where the story of "Romance of the West Chamber" took place, in the east, and faces the Guanque Tower, the first of the four famous towers in the country, in the west. It is located on the golden tourism line.

The Pujindu site was excavated in 1989. In 1991, the joint archaeological excavation team conducted a comprehensive and scientific cleaning and excavation of the site, unearthing four iron bulls, four iron men, two iron mountains, four iron upsetting pillars, a group of seven-star iron pillars, more than 70 meters of Ming Dynasty revetment stone embankments, and a record tablet from the 16th year of Ming Zhengde (1521).