Things to do in Sheqi

The student package is such a great deal! The Shanxi-Shaanxi Guild Hall and the Fire God Temple are absolutely stunning. The carved beams and painted rafters, the brick and wood carvings, the glazed screen walls, the flagpoles and stone lions—every single one is a masterpiece, a treasure!

The Sheqi Shanxi-Shaanxi Guild Hall, originally named the Shanxi-Shaanxi Fellow Townsmen Guild Hall, also known as the Shanxi-Shaanxi Temple and Guan Gong Temple, and formerly called Dingyuan Society, is located at No. 9 Yongqing Street, Shedian Town, Sheqi County, Nanyang City, Henan Province. Construction began in the 21st year of the Qianlong Emperor's reign (1756) and was completed during the reigns of the Jiaqing, Daoguang, Xianfeng, Tongzhi Emperors, and finally the 18th year of the Guangxu Emperor's reign (1892), spanning 137 years under six emperors. The main buildings of the Sheqi Shanxi-Shaanxi Guild Hall consist of a screen wall, a hanging mirror tower, a stone archway, a main worship hall, and a spring and autumn tower. More than 130 pavilions and towers remain, all paved with bluish-white marble both inside and out. The buildings are decorated with exquisite stone carvings, wood carvings, cast iron, and ceramic sculptures, exhibiting the grandeur of palaces and temples, the opulence of merchant guild halls, and the elegance of southern folk gardens. It is a typical example of Qing Dynasty folk architecture. In 1963, the Sheqi Shanxi-Shaanxi Guild Hall was listed as a provincial-level key cultural relics protection unit. On January 13, 1988, the Sheqi Shanxi-Shaanxi Guild Hall was designated as a third batch of National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units by the State Council of the People's Republic of China. The iron flagpole is 15 meters high and weighs over 50,000 jin (approximately 25,000 catties). It sits on a Sumeru pedestal made of bluestone, with carvings of celestial horses, qilin, lions, and other mythical beasts on its waist. An iron lion stands atop the pedestal, and the flagpole passes through the lion. The flagpole has three cloud-shaped brackets (large, medium, and small), each with four wind chimes. Dragons intertwine between the cloud-shaped brackets, and each is topped with a phoenix poised for flight. The glazed tile screen wall is a mysterious wall in Chinese courtyards, used to block wind, gather energy, and protect privacy. The screen wall of the Shanxi-Shaanxi Guild Hall is composed of 476 glazed tiles forming three separate scenes: "Double Dragons Playing with a Pearl," "Carp Leaping Over the Dragon Gate," "Qilin Fighting Beasts," and "Fishing, Woodcutting, Farming, and Reading." These scenes are ingeniously combined into a single, magnificent composition. The Grand Hall of Worship is the main building of the guild hall, consisting of a main hall and a worship hall. It is 40 meters long, 22 meters wide, and 23.14 meters high. Two stone carvings, each 2 meters high and 1 meter wide, with a single-eaved gable roof, stand on either side of the hall. The left side is inscribed with "Eighteen Scholars Ascending Yingzhou." The image depicts Du Ruhui, Fang Xuanling, Yu Zhiyu, and others braving hardships, riding horses along a rugged path to Yingzhou, a place admired by all.

The first stop of our museum tour was the famous Palace Museum in my country. As soon as we stepped into the museum, it was as if we had traveled through time and space and arrived at the magnificent ancient dynasty. The architecture of the Palace Museum itself is a work of art, with red walls, yellow tiles, carved beams and painted buildings. Every detail reveals the majesty and style of the royal family.

The Longmen Grottoes are a very worthwhile site to visit. Unlike the relatively enclosed grottoes, the Longmen Grottoes offer a very direct and close-up view of the scenery inside and outside the grottoes, especially the Vairocana Buddha and its disciples, bodhisattvas, heavenly kings, and guardians. The close-up view is truly breathtaking!

Wonderful theme park with lots of activities and performances

The location for the creative beer was illogical; it was impossible to get one, especially for those taking the tour bus up the mountain. I ended up buying another bottle. The most fun part was sliding down the mountain on my butt – a less strenuous activity and more interesting. The summit was absolutely stunning, but the order was terrible; nobody cared or looked after you. You had to shout to get down the mountain, otherwise you wouldn't be able to get down at all.

It's very worthwhile, but it's also very crowded, which might slightly detract from the overall experience. However, the people are incredibly welcoming, and there are many beautiful spots for taking photos. The food is also affordable and inexpensive, which kids enjoy. I'll definitely go back when it's less crowded.

The park is huge; I read online that it takes a whole day to explore it, and it truly is. The NPCs seemed only friendly to young people; they were rather indifferent to us 40+ year olds, probably thinking we wouldn't know how to enjoy ourselves. Prices within the park are very cheap, and we even saw Wang Po up close, which was quite interesting. The parking lot is a bit far from the park itself, but thankfully there's a free shuttle bus. It's very crowded, so those with children should be extra careful.

You need to go early; a thorough visit will take about three hours. It's best to research Zhuge Liang beforehand, as many rubbings require historical knowledge. There's also a Bagua (Eight Trigrams) maze to play in. The Wuhou Temple is ancient and charming; walking on the moss-covered steps, you can listen to the wisdom of the ancients. In our time, what we need is to calm our minds and read more.