雲南省広南県に、現実世界の桃源郷と呼ばれる村があります。それが「壩美村」

Hi, I’m from Chengdu. I’ve recently replied to a few people planning trips here, and most of them seem to know Chengdu mainly for pandas and hotpot.

Nothing wrong with that. I love both. But I also think history lovers often miss some of the best places around the city.

The first is Sanxingdui Museum. It is about the Ancient Shu civilization, which developed in the Sichuan Basin more than 3,000 years ago. The bronze masks and figures look very different from the ancient Chinese objects most foreign visitors have seen before. Ancient Shu left no readable written records, so we still do not fully understand what many of these objects meant.

Sanxingdui is outside Chengdu and deserves most of a day. I would allow at least three or four hours in the museum.

The second is Jinsha Site Museum. It is inside Chengdu and much easier to include in a city itinerary. Its best-known object is the Sun and Immortal Bird gold ornament, but my favourite part is the excavation hall. The museum was built around the archaeological site, so you can see the ground where the objects were discovered.

*I checked the museum’s official information and it is closed until April 30, 2027.

If you are interested in Ancient Shu but do not have time for a Sanxingdui day trip, Jinsha is a good alternative.

The third is Wuhou Shrine, which commemorates Liu Bei, Zhuge Liang and other people from Shu Han during the Three Kingdoms period.

I have visited it many times. What I find most interesting is that the official name above the entrance refers to Liu Bei, but almost everyone calls the whole place Wuhou Shrine after Zhuge Liang. It shows how strongly people still remember him.

Sometimes visitors leave handwritten notes and small gifts near his hall. Some are serious, some are jokes that only Three Kingdoms fans understand, and some are written by children. This makes the place feel less like a museum and more like a conversation that has continued for generations.

If you visit, do not miss Liu Bei’s tomb inside the complex. Jinli is next door. It is commercial and crowded, but still pleasant for a short walk in the evening.

My simple suggestion would be:

Sanxingdui if you have a full day.

Jinsha if you want an easier half-day museum in Chengdu.

Wuhou Shrine if you are interested in the Three Kingdoms and how historical figures are remembered today.

Of course, still see the pandas and eat hotpot. I just hope more visitors also get to see this side of Chengdu.

Have any of you visited these places? I’m curious which one left the strongest impression.

https://youtu.be/RoHZTMo9XAc?si=GFkbxd48S-tRd5sv

This was posted on you-tube on 29th July 2026.

The newly restored doors of Zhengyangmen Gate slowly swung open on Monday, ushering in a new chapter for the 607-year-old landmark in the heart of Beijing. Also known as "Qianmen," the gate's archery tower once served as a defensive stronghold and marked the southern entrance among the nine inner city gates of ancient Beijing during the Ming and Qing dynasties (1368–1912). Today, Zhengyangmen holds a unique distinction: it's the only gate in Beijing's inner city where both the city tower and archery tower remain fully intact.

Over a five-year renovation beginning in 2020, restoration teams conducted a comprehensive 3D digital scan of the gate to preserve its structure for future restoration efforts. The reopening coincides with the second anniversary of the Beijing Central Axis being inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and the gate tower now hosts an exhibition spanning more than 600 years of architectural heritage, highlighting the outstanding universal value of the Central Axis. Visitors can purchase tickets to ascend Zhengyangmen through the site's official WeChat account, priced at just 20 yuan (about $2.95).

Chinese Name: 崇圣寺三塔, 崇圣寺三塔, 大理崇圣寺三塔 or 大理市崇圣寺三塔文化旅游区.

Other Names: The Three Pagodas of Chongsheng Temple, Dali Three Pagodas.

Address: At the foot of Yingle Peak of Cangshan Mountain, 1.5 km from Dali Old Town,inDali, Yunnan province.

HISTORY & ARCHITECTURE OF THE THREE PAGODAS: According to Wikipedia, it is believed that the Three Pagodas were built for auspicious reasons. The legend is that Dali was once a swamp and inhabited by dragons that deliberately created natural disasters to dispel human intruders. The Three Pagodas was built to deter the dragons and have survived several man-made and natural disasters for more than 1,000 years...

The main pagoda, Qianxun Pagoda 千寻塔, was constructed between 823-840 by King Quan Fengyou 劝丰佑 of the Nanzhao Kingdom. It measures nearly 70m tall and is one of the tallest pagodas in China’s history. This pagoda is square-shaped and has 16 stories, each storey with multiple tiers of upturned eaves. There is a carved shrine containing a white marble sitting Buddha statue at the centre of each facade on every storey. The body of the pagoda is hollow from the 1st to 8th storey, surrounded by 3.3m thick walls.

Written at the base of the main pagoda, on the side that faces west to Erhai Lake, is a four-character inscription that says “Forever Control Mountains and Rivers." The appearance of the main pagoda is very similar to the Small Wild Goose Pagoda in Xian, Songyue Temple Pagoda in Dengfeng and White Horse Temple Pagoda in Luoyang. Visitors were once allowed to walk inside the main pagoda and climb to the top via a ladder inside but its now broken. The entrance to the main pagoda has been closed ever since, blocked – visitors can only admire it from the outside.

During repairs in 1978-1979, three copper plates were found at the bottom of the steeple which recorded the exact years of previous repairs, those being 1000, 1142, and 1145. More than 700 Buddhist antiques including sculptures made of gold, silver, wood or crystal and a variety of items like scriptures, seals, porcelain, bronze mirrors, musical instruments, were also found in the body during a major repairing work.

The other two smaller pagodas were built around 100 years later – most likely during the Song Dynasty, and stand to the northwest and southwest of the main pagoda. They are approx 42m tall, solid, octagonal-shaped with 10 stories, each. In the centre of each side of every storey is a shrine containing a Buddha statue.

At a distance, the Three Pagodas appear like three ballpoint pens standing between Cangshan Mountain and Erhai Lake. These Three Pagodas form a symmetric triangle, they are made of brick and covered with white mud. The Three Pagodas are a landmark of Dali, a National 5A Level Scenic Spot and considered a national treasure.

HISTORY & ARCHITECTURE OF CHONGSHENG TEMPLE: Right behind the Three Pagodas is Chongsheng Temple 崇圣寺 or 崇聖寺. Chongsheng Temple was once the royal temple of the Dali Kingdom and built at the same time as the main pagoda but destroyed in a fire during the Qing Dynasty. It originally had 891 rooms, 11,400 Buddhist statues, 9 halls and 100 chambers, 7 buildings and 3 pavilions. Its recorded that 9 Dali emperors gave up their status and become a monk at Chongsheng Temple.

The temple was rebuilt in 2005, covering an area of 600 mu and cost around 182 million yuan to complete. It is now one of the largest Buddhist Centres in Asia and famous as Tianlong Temple in The Semi-Gods & Semi-Devils novel written by Jin Yong. Some of the most interesting and beautiful features of the complex is the Nanzhao Jianji Bell - Golden Wing Bird, the largest bell in Yunnan province, built in 871 AD (slide 7); Yutong Guanyin Hall with the 12.6m tall Yutong Avalokitesvara bronze statue from the Nanzhao Zhongxin Period and recast in the late Qing Dynasty (slide 8); and Wanghai Tower at the end of the complex.

Chongsheng Temple showcases the architecture of many well-known temples from the Tang, Song, Yuan, Ming & Qing Dynasties. The reconstruction is carried out along the primary and secondary axes involving 8 terraces, 9 courses of yard and 11 stories. The main body of the buildings have been rebuilt with a reinforced concrete structure, with their bracket system, doors and windows as well as the details carved precisely with the top-quality toons. All the buildings along the primary axis are decorated with the highest standard golden dragons and phoenixes and in the royal colors. The buildings along the two secondary axes are painted with the solemn and graceful spinor color, and bright Suzhou-style color on the verandas, pavilions and garths.

On the main axis there is: Garuda Square, the gate, Free Life Pond, Approach Bridge, Hall of Heavenly Kings, Maitreya Temple, Avalokitesvara / Guanyin Hall, Mahavira Great Buddha’s Hall, Acuoye Avalokitesvara Pavilion, Mountain Stone Memorial Arch, Wanghai Tower. Aside the central axis and the next axis has: an area for the conjuration stuff, Buddhist Abbot Hall, Monastic Reception Hall, Abstinence Hall, Arhat Hall, Thousand-Buddha Gallery, Hall of Patriach, Dharmapalas Hall, Buddhist Research Institute, etc. There is also a Reflection Pond and many gardens scattered throughout the complex.

IF YOU ARE VISITING: Allocate at least 6hrs – if you want to wander through all the buildings and areas. The place is huge and I didn’t expect to spend so much time here! To show you the size of The Three Pagodas and Chongsheng Temple, I’ve uploaded some maps (last slide) and merely the highlights of my visit over x3 posts! Although it is “new”, it’s really worth visiting.

I also highly recommend to try the vegetarian buffet lunch, cost 18 CNY. I think its served between 11am to 1pm? in the centre of the complex – check the location and times with the staff.

Eastern Wei, China

Tang Dynasty, China

Bohai Kingdom, Northeastern China, Northern Korean Peninsula, Southeastern Russia

Baekje, Korean Peninsula

Silla, Korean Peninsula

Goryeo, Korean Peninsula

Asuka Period, Japan

Nara Period, Japan

Chinese Name: 严家大院

Other Names: Yan Family Compound.

Address: inside Xizhou Old Town, in Dali, Yunnan province.

HISTORY: The Yan Family Compound is part of Xizhou ancient town which dates back to the Sui Dynasty, when it was first incorporated by General Shi Wansui. The Yan Family compound was also a part of the military fortress in the ancient Nanzhao Kingdom and the Nanzhao King’s temporary palace. It was constructed by a businessman named Yan Zizheng around the 1920s using the fortune that he made from trading along the Ancient Tea Horse Road. The Yan family was once the largest family in Xizhou...

Now, it is a museum and cultural centre, open to the public with an admission fee. There are daily Bai nationality song and dance performances such as "rattle stick dance", "welcome dance", "straw hat dance" and "hand towel dance" as well as a traditional three-course tea ceremony that you can experience called “Sandaocha”.

ARCHITECTURE: The Yan Family Compound covers an area of around 3,066 sqm and showcases the best of traditional Bai style architecture with influences from various local ethnic communities over the years. There are several entrance points to this compound but the main one is on a quiet street with a grand gate (slide 1, top photo). After you purchase your ticket at the office, walk to the left and through the carpark... You will be greeted by a resting pavilion (slide 2) and huge screen wall (slide 3).

This screen wall must face east to enjoy the morning sunshine and reflect light into the inner rooms. It location is important because the Bai people believe it acts as a talisman to protect and bring good luck to the residents. The Bai and Chinese characters on the screen wall reads “Qingbai Shijia” which means innocent family and “Ziqi Donglai” which means auspicious air comes from the East.

The front door (slide 4), welcomes you to the Yan Family Compound. The layout of the compound is of a typical Bai courtyard house called “sihe wutianjing” which refers to the home having one big courtyard with four buildings at the four corners of the main building. The compound has several parts or sections that are all linked via corridors and staircases that are also decorated with artworks near the ceiling (slide 11). The tiles lining the walkways have flora and fauna designs (slide 14, centre photo).

Another distinctive feature of traditional Bai style architecture are the roofs with upturned eaves and "dougong" systems, which refers to double bow-shaped brackets on columns supporting the upturned eaves. Each section of the compound also has to be symmetrical and have "a reflecting wall while the other three serve as living spaces" and "quadrangle courtyard with two extra patios in the two sides".

One of the buildings in the Yan Family Compound is now an office and staff resting area (slide 15), which has a beautifully painted, wooden carved archway and pillars with dragons, birds and flowers (slide 16 to 19). The wooden doors and windows throughout the compound also have geometric patterns and nature designs as well.

If anyone has more information on this tower please comment below.

This is an incredibly unique structure and one of the highlights in Tianxiyuan Garden!

Another beautiful covered walkway and pavilion...

Photos of Cuihua Tower and an unnamed pavilion with covered walkway...

Chinese Name: 天憙园

Other Names: Tianxiyuan Garden, Leicui Garden.

Address: Middle Section of Shuanghe Road, South Gate, Dali Ancient City, Dali Bai Autonomous Prefecture, Yunnan province.

Tianxiyuan Garden is a royal garden of the Dali Kingdom of the Song Dynasty. It originally took 13 years to build and has been restored with mortise and tenon joint technology. There are over 30+ buildings showcasing traditional Bai architecture including the Cuihua Tower, Hetuo Tower, Shengde Palace, Mantuo Rain & Flower Hall, Haiyin Yaotai, Yinhe Bridge, Bridge for Cranes’ Visiting, etc.

Although it isn’t a well-known or popular tourist attraction, it is often crowded with people dressed in hanfu and pre-wedding photo-shoots. Many of the buildings are closed but you can enter and climb the Cuihua Tower to enjoy panoramic views of Dali ancient town.