Hengyue Divine Craft

Author: Huang Shufang
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-01-01
Features: This series of books primarily focuses on the inner world of travelers' observations and reflections, rather than the external landscapes and skylines. In these books, readers can see the author's conventional philosophical thoughts, a generally sound academic background in history, as well as the author's ingenuity and sensitivity in writing. History and landscapes, landscapes and the indigenous people who built them, undergo a relatively complete historical and cultural evolution in each book. Readers can immerse themselves in this cultural emotion, either flowing with it or jumping through it, giving rise to an alternative, ethereal, and enduring reflection. This ethereal and enduring quality is both speculative and emotional; it is both exhilarating and indescribable. It is a cultural emotion that can no longer be newly created, replicated, or reconstructed. It is a sentiment that touches one's emotions or psychology when one sees historical sites that live up to their reputation, stirring deeper feelings such as an understanding of ancient architecture, a novel sense of another regional culture, and an authentic experience of the residential complexes of Shanxi during the Ming and Qing dynasties—such as "Confucian Merchant Family—Chang Family Courtyard," "Trustworthiness in the Middle Hall—Qiao Family Courtyard," "Red Six Grand Houses—Wang Family Courtyard," and "Rural Imperial City." It is also the awe-inspiring order, regulations, beauty, and tranquility preserved in world cultural heritage sites and historical and cultural cities like "Northern Wei Yungang," "Detailed Pingyao," and "Riding to Yanmen." It is the enchantment of "Fengtai Worship at Wutai Mountain," "Jinci Dream Search," and "Hengshan's Divine Craft," where one becomes lost in the experience without realizing it. It is the silent emotion of the root culture, "Hongtong Ancestral Search," akin to the unseen snow, which is truly world intangible cultural heritage. Experiencing these above-ground cultural relics on the Shanxi Plateau nourishes the soul of an ancient civilization that has long been forgotten, and preserves the image of historical and cultural continuity. The "People Speak of Shanxi" series of books is an extremely authentic and reliable read. Its profound meaning lies in all aspects of culture, especially the ability to interpret beauty, ancient architectural art, and traditional culture. Each book informs readers of the origin of these beautiful and instructive landscape values. In reality, each book also allows for a mental journey. Hengshan, the Northern Mountain, is majestic, towering, and uniquely rugged, revered throughout history as the "Mountain Beyond the Frontier." It has been the site of emperors, generals, and ministers, attracting countless heroes to admire it, inspiring countless scholars to write with emotion, and serving as a retreat for many Taoist hermits. Therefore, in a sense, Hengshan is a symbol of culture. "Divine Craft" refers to two thousand-year-old magical wooden structures—the Hanging Temple in Hunyuan and the Yixian Wooden Pagoda. The Hanging Temple is considered an "Unparalleled Wonder of the World" and a "Masterpiece on the Cliffside." With only a dozen pillars as thick as bowls supporting the entire temple on the cliffside, it evokes admiration for the astonishing wisdom and great creativity of ancient people. The Yixian Wooden Pagoda is the tallest, oldest, and most complex multi-story pure wooden structure in China today, with the most types of bracket sets, the most ingenious use of building materials, and the most stable structure.