A Day in Zhengding Ancient City: A Poetic Journey Through Millennia

At dawn, I stood atop the ancient brick walls of Zhengding's South Gate, where the morning light gilded the four ancient pagodas—Huata of Guanghui Temple, Xumita of Kaiyuan Temple, Lingxiaota of Tianning Temple, and Chenglingta of Linji Temple. They stood silently amidst the mist, resembling an unchanging ink painting that has endured for a thousand years. Liang Sicheng visited this place three times and called these structures "unique examples." Seeing them today, I was truly awestruck. In the afternoon, I strolled through Longxing Temple and lingered before the Song Dynasty clay sculpture of the Reclining Guanyin in the Mani Hall. Praised by Lu Xun as the "Oriental Goddess of Beauty," she reclines against a rock, one foot resting on a lotus, the other slightly raised. Her lowered gaze seems to meet the eyes of every admirer. Around the corner, the 21-meter-tall Thousand-Armed and Thousand-Eyed Copper Guanyin stands majestically, its divine presence undiminished by the passage of a thousand years. The most enchanting moment came at dusk at Yanghe Tower. This city tower, once hailed by Liang Sicheng as "more majestic than the Arc de Triomphe," was the birthplace of Yuan Dynasty drama. Today, music fills the air again, and the melodious tunes of traditional string opera echo as the setting sun paints the tower with golden hues. In a fleeting moment, it felt as though the characters from Guan Hanqing's plays had stepped out of history. As night fell, the lights of Rongguo Mansion began to illuminate the scene. The filming site of the 1987 version of "Dream of the Red Chamber" transformed into a dreamlike stage, where the sorrow of Daiyu burying flowers and the splendor of the Grand Banquet of Beauties were vividly recreated in light and shadow. Passing through the moon gate, I suddenly heard the sound of drums and music from the South Gate—holographic projections on the ancient city walls were performing "Dream Back to Millennia." Zhao Yun galloped on horseback, Bai Pu composed poetry, and Zhengding's 1,600-year history awakened through the fusion of technology and art. In one day, I traversed the splendor of nine dynasties. As I bid farewell, holding a steaming bowl of he luo noodles at the small commodity night market, I watched the neon lights and stars shine together. Only then did I truly grasp the vibrant charm of this "treasure trove of ancient architecture"—Zhengding Ancient City is not just a vessel of history but a living fountain of culture.