Renovation is not destruction; it is the beginning of revival.

This is my first time in Shanxi, in Datong, and I had a great time. Checking in with the stamp book from "Langlang Mountain Little Monster" was also very fun. I just want to say: wealth, historical resources are so abundant. In Hunyuan Ancient City, I saw many abandoned old residences. In other cities, they would at least hang a historical building plaque, but here it just becomes ordinary. The brick pagoda of Yuanjue Temple in Hunyuan Ancient City: I originally wanted to see the wind vane bird at the pagoda’s tip, but I was attracted by the bell sounds and recorded a long segment of the eaves’ wind chimes (wind bells). I thought about how people 800 years ago would have heard the same sounds, as if truly having a conversation with history, sharing a breeze with the ancients. There are many local residents inside Hunyuan Ancient City. Without overall commercial operation, the local culture is preserved, and tourists feel like they have entered their lives, which is also very interesting. Datong Ancient City: The overall layout blends ancient and modern, but there are clear zones separating the old and new. Standing on the city wall, you see many tower cranes; the replica ancient buildings are still under construction. Protection also means inheritance. Old buildings are preserved, which drives regional renewal. It’s called an ancient city, but the business formats are innovative and vibrant. Dongnanyi fits perfectly within the ancient city. If you want to feel history, visit Shanhuasi Temple and Huayansi Temple. If you want to check in and take photos, Dongnanyi nearby can satisfy that. The longest time I spent at Huayansi Temple was reading two steles written by Geng Yanbo: the Renovation Stele of Huayansi Temple and the Warning Stele. They record that due to Huayansi Temple’s decline, it was decided to renovate it, and the new buildings blend perfectly with the ancient ones. Look at the endless stream of visitors today; this is the meaning of revival. Inside the courtyard, there are also diagrams showing the construction changes of Huayansi Temple through various dynasties. So Huayansi Temple has been continuously evolving... Inheritance is not simply fencing it off, shelving it, and doing nothing, watching it decay and decline. Such renovation is not destruction but the beginning of revival. I can’t help but think of when I visited Yingxian Wooden Pagoda. You can walk between Yingxian Wooden Pagoda and Jingtusi Temple, but the connecting area’s environment can be described as messy. There are some ruins of old buildings by the roadside. If they could be restored, I wonder if the Wooden Pagoda and Jingtusi Temple could be combined into one tour area. The environment around the Wooden Pagoda would be improved, and Jingtusi Temple would no longer be a tiny place where there’s nothing to see after viewing the painted ceiling. On the walls along the way is printed: "History has entrusted Shanxi with precious cultural heritage like Yingxian Wooden Pagoda, and also entrusted us with the mission of inheritance and protection." Datong Ancient City’s attractions can be covered within a 3-minute walk, with various museums. However, after feeling the wind at Hanging Temple, I started having a headache yesterday.