Things to do in Anyang

Travel | Anyang | National Museum of Chinese Writing What defines China? Writing is undoubtedly a crucial element. "Writing carries the Way"—where is the Way? It lies within these strokes. From ancient etched symbols to oracle bone script, seal script, clerical script, regular script, running script, and cursive script, the history of writing is the history of cultural development and evolution. Civilizations without written records have been largely submerged in the long river of history; but because of writing, we can still understand the feelings of a Shang Dynasty person seeking divination three thousand years ago. Get close to Chinese characters, get close to your mother tongue. Just a few days ago, I was discussing the significance of learning classical Chinese—standing in the lobby of the National Museum of Chinese Writing, looking up at the high wall inscribed with characters from oracle bone script to simplified characters, the answer is clear: learning classical Chinese is not for exams, but so that we don't feel alienated when faced with oracle bone fragments from three thousand years ago. The beauty of the square shape of Chinese characters is a unique aesthetic—other phonetic scripts seem to lack this. I'm also glad that the simplification of Chinese characters stopped before Latinization; otherwise, if the writing system had completely become phonetic, it wouldn't just be the form of the characters that would have been severed, but the entire cultural lineage of thousands of years. When we travel, ostensibly for "tourism," the kids think it's "playing" or "fun," but I often sneak in my own ideas—I actually plan "sightseeing" and "exploration." However, we still want to browse through cultural and creative products, and when we encounter handicraft workshops, I have to give her a "carrot" [laughing emoji]—like stringing her own oracle bone script bracelet. After a rather long museum visit for her, it was already quite good that she cooperated to complete the entire tour and listen to the explanations. Back home, she should continue to practice her calligraphy and read diligently.

Anyang Museum, a comprehensive local history museum, is one of the earliest prefecture-level museums in Henan Province. It is located west of the two museum buildings at 436 Wenming Avenue, Anyang City, Henan Province. The Anyang Museum covers a total area of ​​20,000 square meters, with an exhibition area of ​​5,000 square meters. It comprises eight storage rooms and seven exhibition halls. Founded in 1958, the museum moved into the Anyang Library and Museum Complex on December 25, 2008. As of 2022, the museum holds a total of 12,829 cultural relics.

I came to Cangxiang Street in Anyang. As I stepped into the street, the ancient atmosphere hit me. The street is not long, and the bluestone road winds forward. The buildings in the style of Ming and Qing Dynasties on both sides are scattered, with blue bricks and gray tiles, flying eaves and arches, and exquisite wood carvings and brick carvings, as if telling the prosperity of the past. Walking through it, it seems to travel through time and space and return to Anyang hundreds of years ago. There are many shops on the street, including shops selling oracle bone inscriptions and cultural and creative products, as well as traditional handicraft shops. The exquisite embroidery and quaint wood carvings are dazzling. The food is not to be missed. The special snacks such as flat noodles and Neihuang sausage are fragrant and mouth-watering. As night falls and the lights come on, the night view of Cangxiang Street has a unique flavor. The bars and cafes on both sides of the lake make the whole street full of trendy atmosphere, attracting many young people to come and check in and take pictures. Here, I felt the perfect fusion of history and modernity, and also experienced the unique charm of Anyang, the ancient capital.

Daokou Ancient Town is very delicately decorated, the streets are not big, and there are many scenery for taking pictures. I arrived at Daokou Ancient Town at about 18:00. The shops in the ancient town were closed and it was quite deserted. I asked the owner of the roast chicken shop, and he said that it would be more lively during the Chinese New Year.

The road surface is very good and you can drive to the top of the mountain for free. The whole mountain is colorful. It is worth a visit for a mountain run in autumn.

The Yinxu Chariot and Horse Pit is the earliest physical specimen of a powered chariot discovered by Chinese archaeologists. This proves that my country is one of the earliest ancient countries in the world to invent and use chariots. This is of great research and archaeological significance and value.

The Chenghuang Temple of Zhangdefu (the ancient name of Anyang) is also the current Anyang Folk Museum. The temple is located in the center of the old city and has five courtyards. Each courtyard is dominated by a main hall, equipped with symmetrical corridors or auxiliary rooms. There are archways, screen walls, and a judgment pool in the front yard, and five main halls on the central axis. The temple has a regular layout and rigorous structure. The hall shape and most of the building structures are from the early Ming Dynasty. The overall structure highlights the architectural characteristics of the Ming and Qing Dynasties. As a representative of Chenghuang culture in northern Henan, it has high scientific and historical research value for studying the ancient Chinese architectural hierarchy and architectural ritual system as well as the evolution of architectural shapes in the Ming and Qing Dynasties in the north.

Summer is a good time to visit Xiaonanhai Reservoir. It is so beautiful to sit on a yacht, face the wind and watch the sunset.