Wu Guanzhong's wonderful praise of the ancient village of the Ming Dynasty!

This is the first stop of our ancient visit to Shanxi during last year's National Day—Qikou Ancient Town in Shanxi. After seeing the flamboyant ancient towns with vermilion colors in the south, we wanted to come to the north to see the ancient villages with blue bricks and yellow earth. In addition to the ancient town itself, the nearby Lijiashan Village is the place we most wanted to visit this time. The famous painter Wu Guanzhong visited Lijiashan Village twice in the last century to sketch and paint. It is said that he made sketches here, one of which sold for 27 million yuan. As soon as you enter the village, a row of cave-style buildings comes into view. On a high mountain slope of about 40 degrees and several hundred meters, as many as nine layers of 98 courtyards were built, layer upon layer, following the mountain's contour. Seeing such architectural style for the first time was very impressive. There are still villagers living here today. We went early in the morning and even encountered locals having breakfast at home. The history of Lijiashan Village can be traced back to the Chenghua period of the Ming Dynasty and gradually prospered until the mid-Qing Dynasty. Later, due to the continuous construction and competition between two wealthy families, Lijiashan Village became a dazzling place on the yellow earth. Qikou Ancient Town is known as the 'First Town of the Nine Bends of the Yellow River.' Across the Yellow River is Shaanxi. During the Ming and Qing Dynasties to the Republic of China, the Yellow River water transport here became a famous commercial town in northern China. Currently, the ancient town still retains many buildings from the Ming and Qing Dynasties. You can go to the highest point, Heilong Temple, to overlook the ancient town. ✈️Travel Guide: ❶ Other cities → Lvliang: Qikou Ancient Town is in Lvliang, Shanxi. Lvliang has an airport, and there are direct flights from Chengdu, which are not expensive, generally around 500 yuan. Last year's National Day only cost 450 yuan, with one flight per day by Sichuan Airlines. Lvliang also has a high-speed rail station. ❷ Lvliang → Qikou: 1. If you take the train, get off at the train station and take bus 110 to the 'Jinianpai' stop. After getting off, walk to 'Hengdele Weimin Supermarket,' where there are red minibuses to Qikou, 15 yuan per person (leaves when full). If in a hurry, you can share a ride (about 20 yuan) or charter a car for about 200 yuan; 2. If you take a plane, there is a free airport bus to the city. Get off at 'Dawanyuan' (tell the driver in advance), then take a taxi to 'Hengdele Weimin Supermarket' (follow the same steps as the train arrival guide). ❸ Qikou → Lijiashan Village: Take a taxi or charter a car, 50 yuan round trip (near Qilin Bridge). Driving takes about 10 minutes. If you want to walk slowly, it takes about an hour to walk from the ancient town to Lijiashan Village. 🎫Ticket Information: There are no entrance fees for Qikou and Lijiashan Village. Some residences may charge a sanitation fee of about 2 yuan to enter. Most roads in the village are stone-paved and sloped, so it's best to wear non-slip shoes. If you want a guide, official guides in Qikou and Lijiashan Village charge 50 yuan, and local villagers charge about 30 yuan (negotiable).