After the Haolebaoji-Ji’an Railway leaves Shaanxi Province and entersShanxi Province, it stops in only one city - Yuncheng, a city in ShanxiProvince. In Chinese, Yuncheng means a city of transportation. Yuncheng wasnamed so because it used to be called “a city of salt transportation”. Yunchenghas become a famous city just for it is the hometown of Guan Gong. Guan Gong, afamous general in the Three Kingdoms Period, had come out of Yuncheng and hadguarded Jingzhou for ten years. Therefore, Jingzhou can be called the secondhometown of Guan Gong. Recently, the Omnimedia Interview Group of JingzhouBroadcasting and TV Station for YunchengExploration along the Haolebaoji-Ji’an Railway Starting from Jingzhou cameto Yuncheng, Shanxi to explore the inheritance and development of Guan GongCulture and seek the exchange and cooperation between the two places.
After the reporter arrived in Yuncheng City, Shanxi Province, the reportercame to Yuncheng West Station of the Haolebaoji-Ji’an Railway. In Chinese,Yuncheng means a city of transportation. Yuncheng was named so because it usedto be well-known for salt transportation and lots of salt was transported tovarious places from here. Since the Haolebaoji-Ji’an Railway has been put intooperation, it will surely improve the transportation conditions and bring newdevelopment opportunities to Yuncheng.
Yuncheng was also called “Hedong” in ancient times because it was locatedeast of the mother river of the Chinese nation - the Yellow River. Yuncheng isin the southwest of Shanxi Province. It is located in the Golden Delta area ofthe Yellow River among Shanxi Province, Shaanxi Province and Henan Province. Itis separated from Sanmenxia City, Henan Province and Weinan City, ShaanxiProvince by a river. It is one of the important Chinese nation and Chinesecivilization cradles. Based on the unique landscape advantages and GuanGong Cultureadvantages of salt lakes and Nanshan, Yuncheng is creating a two-in-one leadingscenic area integrating the Natural Landscape of Hedong Salt Pool and theHumanistic Landscape of Guandi Temple.
GuanYu (Guan Gong) was a widely-known hero in China. He was also the embodiment ofloyalty. He was respectively called Guan Gong among the ordinary people. Thereare many Guandi temples and Guan Gong statues in China. Among the statues, onlytwo statues have the most representative significance. One is in ChangpingVillage - the hometown of Guan Gong, Yuncheng, Shanxi Province. The statuestands on top of a mountain peak, guarding the civilians here. The statue isvery grand and spectacular. The other is in Guan Gong Loyalty Park, Jingzhou -the last one of the places Guan Gong guarded. Though the two statues look quitedifferent, they all express the inheritance of the loyal, benevolent and bravespirit of Guan Gong.
The interview period in Yuncheng coincided with the opening of the 30thYuncheng Guan Gong Culture and Tourism Festival. A series of colorfulactivities such as the Pilgrimage Ceremony of Invincible General Guan Gong, theRelease Conference of the AncientHistoric Culture Outline of Yuncheng (Hedong), the Chinese RelativeConnection through the Silk Road, the “Belt and Road Travel” Symposium on GuanGong Culture and the Yellow River Golden Delta Area Martial Art CompetitionThemed “Show off Before an Expert” were held in Yuncheng, presenting people acultural tourism feast by promoting the spirit of Guan Gong and displaying thelong history of Hedong.
The Guandi temple in Haizhou of Yuncheng is the largest Guan Yu-worshipingtemple, which has been best preserved. It has been honored as the earliestGuandi temple and the most complete temple enshrining and worshiping Guan Yu. Thepalatial layout symmetric with respect to the central axis with the hall in thefront and bedrooms behind is unique among all the Guandi temples in China. Thereis also one thing here related to Jingzhou.
It is worth mentioning that over 20 representative organizations promotingGuan Gong Culture such as Hubei Jingzhou Guandi Temple, Hubei Dangyang GuandiTemple, Henan Luoyang Guanyu Mausoleum and Malaysian Guan Gong CultureCommunity Promotion Center were awarded plaques with the words “Guan GongCulture Exchange Base”.
Besides the Guan Gong Culture Tourism Festival, the 2nd Shanxi(Yuncheng) Feature Medicine Trade Expo was held in Yuncheng in the second halfof September 2019. The 4th Shanxi (Yuncheng) International FruitTrade Expo will be held in Yuncheng in October 2019. The reporter has learntfrom the interview that Yuncheng regularly holds “three festivals and threeexpos” every year to enhance the popularity and influence of Yuncheng. The "threefestivals are the Folk Culture Tourism Festival, the Beautiful CountrysideFlowers Festival and the Guan Gong Culture Tourism Festival. The three exposare the Industrial Expo, the International Fruit Trade Expo and the FeatureMedicine Trade Expo. The Feature Medicine Trade Expo that has just concludedhas attracted about 200,000 visitors. The contracts for 13 important projectswith a total amount of RMB 3.672 billion have been signed.
In history, a profound relationship between Jingzhouand Yuncheng has developed since a very early time due to Guan Gong. Now theHaolebaoji-Ji’an Railway has connected the two cities. Under the influence ofthe cultural connection and the convenience brought by the new railway, theeconomic and cultural exchange between the two cities will become more frequentand bring about many excellent results.