Monday, October 13, 2008
Zhengding County
Zhengding is a in Hebei approximately 260 kilometers south of Beijing, China. It is under the administration of nearby Shijiazhuang City and has a population of 541,000. Zhengding has been an important religious center for more than 1,000 years, from - at least - the times of the Sui Dynasty to the Qing Dynasty. It is the founding place of a major school of Zen Buddhism. However, most of the former religious building complexes have been severely damaged since, often leaving only isolated remains. A noteworthy exception is the , where the historical building ensemble has been preserved almost intact. Furthermore, four famous pagodas, each with its own architectural style, are still standing.
Zhengding County ranges from 57.6 to 105.2 meters in elevation above sea level. It has a continental monsoon climate with four distinct seasons. The year-round averages are 12.7° for the temperature, 62 percent for the humidity, 570 for the precipitation, and 2736 hours for the sunshine time. The frost-free period exceeds 200 days per year.
Archeological finds indicate that the area of Zhengding County has been settled since the early . During the Spring and Autumn Period, the capital of the Xianyu Kingdom was located in the area, since the year 256 , the ''Changshan Prefecture'' was established in the County. In 923, during the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms, the prefecture was renamed ''Zhengding Prefecture'', which was later rearranged into the ''Zhengding Prefecture'' and ''Zhongshan County''. Zhengding County was created during the Qing Dynasty, in 1723. In 1949, the county was subordinated to ''Shijiazhuang Prefecture'' and in 1986, it came under the jurisdiction of the City of Shijiazhuang.
The ''Chengling Pagoda'' is built from gray bricks, it is also known as the ''Grey Pagoda''. It is located in the Village of Linji to the south of Zhengding and was formerly part of the Linji Temple. The Linji Temple was built during the times of the Eastern Wei Dynasty in the year 540. During the Tang Dynasty, it became the site where the monk founded the Linji School, one of the five schools of Chinese Buddhism. Both, Linji Yixuan and the Linji School, derive their names from the village. The pagoda was first built in 867 to serve as a shrine for the mantle and alms bowl of Linji Yixuan. The original pagoda was ruined and replaced during the years 1161 to 1189 by the present-day structure. The present pagoda stands on a substructure known as a ''Sumeru Pedestal'' after the mythic and has an octagonal cross-section. It has nine multi-eared storeys and a total height of 33 meters. Its pedestal is richly decorated. Because it is seen as one of the birthplaces of Zen Buddhism, the Chengling Pagoda is favorite site for pilgrims and tourists from Japan.
The Lingxiao Pagoda, also known as the ''Wooden Pagoda'', is a wood-and-brick construction, which was formerly part of Tianning Monastery, located to the west of Longxing Monastery. It was recorded to have been first built in 860 during the Tang Dynasty, it has undergone many repairs and rebuildings since then. The architectural style of the present-day pagoda was created during the Song Dynasty in 1045 and was left unchanged during later repairs. The pagoda has an octagonal floor plan, nine storeys, and a total height of 41 meters. The four lowest storeys are made from bricks decorated with wooden eaves. From the fifth storey upwards, the pagoda construction is entirely made of wood, constructed around a central pillar. While storey height continuously decreases from the bottom to the top of the pagoda, this decrease is particularly steep in the five upper wooden storeys. The pagoda carries a cast iron spire at its top as well.
The Xumi Pagoda, named for the mythical , also known as ''Summer Pagoda'' is part of Kaiyuan Monastery which is located to the west of Zhengding. It was erected from stone and bricks and is at 48 meters the tallest pagoda in Zhengding. The pagoda has an austere geometric design with a square floor plan set on a stone
platform which is likewise square-shaped. Stones have also been used in the lower part of the first storey. The Xumi Pagoda was first built during the Tang Dynasty, 636. Apart from a wooden ceiling over the first storey , the inside of the pagoda is hollow and there is no staircase either. Among the rather plain decorations on the outside are thirteen tiers of eaves as well as stone carvings of the Heavenly Kings at the corners of the stone platform. The pagoda is one of originally four fiducial buildings on the grounds of the Kaiyuan Monastery: Tianwang Hall in the front and Fachuan Hall in the back, a bell tower in the east and the pagoda in the west. Today, the Monastery is largely destroyed and the Xumi pagoda stands surrounded by trees.
The ''Hua Pagoda'' is a four-storey brick building with an unconventional shape and a total height of approximately 40 meters. While the lower three storeys have an octagonal floor plan, the fourth storey has a circular layout over which the walls taper towards the tip giving the storey a conical shape. On the outside, this storey is richly decorated with carvings of Buddhas, elephants, and aquatic animals. Another unusual feature of the Hua Pagoda or 4 small attached buildings, which are pagodas themselves and crowned with an egg-shaped tip. These were once lost but have recently been completely restored. The Hua Pagoda was first erected during the Tang Dynasty. The present-day structure dates back to a rebuilt during the time of the .
Zhengding has convenient railway and road connections, with the Beijing-Canton Railway and Beijing-Shenzhen Expressway running through the county.
Zhengding County contains 12 towns and townships as well as 225 villages. The 7 towns are:
*Zhengding
*Zhufutun
*Xizhaotong
*Xin`an
*Ershilipu
*Xinchengpu
*Nancun
The 5 townships are:
*Xipingle
*Nanniu
*Nanlou
*Beizaoxian
*Quyangqiao
Geography and climate
Zhengding County ranges from 57.6 to 105.2 meters in elevation above sea level. It has a continental monsoon climate with four distinct seasons. The year-round averages are 12.7° for the temperature, 62 percent for the humidity, 570 for the precipitation, and 2736 hours for the sunshine time. The frost-free period exceeds 200 days per year.
History
Archeological finds indicate that the area of Zhengding County has been settled since the early . During the Spring and Autumn Period, the capital of the Xianyu Kingdom was located in the area, since the year 256 , the ''Changshan Prefecture'' was established in the County. In 923, during the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms, the prefecture was renamed ''Zhengding Prefecture'', which was later rearranged into the ''Zhengding Prefecture'' and ''Zhongshan County''. Zhengding County was created during the Qing Dynasty, in 1723. In 1949, the county was subordinated to ''Shijiazhuang Prefecture'' and in 1986, it came under the jurisdiction of the City of Shijiazhuang.
Pagodas
Chengling Pagoda
The ''Chengling Pagoda'' is built from gray bricks, it is also known as the ''Grey Pagoda''. It is located in the Village of Linji to the south of Zhengding and was formerly part of the Linji Temple. The Linji Temple was built during the times of the Eastern Wei Dynasty in the year 540. During the Tang Dynasty, it became the site where the monk founded the Linji School, one of the five schools of Chinese Buddhism. Both, Linji Yixuan and the Linji School, derive their names from the village. The pagoda was first built in 867 to serve as a shrine for the mantle and alms bowl of Linji Yixuan. The original pagoda was ruined and replaced during the years 1161 to 1189 by the present-day structure. The present pagoda stands on a substructure known as a ''Sumeru Pedestal'' after the mythic and has an octagonal cross-section. It has nine multi-eared storeys and a total height of 33 meters. Its pedestal is richly decorated. Because it is seen as one of the birthplaces of Zen Buddhism, the Chengling Pagoda is favorite site for pilgrims and tourists from Japan.
Lingxiao Pagoda
The Lingxiao Pagoda, also known as the ''Wooden Pagoda'', is a wood-and-brick construction, which was formerly part of Tianning Monastery, located to the west of Longxing Monastery. It was recorded to have been first built in 860 during the Tang Dynasty, it has undergone many repairs and rebuildings since then. The architectural style of the present-day pagoda was created during the Song Dynasty in 1045 and was left unchanged during later repairs. The pagoda has an octagonal floor plan, nine storeys, and a total height of 41 meters. The four lowest storeys are made from bricks decorated with wooden eaves. From the fifth storey upwards, the pagoda construction is entirely made of wood, constructed around a central pillar. While storey height continuously decreases from the bottom to the top of the pagoda, this decrease is particularly steep in the five upper wooden storeys. The pagoda carries a cast iron spire at its top as well.
Xumi Pagoda
The Xumi Pagoda, named for the mythical , also known as ''Summer Pagoda'' is part of Kaiyuan Monastery which is located to the west of Zhengding. It was erected from stone and bricks and is at 48 meters the tallest pagoda in Zhengding. The pagoda has an austere geometric design with a square floor plan set on a stone
platform which is likewise square-shaped. Stones have also been used in the lower part of the first storey. The Xumi Pagoda was first built during the Tang Dynasty, 636. Apart from a wooden ceiling over the first storey , the inside of the pagoda is hollow and there is no staircase either. Among the rather plain decorations on the outside are thirteen tiers of eaves as well as stone carvings of the Heavenly Kings at the corners of the stone platform. The pagoda is one of originally four fiducial buildings on the grounds of the Kaiyuan Monastery: Tianwang Hall in the front and Fachuan Hall in the back, a bell tower in the east and the pagoda in the west. Today, the Monastery is largely destroyed and the Xumi pagoda stands surrounded by trees.
Hua Pagoda
The ''Hua Pagoda'' is a four-storey brick building with an unconventional shape and a total height of approximately 40 meters. While the lower three storeys have an octagonal floor plan, the fourth storey has a circular layout over which the walls taper towards the tip giving the storey a conical shape. On the outside, this storey is richly decorated with carvings of Buddhas, elephants, and aquatic animals. Another unusual feature of the Hua Pagoda or 4 small attached buildings, which are pagodas themselves and crowned with an egg-shaped tip. These were once lost but have recently been completely restored. The Hua Pagoda was first erected during the Tang Dynasty. The present-day structure dates back to a rebuilt during the time of the .
Transportation
Zhengding has convenient railway and road connections, with the Beijing-Canton Railway and Beijing-Shenzhen Expressway running through the county.
Administrative Divisions
Zhengding County contains 12 towns and townships as well as 225 villages. The 7 towns are:
*Zhengding
*Zhufutun
*Xizhaotong
*Xin`an
*Ershilipu
*Xinchengpu
*Nancun
The 5 townships are:
*Xipingle
*Nanniu
*Nanlou
*Beizaoxian
*Quyangqiao
Zhangbei County
Zhangbei County , Hebei, China is a county formerly in the province; it is 40 km north northeast of Zhangjiakou. Zhangbei Town is the seat of the county government.
Yutian County, Hebei
Yutian County is a county within the Hebei province, China, and is under the administration of the prefecture-level city of Tangshan. It locates approximately 55 kilometers northwest of Tangshan and 110 kilometers east of Beijing. It has an area of 1,165 km? and a population of 650,000.
There is another Yutian county in China, but belonging to the autonomous region of Xinjiang. On March 21 2008 a earthquake with a 7.2 magnitude was registred in the remote region in the Kunlun Mountains.
There is another Yutian county in China, but belonging to the autonomous region of Xinjiang. On March 21 2008 a earthquake with a 7.2 magnitude was registred in the remote region in the Kunlun Mountains.
Yuhua District, Shijiazhuang
Yuhua District , is a district of the municipality of Shijiazhuang. It lies towards the southeastern part of the greater urban area. Several major universities of Shijiazhuang, including Hebei Normal University, Hebei University of Science and Technology, Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang Economy Institute, Hebei Professional Art Institute, Shijiazhuang Foreign Language School, are locating in this area. The government of Shijiazhuang and its major affiliates also locate in this region.
The northern part of Yuhua District is Zhongshan Road, one of the major commercial regions in Shijiazhuang.
The highest building in the city is the Hebei Television Tower, which is also in this region.
The northern part of Yuhua District is Zhongshan Road, one of the major commercial regions in Shijiazhuang.
The highest building in the city is the Hebei Television Tower, which is also in this region.
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