A Group of Ancient Buildings of Bodí, like a solidified epic, presenting the art of Ming and Qing architecture alongside diverse cultures. Featuring mosques with soaring gables and intricate bracket systems, Islamic patterns and Chinese painted decorations intertwine, witnessing the roots of Islamic culture in the Ya Zhao region. The Hall of Cixi’s Palace, with its seventy-two rooms, has turquoise tiles shimmering with a faint blue light in the sunlight, once the northern tour base of the Kangxi Emperor, imperial calligraphy plaques still intact. The most stunning within the scenic area is the Qiyun Temple in Xuwu County, its “Three Wonders” – Ming Dynasty sculptures, Qing Dynasty murals, and Yuan Dynasty inscriptions, forming an art corridor spanning six hundred years. These ancient buildings are not only the pinnacle of craftsmanship but also a living testament to the fusion of nomadic and agricultural civilizations of northern China. Walking through it, you can hear the echoes of Xu Guangqi lecturing at the Lianchiu Academy, and you can touch the traces of Li Zhi’ao translating Western texts. Every brick and stone tells the story: this important northern stronghold was once a civilization station connecting Europe and Asia.
