Kyoto, my favorite city.

I remember that when we chat, we always like to ask you which place in the world you want to go most. Before, I couldn't give a firm and quick answer. I will think for a while and then give some specious answers. But since I have been to Kyoto, my answer is always simple and quick, and that is Kyoto.

Actually, as a China person, it is not so easy to tell others that you like Japanese because of historical reasons. But strangely, the Kyoto I saw touched my heart almost everywhere, which was in line with my aesthetics. As a native of China, why do you feel deja vu about the Japanese past? This question was answered after listening to a China scholar about the source of inspiration for Kyoto architecture. It turns out that Kyoto retains the style of China's classical Chinese architecture, and I feel so sorry for it, because I am from China!

Before I talk about Kyoto, I want to say something about my impression of Beijing. I have been to Beijing since I was a teenager, and I have been there many times since then. When everyone talks about Beijing, they think it is the cultural essence of China people. But frankly, apart from the distant view of the Temple of Heaven, the desolation of Yuanmingyuan and the grandeur of the Great Wall, I have never felt the beauty of the Forbidden City in Beijing, but I just think those buildings are magnificent.

Before, I thought it was because I probably didn't like things in China. Later, I went to Europe and America, and I only had similar feelings about most buildings in Europe and America. I was shocked by the beauty, but my heart didn't adapt to it, so I realized that I didn't like the Forbidden City very much, because of the differences between China and the West.

The later trip to Xi made me realize that I actually like Chinese style. Only then did I realize that I had no special feeling about Beijing's architecture. Maybe it's just because the ancient buildings in Beijing are not the original Han style. They are not only different from the styles of ancient Han and Tang dynasties, but also very different. As a native of China, the beauty I like comes from myself.

Of course, it is a pity that almost all the Han and Tang palace buildings on the ground in Xi 'an don't exist, and almost all the things that can be seen are dug out of the ground.

Now Xi 'an has also rebuilt some buildings imitating the Han and Tang Dynasties, and the hotel where we stayed is. Its design lines are simple and smooth, and the color difference contrast is simple and generous. Dark wood and white walls are the main colors, and there are no other unnecessary decorations. The wood is almost Fang Gezi, and there is no unnecessary carving. The courtyard is square and the lotus root is elegant. The statue of the Tang Dynasty ladies in the hotel is copied from the unearthed cultural relics, full and smooth, and particularly graceful.

Later, I also went to Famen Temple (old) and Qingliu Temple. The general buildings give people a generous, quiet and simple feeling.

The ancient buildings in Kyoto, apart from the palace, are probably temples or academies. The overall style is flat bungalow, tatami and wooden structure of sliding door, with little decoration and simple color.

The only colorful place in Kyoto is probably the Jingu Temple. There are green plants, lakes and other buildings in a large area, which is also very simple, but only gold is used here. It's not impossible to use exaggerated colors and decorations, but it's wonderful to use fewer but more refined and just right. This aesthetic embodies the introverted and unassuming style of the orientals. The whole of Kyoto is like this, and all the splendor is only reflected in the simplicity of the whole piece.

I said a lot. Actually, I want to say that I didn't know why I like Kyoto until I went to Xi 'an. It turned out to be the legacy of Han and Tang dynasties preserved in Kyoto. Although it's not exactly the same copy, it's simple, simple and even more Zen-like, which is really similar to Han and Tang Dynasties.

There are many stories in this trip to Kyoto, so let's take it slow now.

When I travel, most people like youth hostels. The main reason is that I found that the location of youth hostels is generally in residential areas, unlike ordinary hotels set in a group of tourist facilities.

I found the Fish Wild Youth Hostel on the Internet, and I decided when I saw the good evaluation. Because I have to fly to Osaka before I can go to Kyoto by train, I also booked a youth hostel in Osaka for two days and planned to go to Kyoto for two days. Osaka's impression is that he visited the castles and markets in Toyotomi Hideyoshi. To tell the truth, I have no impression of the castle, but I think it is rustic, solid, dim and short. At that time, it was not groundless to think that everyone's impression of the Japanese was short and small.

It was in the market in Osaka that I saw some interesting things. First, I saw street vendors selling cheap things, similar to the domestic market, but everywhere was clean, but I didn't see anything worth buying.

Second, I was hungry, so I just walked into a small restaurant. Walking in, a bar system has five or six customer seats and four chefs, which seems to be a family of two generations. There are four or five customers in the shop, talking to each other as if they were old customers or something. A seat near the door was empty, so I sat down. When the shop handed me the menu, I read it. I can hardly see any Chinese characters, so I have to speak English and I can't speak Japanese. The son of the store told me some simple English, probably saying that I could order according to the map, so I ordered two raw fish and seafood that I didn't seem to have eaten. Seriously, it's not very delicious. This is usually the result that I like to try something early, but I still like the experience of Japanese daily life.

Thirdly, I noticed that all the waitresses I met everywhere were shrill, like using falsetto, which made me feel that my voice sounded rude and embarrassed to speak. I was curious and thought, do Japanese women talk like this everywhere? Or are they faking it in front of people? When I went to see a coffee shop, the mystery was solved. There are a lot of women there, probably girlfriends parties. I think I should sit next to them and listen to them. If they talk like this in front of their girlfriends, it means that they are so feminine everywhere, or just pretending in front of strangers. Sure enough, I'm sitting next to my four girlfriends. I probably don't look like a foreigner. I heard them chatting. Oh, it turns out that they are just like all other women, just like me. It's all real and natural.

Take the train from Osaka Airport to downtown, because I booked the ticket online, but I only remember that it was not cheap. After getting on the bus, I found that I seemed to be the only customer in a carriage. A ticket inspector came to check my ticket, and the way he pushed out of the carriage surprised me. I saw him, a middle-aged uncle, walk between two carriages, turn around and bow deeply, then push out the carriage and close the door. I don't think he's bowing to me either. This seems to be their training. Walking out the door backwards to a place where there are customers, you have to bow. It probably doesn't matter how many customers there are in the store, or even whether there are any customers. I had the same experience in a bag shop when I left Osaka.

I said a lot of nonsense before, and finally I want to talk about Kyoto. There is no airport in Kyoto, and the railway station is located outside the city. There is no subway in the city, so you can only take the bus. It is said to protect the old city. From the railway station, I came to the bus station. There are many buses. I found my car number and waited there. I saw an interesting phenomenon, that is, the car can be tilted to lower the pedal, which is convenient for customers to get on the bus. Train carriages seem to have this function.

Yuduoye Hotel is far from the railway station. It seems that I took more than ten stops to get there. The station is at a T-junction, and there is a quadrangle beside the road. It's dark at night, so it's hard to see whether it's a house or a shop. Cross the road and enter a residential area, but there are no tall buildings. They all look like bungalows. Utano Hotel is located in it. It is a two-story building with a large area and a large yard. You know, Japan is very small. When I was in Tokyo, I seldom saw such a spread-out house.

The next morning, I went out by car to go to Jinge Temple. As a result, I saw a cafe on the roadside in the car. I am a person who can't walk when I see a cafe, especially an independent small cafe. So I got off the bus before I got to the station and sat down in the cafe. Coffee is served by an old couple. Their English is one of the few Japanese people I have ever met who speak fluently and have a weak accent. The menu of the cafe is written on a small log, which is very creative. The proprietress was very enthusiastic and started a conversation with me.

The story of Kyoto is very long, and it is not to be continued. ...