When is the best time to go to Jimingyi?

The best time for Jimingyi: Summer and Autumn

There is an ancient city called Jimingyi at the foot of Jiming Mountain on the north bank of the Yangtze River in the northwest of Huailai County. It is 140 kilometers away from Beijing. The Beijing-Baotou Railway and the Beijing-Zhangjiakou Highway (National Highway 110) pass through the city from the north to the south. This important Fangcheng town left over from history was once a large-scale post station in the history of ancient Chinese mail stations. It played an extremely important role in my country's military, political, economic, communications and other aspects during the Ming and Qing dynasties. Its special strategic location makes it a city of its own. It is the largest, most complete, and best-preserved ancient inn in China today, and is listed as a national key cultural relic protection unit. In August 1996, the Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications issued a set of two commemorative stamps "Ancient Post" to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the founding of China Post, one of which was the Jiming Post.

Jimingyi was built in the Yuan Dynasty. In 1219 AD, Genghis Khan led his troops to the Western Expedition, opened a post road on the highway leading to the Western Regions, and set up Zhanchi (i.e. post station). By the 18th year of Yongle in the Ming Dynasty (AD 1420), Jiming Post was expanded to become the first major stop for Xuanhua Prefecture to enter the capital. The city was equipped with Post Office, Post House, General Office, Gongguanyuan, Horse Hao, etc. buildings, as well as theaters and temples.

In the eighth year of Chenghua in the Ming Dynasty (AD 1472), earthen walls were built at Jiming Station, and in the fourth year of Longqing (AD 1570), the city was built with bricks. The city has a circumference of 2330 meters and a wall height of 12 meters. There are two east and west gates in the south of the east and west city walls. The gates are named Jimingshan Station and Qichong Bullfight respectively. A two-story tower was built on the gate platform, and a battle platform was built on the city wall above. The Jade Emperor Pavilion is built in the middle of the north city wall, and the Longevity Star Pavilion is built in the middle of the south city wall. The two pavilions echo each other. The east and west horse roads under the city were the passages for the post horses to enter, and the Nangong Road in the south of the city was the main road for the post soldiers to pass orders. You can imagine how lively it was at that time with the sound of horse bells and the billowing of flying dust every day. The postmen wearing postal uniforms and hanging wooden plaques with fire seals on their waists rode on horseback to deliver the goods.

In the third year of Emperor Qianlong of the Qing Dynasty (1738 AD), in order to strengthen the defense of the post city, the city wall was comprehensively repaired, and a turret, Kuixing Pavilion, was built on the southeast corner of the city wall. In order to prevent flash floods from invading, a protective dam was built in the east of the city.

The development of the postal post business has brought opportunities to various constructions of Jiming Post. The economy and culture are prosperous, merchants gather, the temples are brilliant, and the mansions are magnificent. Every year from the 13th to the 19th of the fourth lunar month, the Jimingshan Temple Fair and the three market days of the 16th, 21st and 26th of the twelfth lunar month are filled with vendors, singing temple operas, and bustling with people. It was not until 1913 that the Beiyang government announced the abolition of inns and the establishment of a postal service. Only then did Jiming Post, an ancient inn, complete its important historical mission.

Nowadays, whether from the perspective of tourism or cultural relics, Jimingyi, an ancient city that is basically well-preserved, still retains its original style and has extremely high historical value. Except for a section of the middle part of the west wall that collapsed, the rest of its city walls stand neatly, with clear edges and corners, neither crooked nor tilted. Its city gate has towering arches and wide open doors. The iron plates and nails inlaid on the door are still firmly nailed on the door. Many of the Buddhist and Taoist temples and other buildings in the city are still well preserved. The post house was a Ming Dynasty building that provided dining and accommodation for passing officials and postmen. The north room of this three-entry courtyard has wooden bolt heads of partitions with exquisite workmanship. Each wooden bolt head is engraved with the characters of piano, chess, book, etc. The different images of paintings, lotuses, lotuses, bats, cicadas, etc. are lifelike, ingenious and unique, reflecting the superb craftsmanship of ancient Chinese craftsmen.

In the twenty-sixth year of Guangxu (AD 1900), the Eight-Power Allied Forces invaded and occupied Beijing. When Empress Dowager Cixi fled westward in panic, she stayed in Jimingyi City. The ancient buildings and ruins where she stayed still exist.

In recent years, the ancient post station Jiming Post has become very popular in the film and television industry.

CCTV and film manufacturers from Beijing, Bayi, Guangxi, Tianjin, Hong Kong and other places came here to shoot location shots, and Jimingyi became a movie city