Punch: From third-rate anchor to top chef

Chapter 1745

The decoration inside the hall is exquisite, with exquisite dragon and phoenix patterns painted on the ceiling and precious calligraphy and painting works hanging on the walls. Li Xiao stood in front of the Dacheng Hall, looking up at this magnificent building, and his heart was filled with awe: "This Dacheng Hall is so magnificent, it is worthy of being the core building of the Confucius Temple." Zhang Yuedong also sighed: "Yes, seeing this hall, you can feel the profoundness of Confucian culture." They walked into the Dacheng Hall and bowed devoutly in front of the statue of Confucius to express their admiration for this great thinker and educator.

After leaving the Confucius Temple, they came to the Confucius Mansion. The Confucius Mansion is the residence of the descendants of Confucius' hereditary Duke Yansheng. The architecture is simple and elegant, and the layout is rigorous. When you walk into the gate of the Confucius Mansion, you can see a tall screen wall with a pattern of auspicious meanings painted on it. Walking along the central axis, we visited the second gate, Chongguang Gate, lobby, second hall, third hall and other buildings in turn. The lobby is where Duke Yansheng handles official business. Various ceremonial instruments and official uniforms are displayed in the hall, showing the noble status of Duke Yansheng. Li Xiao looked at the furnishings in the hall and asked curiously: "What official business does Duke Yansheng handle here?" Zhang Yuedong replied: "Duke Yansheng is mainly responsible for managing the affairs of the Kong family, and also participates in some local cultural education and etiquette activities."

After passing through the three halls, they came to the inner house. The inner house is where the Duke of Yansheng and his family live. It has a quiet environment and an exquisite layout. There are gardens, pavilions, pavilions and other buildings here. It is shaded by green trees and lush flowers and plants, just like a paradise. They strolled in the garden of the inner house, admiring the surrounding beauty and feeling the peaceful and harmonious atmosphere here. Lin Yifei smiled and said, "It's so pleasant to live in such a place." Zhang Yuedong also nodded in agreement: "Yes, not only is the environment here beautiful, but it is also full of cultural atmosphere."

After leaving the Confucius Mansion, they went to Konglin. Konglin is the family cemetery of Confucius and his descendants. It covers a vast area, with towering ancient trees and a deep and quiet atmosphere. Walking into Konglin is like entering an ancient forest. The trees on both sides of the road are tall and straight, with lush branches and leaves, covering the sky. Led by the tour guide, they walked along the sacred road and visited the Eternal Spring Square, the Holy Forest Square, the Xiangdian and other buildings in turn. The Xiangdian is a place for worshiping Confucius. The architectural style is solemn and simple. The tablets of Confucius and his wife are enshrined in the hall. Li Xiao listened carefully to the guide's explanation in the Xiangdian and learned about the life stories and family heritage of Confucius and his descendants.

Then, they came to the tomb of Confucius. In front of the tomb of Confucius stood a tall stone tablet with the characters "The Tomb of the Great Sage Wenxuan King" engraved on it. Various offerings were placed in front of the tomb, and people came to worship in an endless stream. With reverence, they laid flowers in front of the tomb of Confucius and bowed deeply. Li Xiao said with emotion: "Confucius's thoughts have influenced China for thousands of years. His wisdom and morality are worth learning forever." Zhang Yuedong also nodded in agreement: "Yes, Confucius' Confucianism has a wide influence not only in China, but also in the world." Lin Yifei silently saluted the tomb of Confucius, his heart full of admiration for this ancient philosopher.

After visiting the Sankong Scenic Area, their stomachs were growling with hunger. So they went to a local restaurant to taste the specialties of Jining. They ordered several signature dishes such as dried meat rice, Qufu smoked tofu, and mutton soup. After a while, the dishes were served one after another. The dried meat rice was attractive in color, the dried meat was fat but not greasy, the lean meat was crispy and delicious, and paired with the fragrant rice, it made people's appetite increase greatly. Li Xiao picked up a piece of dried meat and put it in his mouth, praising it: "This dried meat rice is so delicious, the taste is rich, and the rice is also sweet." Zhang Yuedong also nodded in agreement: "Yes, this is the best dried meat rice I have ever eaten." They also tasted Qufu smoked tofu. After being smoked, this tofu has a unique smoky aroma, a fresh taste, and is very good with rice. The mutton soup is delicious and the soup is rich. After drinking it, the whole body is warm.

After dinner, they heard that there was a music and dance performance in Qufu to worship Confucius, so they decided to watch it. The music and dance to worship Confucius is a special music and dance for the Confucius Temple sacrificial ceremony. It is an important part of the Confucius Temple's ceremony of offering sacrifices to Confucius with music, songs and dances. When they arrived at the performance venue, they saw that the stage was solemnly decorated, and the actors were dressed in traditional costumes, holding various musical instruments and props, ready to start the performance.

The performance began. First, there was the welcoming ceremony. The actors played melodious music and sang solemn hymns. The dancers took neat steps and danced, as if welcoming the arrival of the saint. Then came the first offering, the second offering, and the final offering. The actors performed the sacrificial ceremony in turn, with standardized movements and solemn expressions. Throughout the performance, the music was solemn and the dance was graceful, with a simple and elegant style, making people feel as if they had traveled back to ancient times and felt the profoundness of Confucian culture. Li Xiao was attracted by the wonderful performances of the actors and watched them intently. He smiled and said to Zhang Yuedong next to him: "This music and dance for sacrificing Confucius is so shocking. Every movement and every note is full of cultural connotations." Zhang Yuedong also nodded in agreement: "Yes, this performance has given us a deeper understanding of Confucian culture." Lin Yifei sighed on the side: "This is not only an artistic performance, but also the inheritance and promotion of Confucian culture."

After watching the performance, they came to the characteristic commercial street of Qufu, ready to buy some local specialties. There are many shops selling Kai carvings here. Kai carvings are traditional Chinese handicrafts carved from Kai wood. Kai carvings in Qufu, SD Province, have a long history and exquisite craftsmanship. They are called the "Three Treasures of Qufu" together with stele calligraphy and Nishan inkstone. They walked into a Kai carving shop, which displayed a variety of Kai carving works, including Confucius statues, ladies' pictures, Ruyi, canes, etc. Each work is carved vividly and exquisitely. Li Xiao chose a small Confucius Kai carving ornament as a souvenir of this trip. Zhang Yuedong bought a beautifully carved Kai carving Ruyi and planned to give it to his elders. Lin Yifei also selected some Kai carving ornaments to give to his friends.

During this day in Jining, they explored the holy land of Confucian culture, appreciated the unique charm of the Confucius Temple, Confucius Mansion and Confucius Forest, tasted delicious specialties, watched wonderful music and dance performances for Confucius worship, and bought their favorite Kai carving specialties, which was a great harvest. They have a deeper understanding and knowledge of Confucian culture, and they cherish this rare travel experience even more. They look forward to the next stop of the journey, to discover more wonderful things in this ancient and magical land of Shandong.

Starting from Jining, the three headed northwards towards Mount Tai. Outside the car window, the scenery kept changing, with fields, mountains and villages unfolding before their eyes like a picture scroll. Li Xiao looked out the window and said excitedly: "We are about to reach Mount Tai. I am really looking forward to it. I heard that the sunrise at Mount Tai is particularly spectacular." Zhang Yuedong also responded with anticipation: "Yes, 'The Most Respected of the Five Mountains' is not in vain. This time we must climb to the top of the mountain and overlook the world." Lin Yifei smiled and said: "Then we must be prepared. I heard that climbing Mount Tai is not easy."

When they arrived in Tai'an, they could see the majestic Mount Tai from afar. It stood like a giant between heaven and earth, with clouds and mist shrouding the top of the mountain, like a fairyland. Li Xiao couldn't help but sigh: "This is Mount Tai, it's so majestic, I feel so small all of a sudden." Zhang Yuedong also nodded in agreement: "Indeed, it is worthy of being the first of the Five Mountains, the momentum is so shocking."

They came to the foot of Mount Tai, bought tickets, and started their climbing journey. At the beginning, the road was relatively flat, with green trees on both sides, and occasionally the cheerful singing of birds could be heard. They walked slowly along the mountain road, admiring the natural scenery along the way and feeling the beauty of nature. As the altitude gradually increased, the mountain road became steeper and steeper, especially the Eighteen Bends. The steep stone steps seemed like a ladder to the sky, which was daunting. Li Xiao looked at the Eighteen Bends in front of him and couldn't help feeling a little timid: "This Eighteen Bends is too steep. It feels like it takes a lot of effort to climb up." Zhang Yuedong patted Li Xiao on the shoulder and encouraged him: "Don't be afraid, let's climb slowly, step by step, and we will definitely climb up." Lin Yifei also said on the side: "Yes, we are here, we can't give up halfway, come on!" Encouraged by the two, Li Xiao plucked up the courage and began to climb the Eighteen Bends.

They climbed up step by step, stopping to rest every few steps, their clothes soaked with sweat. However, every time they looked up and saw the top of the mountain not far away, they were full of motivation. On the way, they also met many tourists from different places, who encouraged each other and moved forward together towards the top of the mountain.

After a hard climb, they finally reached Zhongtianmen. Zhongtianmen is the intersection of the east and west routes of Mount Tai. The terrain here is relatively flat, and there are many shops and rest areas. It is very lively with people coming and going. They found a place to sit down, drank some water, ate something, and took a short rest. Li Xiao looked at the crowd around him and said with emotion: "This Zhongtianmen is really lively. Everyone is working hard to reach the top of Mount Tai." Zhang Yuedong also smiled and said: "Yes, this is the charm of Mount Tai, attracting people from all over the world."

After a short rest, they continued to head towards the top of the mountain. The higher they went, the lower the temperature and the stronger the wind, but their enthusiasm did not diminish at all. Finally, they reached the top of Mount Tai - Yuhuangding. Standing on Yuhuangding, looking into the distance, the sea of ​​clouds rolled and the mountains rolled up and down, as if they were in a fairyland. At this time, the sun was setting, and the sky was dyed orange and red, which was beautiful. Li Xiao shouted excitedly: "We finally reached the top of Mount Tai. The scenery is so beautiful. All the efforts are worth it." Zhang Yuedong and Lin Yifei were also very excited. They took out their cameras and kept taking pictures to freeze this beautiful scenery forever.

In order to watch the sunrise, they stayed in a hotel on the top of the mountain for one night. Early the next morning, they came to Guanri Peak to wait for the sunrise. At this time, many tourists had gathered on Guanri Peak, and everyone was looking at the eastern sky with anticipation. Gradually, a glimmer of light appeared on the horizon, and slowly, the sun showed a little head, and then, as if it had broken free from its shackles, it suddenly jumped out. In an instant, thousands of golden lights sprinkled on the earth, and the whole world was dyed golden. Li Xiao was shocked by the beauty in front of him and exclaimed: "This sunrise is so spectacular that it is simply indescribable in words." Zhang Yuedong also marveled at the side: "Yes, this is the most beautiful sunrise I have ever seen, so unforgettable." Lin Yifei said with emotion: "It is worth the trip to see such a beautiful sunrise."

After watching the sunrise, they started to go down the mountain. The way down the mountain was relatively easier, but they also needed to be extra careful. Along the way, they appreciated the scenery that was different from when they went up the mountain, and felt another kind of beauty of Mount Tai.

After coming down the mountain, their stomachs were already growling. So they went to a local restaurant to taste the specialties of Tai'an. They ordered several signature dishes, such as Tai'an pancakes and Taishan Sanmei Soup. Tai'an pancakes are thin and crispy, rolled with various vegetables and sauces, which have a unique flavor. Li Xiao took a bite of the pancake and praised it highly: "This Tai'an pancake is so delicious, fragrant and crispy, and tastes really good." Zhang Yuedong also nodded in agreement: "Yes, the taste of this pancake is very unique, and the more you chew it, the more fragrant it is." Taishan Sanmei Soup is made with Taishan spring water, cabbage and tofu. The soup is delicious, the tofu is tender and smooth, and the cabbage is sweet. Lin Yifei took a sip of the soup and said with satisfaction: "This Taishan Sanmei Soup is really well-deserved, and the taste is so delicious."

After dinner, they came to Tai'an's specialty commercial street to buy some local specialties. There are many shops selling Taishan Stone Gan Dang, which is a Feng Shui mascot that is said to have the function of warding off evil spirits and guarding the house. They walked into a shop, which displayed a variety of Taishan Stone Gan Dang, some carved from stone and some made of wood, with different shapes and lifelike. Li Xiao chose a small Taishan Stone Gan Dang ornament as a souvenir of the trip. Zhang Yuedong bought a larger Taishan Stone Gan Dang and planned to put it at home to guard the house. Lin Yifei also selected some Taishan Stone Gan Dang pendants to give to his friends.

During the day at Mount Tai, they experienced the hardships of climbing, but also enjoyed the joy of reaching the summit and the beautiful sunrise. They tasted delicious local delicacies and bought the Taishan Shigandang specialty that they loved. This trip to Mount Tai gave them a deeper understanding of the greatness and wonder of nature, and also deepened their friendship. With full memories and gains, they continued to the next stop of their trip to Shandong.

After finishing their trip to Mount Tai, Li Xiao, Zhang Yuedong and Lin Yifei set off on their return journey. Sitting in the car on the way back, the three of them looked out the window at the scenery that was constantly receding, their hearts full of emotion.

Li Xiao was the first to break the silence and said with a smile: "This trip to Shandong is really unforgettable. Every city has its own unique charm." Zhang Yuedong nodded and agreed: "Yes, from the ancient charm of Jinan's Spring City, to the coastal scenery of Qingdao, to the Confucian culture of Jining, and the magnificence of Mount Tai, I think I will remember the scenery and experiences along the way for a lifetime." Lin Yifei also said with emotion: "Not only the beautiful scenery, but also the delicious food, performances and specialties I bought, all made this trip extremely fulfilling."