Chapter 898 - 630: Amazement
Yunling Plaza is the focal point of the central axis in Qingyun Evernight City, with a length of 161 meters from north to south and a width of 78 meters from east to west.
Among them, the dry fountain covers about a thousand square meters, and the green area is one thousand three hundred square meters. The plaza showcases a group sculpture titled 'Yunling Prosperous Age' and eight LED lights, which appear extremely dazzling at night.
"Everyone, this is Yunling Plaza. You can look ahead, where the 'Yunling Prosperous Age' themed sculpture group is located."
"The entire sculpture group is divided into three layers. On the base of the first layer is a sculpture of Tang Xuanzong, Li Longji, standing 4.59 meters high, symbolizing the supreme royal status."
Upon hearing Xia Liang's words, everyone looked simultaneously at the statue of Li Longji. They saw him standing in front of a massive circular dragon wall, exhibiting an awe-inspiring and elegant form, with an extraordinary aura. His imperial demeanor undoubtedly stood out, making him the focal point and visual center of Yunling Plaza.
Immediately, many tourists took out their phones to take photos as a memento, and Lu Rui'an had already taken out his camera. This was a scene he had never witnessed in America, and sharing it with his fans would undoubtedly astonish everyone.
"The second layer features the six most esteemed ministers of Tang Xuanzong Li Longji and twenty envoys from foreign countries, who appear robust and bold, confidently raising their glasses to drink."
"The third layer consists of 42 musicians holding various instruments, performing passionately. The entire sculpture group comprises 78 figures, creating a festive atmosphere of prosperity in Qingyun, where people live in peace and happiness..."
Looking at this group sculpture, all the tourists wore expressions of amazement, as if they saw the scene of Li Longji lightly tapping his fingers to the music in a magnificent palace.
The ministers were conducting a royal banquet, and each guest displayed an elegant demeanor, toasting and celebrating. Even Lu Rui'an, this foreigner, seemed to glimpse the grand sight of Qingyun from a millennium ago, feeling a surge of sentiment in his heart.
And in the plaza, there were also eight vermilion LED dragon pillars, each towering 20 meters high, with a head diameter of 8.9 meters and a body diameter of two meters. Four stood on each side to the east and west, symbolizing the four directions, poles, corners, and seas.
In harmony with the number eight, this signifies openness and accessibility to all directions, perfectly interpreting the architectural aesthetics of Qingyun Evernight City, making Yunling Plaza resemble an open-air palace where every visitor feels as though they have returned to the flourishing Qingyun Dynasty.
When the LED pillars light up in the nightscape of the plaza, the Evernight City emits a powerful 'evernight' allure.
Of course, aside from the beautiful scenery, Qingyun Evernight City, as Dragon Country's first cultural pedestrian commercial street, naturally also has an abundance of delicious food.
Inheriting without being stale, innovating whilst remembering roots.
Qingyun Restaurant, Tongshengxiang, Defachang, and Chunfasheng, these four old Dragon Country brand stores have set up shop in Qingyun Evernight City, reaffirming the culinary cultural heritage within Qingyun City.
"Just as they say, 'East Bell West Drum, Blue Dragon White Tiger, Cilantro Hot Soup, Qingyun Restaurant.' After seeing the beautiful sights of Qingyun Evernight City with your eyes and experiencing the ancient Qingyun prosperity with your heart, at Qingyun Restaurant, you can savor the gluttonous feast of Qingyun prosperity with your taste buds."
"Here, not only do they inherit the techniques of braising, steaming, poaching, and mixing, but have also integrated elements of Qingyun Roast Duck, deeply exploring techniques and cuisines in Shaanxi food that had long been lost."
"The court specialty Qingyun Gourd Chicken, upon completion, retains its complete shape, with a golden hue, crispy skin, and tender meat. When a plate is served, its fragrance fills the air. The homophonic sound of 'gourd' implies 'happiness and blessings,' symbolizing longevity, wealth, and prosperity."
"Fresh fish delicacies, part of Qingyun's halal dishes, were once one of the top ten signature halal dishes of the 1990s at Tongshengxiang, where fatty and lean lamb tenderloin blends with the oils and proteins of fish meat, offering an unmatched umami flavor, like a match made in heaven."
"Moreover, in our Dragon Country, dumplings are naturally indispensable. Defachang's dumpling banquet gathers diverse merits, skillfully combining ingredients with multi-flavors, cooking with nutrition, form with art, and cuisine with culture, crafting a series of 'one dumpling, one shape, one style; a hundred dumplings, hundred fillings, hundred flavors.'"
"The Defachang dumpling banquet is divided into eight types, with six fragrant styles and various flavors. In terms of dumpling shapes, they incorporate sculpting, kneading, combination, and decoration techniques, creating various birds, fish, flowers, insects, and other plants and animals, recognized by our country as a Dragon Country signature snack."
"Up to now, there are already 318 varieties of dumplings, making Defachang the restaurant with the most diverse dumpling varieties in the world, giving guests the experience of 'a dumpling banquet, tasting all the world's delicacies...'"
Listening to Xia Liang's introduction, the tourists beside him all showed astonished expressions.
"Oh my god, I never thought there would be so many dumpling varieties in our Dragon Country, even as a Dragon Country person, I didn't know."
"With our Dragon Country's thousands of years of cultural heritage, even we as Dragon Country people can't possibly know everything. This time has indeed been an eye-opener."
"I thought dumplings only had three fresh and pork fillings; I never imagined our Dragon Country was so amazing, with varieties exceeding three hundred."
"..."
Dumplings are a food known to all Dragon Country people, you could say everyone has tried them, but no one expected a simple dumpling to have such diversity.
The Dragon Country tourists were all bewildered, not to mention the foreigner Lu Rui'an.
Looking at the Defachang restaurant before him, Lu Rui'an didn't know what to say at the moment.
A few days ago, he said he would taste all of Dragon Country's food in three days. After witnessing Dapiyuan Food Street, he realized how ridiculous his previous statement was.
But now, after hearing Xia Liang's introduction, he only found himself not just ridiculous but utterly foolish.
Previously, Xia Liang told him that a single food in Dragon Country could have dozens or even hundreds of flavors, which he didn't believe at the time.
But now, just dumplings alone have over three hundred varieties.
That's over three hundred! Even if he ate dumplings every day, he couldn't taste all the flavors in a month.
"Dragon Country truly is a magical nation; even adding up all the world's cuisines probably wouldn't surpass Dragon Country's."
Lu Rui'an was completely overwhelmed this time. From now on, if anyone says anything bad about Dragon Country, he can't be bothered, but if anyone dares to say Dragon Country lacks delicious food, he'll surely take out his electric stick and beat them to death.
If Dragon Country didn't have delicious food, then what else would there be to eat in the world?
After finishing the dumpling introduction, Xia Liang began introducing other cuisines.
Such as Four Happiness Wheat Gluten, Gourd Head Stew, Thump Thump Pork, Three Skin Strands... not only making Lu Rui'an, this little foreigner, drool, but even some of the Dragon Country tourists beside him felt tempted.
Then Xia Liang led everyone to wander around Qingyun Evernight City, occasionally answering questions posed by Dragon Country tourists, which helped everyone understand the prosperity of Qingyun's flourishing era more thoroughly.