Hanging Temple

The Hanging Temple is a wooden structure built on the cliff at the foot of Hengshan Mountain. The whole building does not use a single nail. It relies on the mortise and tenon structure to embed itself into the cliff without falling. The Hanging Temple was first built in the Northern Wei Dynasty, with a history of more than 1,500 years. It is the earliest and best-preserved high-altitude wooden cliff building in China.

Such an excellent historical and cultural heritage has been ruined by the local management department and staff. This May Day, I went to Mount Wutai, the Hanging Temple, and the Yungang Grottoes. The traffic jams along the way were annoying, and the management level of the scenic area and the quality of the staff were even more unpleasant. Knowing that there will be a lot of people visiting the scenic area during the holidays, this will never happen this year, why don’t the scenic area managers have an emergency plan? The traffic in the Hanging Temple scenic area is a mess, and vehicles coming and going will cross at the edge of the cliff. Why don’t you try to use the loop line? Why don’t you implement traffic control? We arrived near the scenic area at 16:00 and were stuck in traffic for nearly 90 minutes less than 2 kilometers away from the Hanging Temple. Finally, we arrived at the scenic area, but the ticket window was closed. Some individuals and tour groups who bought tickets were stuck on the road and could not enter the scenic area after 17:00. Who is responsible for this? If the reception capacity of the scenic area is limited, flow control measures should be taken. Do you have any? When I negotiated with the staff to let me enter the scenic area after finally entering the ticket office, one of the hateful staff members said, "If you are afraid of traffic, you should just stay at home and watch TV." I would like to ask if you don't welcome people to visit your place in Hunyuan? Is this the way to treat guests? I advise you to learn from the managers of Huashan Scenic Area. One day in July last year, it rained heavily. In order to evacuate tourists, the cable car staff worked until 12 o'clock in the evening. I advise you to learn from the Tianshengqiao Scenic Area in Shennongjia Scenic Area. Their parking lot is insufficient, but the staff will divert vehicles on the roadside to let those who are willing to walk to the scenic area. After the entry time, they will extend the opening hours of the scenic area to let people who have arrived enter the scenic area for a visit.

The ticket to the Hanging Temple needs to be checked twice. The ticket to enter the scenic area for a distant view is 15 yuan, and the ticket to climb the Hanging Temple is 100 yuan, and each ticket needs to be checked once. How can I say that this wonder of the world is indeed worthy of its reputation, and it looks especially magnificent from a distance. The 100 yuan for climbing the temple is a bit worth the ticket price, just to experience the steepness of climbing. You need to bend over frequently to move forward in a wooden building that can only accommodate one person. In addition, there are many tourists on holidays, so the experience is a little worse.

I arrived in Hunyuan one day in advance and stayed there. I got up early the next day. 1. I saw that the opening time of the Hanging Temple on the Internet was 7:30. I was worried and asked the hotel staff. The staff said it would open at 8:30. As a result, we arrived at 8:30 and found that there were already people on the top of the Hanging Temple. It is recommended to arrive earlier so that the scenery can be photographed better. In addition, I listened to the explanation of the tour group. The tour guide said that the best time to see the Hanging Temple is from 8 to 10 in the morning. If it is too late, the position of the sun will make the shooting and viewing effect not good. 2. In addition, after going to the Hanging Temple today, I went to Hengshan. When I saw the cars going to the Hanging Temple from the top of Hengshan, there was always a traffic jam. So it is better to go early, the scenery is good, and to avoid traffic jams. 3. I didn’t buy a ticket for climbing. There were so many people at the ladder to climb at 9 o’clock in the morning. Due to the flow limit, it took about half an hour to queue up to the building after 9 o’clock. 4. The overall feeling is pretty good. 5. The parking fee for small cars is 10 yuan. 6. It is very close to Hengshan Mountain after leaving the Hanging Temple. People usually go to the Hanging Temple first and then to Hengshan Mountain. We went there early today, and there were already a lot of cars at the Hanging Temple, so we quickly finished the trip and went to Hengshan Mountain. There were not many cars there when we went to Hengshan Mountain, but when the top was closed, there was a traffic jam on the road to the Hanging Temple.

Finally, I climbed the Hanging Temple that I had been talking about for several years [love]. I entered the temple with the one-day tour bus at 9 o'clock. I didn't need to queue up and went straight up. When I passed by at 13.00, there was a long queue outside the parking lot of the Hanging Temple. I guess I had to queue up! Hengshan without the snow is bare [shut up]. I checked in at the Yingxian Wooden Pagoda and the Jinci Shanxi Museum!

Datong is too cold. I am from Changchun and came here in the Northeast for the winter. I wore cotton socks, cotton pants, fleece jeans, two sweaters, a down jacket, and a warm pad on the front and back. I felt like I was freezing to death after an hour at the Hanging Temple! But the lantern festival in Datong is so beautiful. Not only are the lights in the ancient city walls beautiful, but the lights on all the main streets are also so beautiful. Is Datong trying to make a living from tourism? You don’t need to go to Fenglin Pavilion, Gulou Hotpot, and 365 Coarse Grain on Dianping.com. They are all 50 or 60, and you can’t eat in two hours. Taiyuan is deserted, but Datong is hot…

The Hanging Temple of Hengshan Mountain is located in Hunyuan County, Shanxi Province, 65 kilometers away from Datong City. It is a national key cultural relic protection site and the only unique temple in China that combines Buddhism, Taoism and Confucianism. The Hanging Temple of Hengshan Mountain was first built in the late Northern Wei Dynasty more than 1,500 years ago. The temple has been repaired in successive dynasties. The Northern Wei Dynasty moved the Taoist altar from Pingcheng, now Datong, to here in the south. Ancient craftsmen built the Hanging Temple according to the Taoist requirement of "not hearing the sound of cocks crowing or dogs barking". The temple is spacious, the buildings are majestic, and the simplicity and grandeur of the temple fully reflect the wisdom and strength of the ancient Han working people. To date, there are still 11 grotto temples, including the Ten Thousand Buddha Caves, the Three Heavens Hall, the Holy Mother Palace, the Guanyin Hall, and the Zhenwu Patriarch Hall.

The tickets for the Hanging Temple are divided into entrance fees and climbing fees. If you just want to take a look without climbing the temple, you can see it from the outside and do not need to buy a ticket to go in.

If you want to climb the temple, you have to go early, otherwise you will have to wait in line for a long time. The number of people climbing the Hanging Temple is controlled, and only about 80 people are allowed in each time. When we came down a little after 9 o'clock, there was already a long queue of people climbing the temple. It is estimated that it will take two or three hours to get in. I heard a tour guide in the Hanging Temple say that it seems that the Hanging Temple will soon be closed to climbers, and those who want to climb the temple should hurry up.

From a distance, the entire Hanging Temple is built on a steep cliff halfway up the mountain, taking advantage of the concave and convex parts of the cliff to build it in a staggered manner. Most of the temple buildings extend out from the cliff and hang in the air. The hanging part seems to be supported by only a dozen pieces of wood as thick as arms, but in fact it is not.

The Hanging Temple is mainly supported by beams, which are inserted into the rock wall. First, a small hole is drilled on the cliff wall, and a wooden wedge is placed in the hole. Then the scissor-shaped beam is hammered in. The wooden wedge in the hole will drill into the beam. The harder the outside is, the tighter the inside bites. The pressure will be transmitted to the rock. Based on this half-inserted beam, with the support of the rock, it is closely connected with the corridor railings and the upper and lower beams, thus forming a wooden frame structure. This is the most amazing thing about the Hanging Temple, and it is also the secret of the Hanging Temple's perseverance for 1,500 years on the 50-meter-high cliff.

When we climbed up the Hanging Temple, the corridor was only wide enough for one person to pass through, so we lined up to walk on it. From time to time, we could hear the sound of wood creaking. When I looked up, I saw that we were hanging in the air, forty or fifty meters above the ground. I was indeed a little nervous, and my legs felt weak.

The iron staircases in the temple have been worn smooth and bright, and have a sense of history. The pavilions, attics, carved beams and painted buildings, and the statues are exquisite and lifelike. Some places still have the colors of the paintings from the past. After 1,500 years of wind and rain, the colors have become dim and no longer as vivid as they were back then, but the exquisite craftsmanship is still visible. With a little imagination, you can know how exquisite and beautiful it was back then.

After coming down from the Hanging Temple, I looked down for a long time and was still amazed by the wisdom and perseverance of the ancients.

Before this, a friend told me that the Hanging Temple would close the scenic area on September 1 for internal renovation. When I got here, I saw that although the scenic area was not closed, the scaffolding had been set up, which greatly affected the beauty of the Hanging Temple. The Hanging Temple has always been a place I particularly yearn for. Its architecture is peculiar. How was this temple built on such a cliff? It has survived vicissitudes and is still so fascinating today. There are 40 halls and pavilions. In fact, the Hanging Temple is not big. The most amazing thing is that it relies on the mortise and tenon structure and is embedded in the cliff without falling. The pavilions are connected by plank roads. The temple is not big, but it is ingenious. The poet Li Bai was drunk and wrote magnificent books after watching it, and Xu Xiake praised it as a magnificent view in the world. The ticket for viewing the landscape here is 100 yuan, and there is no discount. The passage is narrow and you have to be very careful. It is better to keep what our ancestors left behind.

When you come to the foot of Hengshan Mountain, you can see the Hanging Temple hanging on the hillside from afar. It can be said to be a building on the abyss.

The entire temple is suspended on a steep cliff.

The buildings are built ingeniously using the concave and convex parts of the cliffs, making them look particularly well-proportioned.

After visiting the Hanging Temple, the poet Li Bai wrote the word "spectacular"

After writing it, I still feel that it is not enough to express my excitement.

They added a dot to the character "zhuang", and these two characters are still engraved on the rock at the foot of the temple.

The temple consists of three parts. The first part is a complete temple layout built between the cliffs.

The second and third parts are actually "hanging" on the cliff.

The wooden plank road connecting the two parts seems to be floating in the air.

When you first arrive at the Hanging Temple, you will be amazed by the scene in front of you: more than half of the buildings of the Hanging Temple are suspended in the air, supported by more than a dozen thin pillars, giving the feeling of a towering heavenly palace. In the distance, there is a big stone with two big characters "spectacular" written on it, which is very eye-catching. According to records, these two characters were written by Li Bai when he visited the Hanging Temple in 735. Perhaps with the blessing of the name of the immortal poet, the Hanging Temple must have been a famous scenic spot in ancient times. The temple has been continuously repaired in successive dynasties, so that we still have the opportunity to witness its magical construction today.

The Hanging Temple is located on the cliffs of Cuiping Peak on the west side of Jinlong Gorge in Hengshan, Hunyuan County, Shanxi Province. It is known as "the Hanging Temple, half a day high, with three horsetails hanging in the air". The temple was built in the late Northern Wei Dynasty about 1,500 years ago. It is the only unique temple in China that combines Buddhism, Taoism and Confucianism. It is the earliest existing wooden structure complex built on a cliff in the world.

On the way back from the Sakyamuni Pagoda, we stopped by the Hanging Temple in Hunyuan County. Built in the Ming Dynasty, the Hanging Temple is the only unique temple in China that combines Buddhism, Taoism and Confucianism.

If you are not obsessed with climbing, I think it is enough to take a look at the scenic area. The ticket for the Hanging Temple scenic area is 15 yuan (free during the Spring Festival this year), and the ticket for climbing is 100 yuan without discount. The cost-effectiveness of queuing for climbing during holidays is not high. This long corridor for climbing is a great place to view the Hanging Temple. Following the team slowly moving, you can appreciate the steep style of the Hanging Temple from different angles. The structure of the Hanging Temple originated from the ancient plank road. The horizontal beams deeply inserted into the mountain are its main support points. The thin wood below was added in modern times. It is said that it is just a kind of "psychological comfort".

Extinct.

I saw reviews saying that the sun is bright in the morning, and the tour groups are all arranged in the morning. I thought there would be fewer people in the afternoon, so I booked it in the afternoon.

The first day of Dragon Boat Festival arrives at 1:30 pm~

Be sure to remember to purchase tickets for the Hanging Temple in advance on the "Beiyue Hengshan" official account. When I arrived, I found that there were many people queuing at the ticket office, and when I looked at the official account, I saw that the tickets were sold out.

After entering the door, you can see the Hanging Temple close to the mountain. It's so dangerous. The ancients were so awesome. There are cultural and creative shops on the roadside. Buy an ice cream and check in~

Then we started the queue journey. We queued for about 50 minutes and climbed up. The temple was very narrow and the stairs were very dangerous. I admired the ancients again. If you have a chance to go upstairs, come quickly. After too many years, you will not be allowed to go up due to safety issues. It's just like the Yingxian Wooden Pagoda.

The Hanging Temple is at the foot of Hengshan Mountain, but because I am not very interested in Hengshan Mountain, I only visited the Hanging Temple. The entrance ticket is not expensive, but you need to pay a separate fee to climb the temple, 100 yuan, which is a bit expensive. The Hanging Temple is actually quite small, and the whole climb down is only 20 minutes, but the road is really narrow, and the entrances and exits in some places are very narrow. If you are a little fat, you will get stuck, and people who are afraid of heights are really scared. I am afraid of heights, so I dare not look out, just keep looking at my feet or in front of me. I feel much safer when I bend down when I climb to a high place. Many steps are close to vertical, and it is not recommended for people with poor legs and feet to climb.

According to historical records, it was first built in the 15th year of Taihe in the Northern Wei Dynasty (491 AD). When it was first built, the temple was nearly 100 meters above the ground, and it was supported by only a dozen wooden pillars as thick as bowls. According to the teachings of Taoist Priest Kou Qianzhi, "extending the free and easy guests above and eliminating the noise below", the "Chongxu Temple" was built. Later, people renamed it the "Hanging Temple" based on its characteristics. Its design concept is unique and its architectural art is high, which can be called a wonderful building. Moreover, as the only unique temple in my country that combines Buddhism, Taoism and Confucianism, you have to go to the Hanging Temple to explore it when you come to Hengshan.

There are several hanging temples in China, but the Hanging Temple of Hengshan is the most complete one. There are two tickets, one for viewing from a distance and one for climbing up. I suggest you go up to take a look. It is not only a representative of Hengshan’s Buddhist and Taoist culture, but also a representative of unique architectural structure. There are still many points to be excavated. For example, the several Buddha statues on it are the product of adapting to local conditions, but most people just come here for a visit. I hope more people can appreciate it, and I also hope it can be here for another thousand years.

The Hanging Temple is not big, but it is still very spectacular when you see it in person. On a completely vertical or even negative angle cliff, the entire wooden structure is supported by wooden columns and beams inserted into the cliff, which has a strong visual impact.



After entering the Hanging Temple scenic area, you can only view the Hanging Temple from the outside. If you need to climb the temple, you need to purchase an additional 100 yuan climbing fee.

Because the interior space of the Hanging Temple is very small, and it is made of wood and is very old, only about 10 people can visit it per minute, so the waiting time is very, very long.



Finally we entered the temple. The aisles and stairs were very narrow. We had to lower our heads, bend over and lean sideways. The creativity and piety of the ancients were truly endless.



The one-way street goes all the way to the end, and when you return to the ground, it is already dark. The driver at the square will tell you that there are no more shuttle buses, and you can take my car out, and I will charge you a lower price. However, there is a free shuttle bus coming back to pick up tourists back to the parking lot. It is a lie. Don't believe it.

The entrance fee to the Hanging Temple is 15 yuan, but there is also a 100 yuan entrance fee. If you only buy the entrance fee, you can only look at the temple from a distance after entering. If you want to visit the temple, you have to add another 100 yuan! This is a great trick. In name, it can give free tickets to tourists from Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Shanghai and other relevant groups, but in fact it is only 15 yuan. Since you are here, no one may not go up to take a look because of the 100 yuan entrance fee.

When we arrived at the scenic spot in the morning, the Hanging Temple was waiting for us to visit in the morning sun. There were merchants selling military coats and gloves in the scenic spot, but we didn't rent them. Later, we found that in the afternoon, the sun might not shine on the Hanging Temple. It was indeed quite cold in this season. Fortunately, we climbed in the morning and the sun was warm, so we didn't need those equipment.

It takes more than an hour to drive from Datong City to Hengshan Hanging Temple.

There are two types of tickets for the Hanging Temple. The first is the scenic spot ticket, and the second is the ticket to the Hanging Temple. The ticket to the temple needs to be booked online on the same day. Please note that the first scenic spot ticket is free on weekdays, while the second ticket to the temple is free of charge on both weekdays and holidays. However, people over 60 years old can still get free tickets, and ID card authentication is required... But when we made the reservation online, there was no reminder that the elderly were free of charge, so we also bought tickets from my mother. As a result, when we checked the tickets on the same day, it was the staff who reminded us that the ticket money had already been paid online, and the tickets purchased online could not be refunded on the spot. Just when we thought the money was going to be wasted, the staff was very enthusiastic to help us contact the director of the scenic spot management. After explaining the situation, the director said that he would help us coordinate the application for a refund from the background, and asked us to play first and wait patiently. As a result, about 10 minutes later, we received a text message of the refund of the ticket money. The director of the scenic spot also made a special call to tell us that the ticket money had been refunded and to pay attention to it... I was surprised and moved at the same time. The staff here are really efficient and responsible~ good comments!



The Hanging Temple was built on a cliff during the Northern Wei Dynasty. It seems to be suspended outside the cliff, but in fact, the ancients cleverly used the caves in the rock wall as the main support point, and used corridors to connect the main buildings above, below, left and right... The main body of the Hanging Temple we see now was rebuilt in the Qing Dynasty... The main body of the Hanging Temple is roughly divided into the north and south buildings, each with three floors, connected by a long corridor in the middle... Except for the meditation room, the Buddhist hall and various halls, the space for tourists to walk is actually relatively narrow and crowded, and only one person can pass clockwise. Therefore, it is recommended that if time permits, try to come when the door opens, otherwise there will be too many tourists and the roads on the Hanging Temple are narrow, and there is no opportunity to stop to take pictures and enjoy the scenery...

Because it is a mountainous area, the wind is very strong and it is really cold! In autumn and winter, you must take good warm-up measures~ One side is close to the rock cliff, and the other side has only a small wooden railing that is not even waist-high... The higher you go up the wooden stairs, the steeper it feels... The official also reminds you to be careful if you are afraid of heights...

When we reached the top, there was a very cramped wooden corridor. I felt that the wooden railings beside my legs could not stop my fear of heights. I really rubbed against the rock wall step by step, and my palms were sweating from nervousness...

Although you can only walk clockwise to visit the Hanging Temple and cannot go back, it only takes about 30 minutes to go around the temple once. However, if you want, you can climb the temple again in an infinite loop... And if you walk a few more times, you will not feel scared when you reach the top, and you will be in the mood to take a good look at the amazing scenery below and on the opposite side...

The Hanging Temple of Hengshan Mountain is located on the cliffs of Cuiping Peak, the second main peak of Hengshan Mountain. The Hanging Temple of Hengshan Mountain was first built in the late Northern Wei Dynasty more than 1,500 years ago. The dynasty moved the Taoist altar from Pingcheng (Datong) to the south. The craftsmen built the Hanging Temple according to the Taoist requirement of "not hearing the sound of cocks crowing or dogs barking". It is famous for its ingenious architecture, unique style and the integration of three religions. The temple is about 50 meters above the ground and has a total of 40 halls and pavilions, making full use of the natural state of the cliffs. The layout and shape of the general temple flat buildings are built in a three-dimensional space, with mountain gates, bell and drum towers, main halls, and side halls. Xu Xiake, a great traveler in the Ming Dynasty, called the Hanging Temple "the world's grand view".

From the outside, the Hanging Temple looks like a pendulum floating on a steep cliff, which is frightening. In fact, it is supported by more than a dozen bowl-thick pillars that are deeply inserted into the rock, and the landing points are carefully calculated. The pillars are made of local iron fir wood and soaked in tung oil, so they are anti-corrosive and not afraid of insects and ants. The location of the temple is also very scientific. The top of the stone cliff above just covers the ancient temple, avoiding the baptism of rain. The ancient temple can also be saved from flooding when the mountain is flooded. The Tianfeng Ridge to the east can also block the sunlight. The Hanging Temple is a perfect combination of science and art, which is protected from wind, rain and sun. The bold design and superb and mysterious technical level of the ancients are amazing.

We entered the Hanging Temple scenic area at 7:30 and queued for three hours before we climbed up to the ancient temple built on the cliff. This building, more than 60 meters above the ground, has survived landslides, earthquakes, and rain erosion for more than 1,500 years. It is really a miracle that makes people sigh and admire. As for how the Hanging Temple was built, it is still an unsolved mystery.

The temple is clinging to the high cliffs, hanging in the air, and the narrowest part is only wide enough for one person to walk sideways. Because the temple has limited load-bearing capacity, only 30 people can visit it at a time, and it is a one-way visit. We almost walked forward with the flow of people, but even so, the Hanging Temple still gave us a strong sense of shock.

I got up early on National Day to queue up to climb the Hanging Temple. The Hanging Temple is actually not very big, and it only takes about 20 minutes to walk around it. Most of the existing parts are Ming and Qing Dynasty buildings. If you go up early, you can take pictures with no one there.

The road to the Hanging Temple and Hengshan is the same. Follow the signs and go down into the valley to the Hanging Temple. Continue up and go through a tunnel to the Hengshan. Leave the Hanging Temple and go to Hengshan at 9:00. The Hanging Temple may be because we went there relatively early. Although it was the peak season of summer vacation, there were not many people. We did not climb the tower, so we spent less time. If we had left 40 minutes more for climbing the tower, it would have been enough. "One city and one cave are famous all over the world, and one mountain and one temple are like poems and paintings." "Linghu Chong led Master Fangzheng and Taoist Chongxu down the Jianxing Peak, toward the entrance of the magnetic kiln, and came to the foot of Cuiping Mountain. Fangzheng and Chongxu looked up and saw two flying pavilions standing on the top of the peak, like immortal pavilions, appearing in the clouds. Fangzheng sighed: The person who built this pavilion is really imaginative. It is true that there is nothing difficult in the world, as long as you are willing to work hard." Friends who have read Mr. Jin Yong's "Swordsman" must be familiar with this passage, and this description is about the protagonist of this section-the Hanging Temple. The Hanging Temple was originally named "Xuankong Pavilion". It is located between the cliffs of Cuiping Peak on the west side of Jinlong Gorge in Hengshan, Hunyuan County, Datong City. Because the whole temple is like hanging on a cliff, it was later renamed "Hanging Temple". It was first built in the late Northern Wei Dynasty and has a history of more than 1,500 years. The Hanging Temple is famous for its steepness, which is like facing the abyss. It is the top of the 18 scenic spots in Hengshan Mountain. Xu Xiake called it "the world's grand view" and wrote in his "Diary of a Tour of Hengshan Mountain": "In the west cliff, there are high-rise buildings and curved pavilions, which look like mirages." The word "spectacular" is engraved on the cliff stone, which is said to be mentioned by the great Tang Dynasty poet Li Bai after visiting. The Hanging Temple has always been known as a paradise on earth. There is a sentence in the inscription of the reconstruction of the Hanging Temple during the Tongzhi period of the Qing Dynasty: Those who don't know think it was done by gods.

"The Hanging Temple is half a sky high, with three horsetails hanging in the air." Among the many temples in China, the Hanging Temple is unique for its special construction style. The most famous of them is the Hunyuan Hanging Temple in Datong.

Hunyuan Hanging Temple is located on the cliffs of Cuiping Peak in Jinlong Gorge of Hengshan Mountain, the Northern Mountain. It is the earliest and best-preserved high-altitude wooden cliff building in my country. The Hanging Temple was originally named Xuankong Pavilion, which is named after the Taoist "Xuan" and the Buddhist "Kong". Later, because "Xuan" and "Xuan" are homophones, and the temple is hanging on the cliff, it is usually called the Hanging Temple.

The tickets for the Hanging Temple are divided into two parts. The first ticket of 15 yuan can only stand at the bottom of the cliff and look up at it. If you want to climb the pavilion, you must pay another 100 yuan. This is the core.

The opening hours of the Hanging Temple in summer are from 8:00 to 18:00. The ticket price is 25 yuan, but if you want to climb the Hanging Temple, you have to pay a 100 yuan boarding fee. The ticket office only accepts cash (there should be a frowning expression here). In order to protect the ancient building, the Hanging Temple can only carry about 100 people, and tourists have to line up and board in batches.

It was our first time to come to Datong, Shanxi, and we were not disappointed when we chose China-TravelNote Travel! Especially the patient and detailed explanation of the tour guide Xiao Liu made our trip worthwhile! I like the strong sense of responsibility of the tour guide Xiao Liu👍Thank you🙏 for your hard work!

The scenery is beautiful and worth a visit. You must visit the temple in person. You may not be able to go to the temple in the future. After all, there are too many people and the temple has limited load-bearing capacity.

An excerpt from my travel notes.

The rain was drizzling, but it couldn't stop my enthusiasm for visiting the Hanging Temple. I walked through the narrow walkway in the temple and stood on a high place to look into the distance: the towering mountains, the rushing rivers, the scenery is so beautiful!

The Hanging Temple was built in 491 AD and is located in Hunyuan County, Datong City, Shanxi Province. It is adjacent to Hengshan Mountain and is one of the must-see attractions in Datong.

Tickets: Full price ticket is 15 yuan, boarding fee is 100 yuan, a total of 115 yuan, must be purchased in cash.

The half-price ticket is 8 yuan and the boarding fee is 50 yuan, a total of 58 yuan.

Special groups: Minors aged 1.6 (not included) to 18 (inclusive), full-time university undergraduates and below can enjoy half price with their student ID or ID card

Children under 2.6 years old or 1.2m (inclusive) are free of charge.

3. Active military personnel, disabled revolutionary soldiers and disabled persons are exempt from tickets with valid certificates.

4. Senior citizens aged 60 years and above are free of charge with their ID cards.



From a distance, the Hanging Temple looks like the whole temple is hanging on the cliff, but in fact only a part of it is hanging in the air, and about half of it is built on the mountain. There is a small lake under the Hanging Temple, which seems to be artificially dug. It is recommended to go to the Hanging Temple early, because I heard that there will be a limit on the number of people.

To visit the Hanging Temple, you just need to follow the marked route and follow the crowd. The road is narrow and high, and it will be dangerous if it is too crowded. For someone like me who is a little afraid of heights, it is really a torture to be at the highest point, because there is a cliff hundreds of meters high next to you, and the railing is only as high as your knees...

We visited the Hanging Temple of Hengshan Mountain in the morning on April 5, 2019. We set out from Datong City at 6:30 in the morning and arrived at the Hanging Temple in about an hour (the scenic spot opens at 8:00). We visited the scenic spot early in the morning before the large number of tourist groups arrived.



There are usually not many tourists at this time, so you don't have to rush to the temple to queue up as many guides say. Instead, you can quietly wait for the morning sun to slowly rise from behind Tianfengling on the east side of the temple opposite the Hanging Temple on the east bank of Hunhe River in Jinlongxia. At this time, the shadow of Tianfengling on Cuiping Peak on the west side will gradually decrease until the Hanging Temple on the cliff of Cuiping Peak is completely exposed to the bright sun. Due to geographical factors, the Hanging Temple is only exposed to sunlight for three hours a day, so morning is definitely the best time to visit.



Afterwards, we entered the Hanging Temple and followed the tour route to carefully admire this unique architectural wonder. When we walked out of the Hanging Temple at the end of the tour, the queue of tourists had made it impossible to walk around and follow the queue. (On the truth of "the early bird catches the worm")

The Hanging Temple is at the foot of Mount Heng, the northernmost mountain. Since I had no plan to climb the mountain, I only visited the Hanging Temple. This is one of the main destinations of this trip. Although I went through various queues and finally climbed the mountain in person, I still have no regrets. It was once selected as one of the top ten unstable buildings in the world by Time Magazine. Maybe in a few years, people will not be allowed to climb it to protect the monument itself.

Qi - Miao - the name sounds so simple, but when you really face this artifact, you will marvel at the wisdom of the ancients. There is a unique production technique here. Go to the Hanging Temple as early as possible, because the building has limited capacity and will limit the flow of people. If you go a day late, you will have to wait in line. It will affect your travel mood.

The ancients had such a sophisticated grasp of mechanics. I admire them.

The ancient building is worth seeing, but the Buddha statues and other antiques in the room are gone, which is a bit regrettable

The Hanging Temple has limited flow, so you need to go there when there are fewer people, otherwise the queue will be very long. The Hanging Temple is very worth visiting.

It is more famous than Mount Hengshan, so there are many people. It takes an hour to queue up and 15 minutes to climb up. Well, it is still worth going, it is exciting.

A temple built on a cliff dozens of kilometers away from Taiyuan praises the wisdom and technology of the ancients.

A wonder in architectural history, it is best to go in the morning and backlight in the afternoon. Although the ticket is expensive, it is still worth it.

The Hanging Temple is located on the cliffs of Cuiping Peak. It is known as "The Hanging Temple, half a sky high, with three horsetails hanging in the air". It is famous for its steepness like facing the abyss.

Walking on the Hanging Temple, my legs were a little shaky... It's a very impressive building, a temple built on a cliff

I admire the wisdom of the ancients. It is really hard to imagine how the Hanging Temple was built under such harsh environmental conditions in ancient times.

Part of Hengshan, the scenic area is very small and the ticket price is very expensive. Just spend 15 yuan to walk around the park.

Hanging Temple: It was first built in the Northern Wei Dynasty and has a history of more than 1,500 years. It is the earliest and best-preserved high-altitude wooden cliff building in China. The entrance ticket is 15 yuan, and the boarding ticket is 100 yuan. The normal opening hours are from 8 am to 5 pm. As a result, when we arrived at 7:30 am during the May Day holiday, there were already crowds of people, and all the boarding tickets for the day had been sold out. The waiting line under the temple was expected to be 4 hours... I really don’t know what time everyone arrived, so I could only buy the entrance ticket and go to see it from a distance.

The Hanging Temple was originally called Xuankong Pavilion and is the first of the 18 scenic spots in Hengshan.

There were a lot of people and the attractions were not very popular, which was a bit disappointing.

I give it one more star, mainly for the appearance. Although it doesn't look spectacular (probably because there are too many people and the place is small), it still gives people a very strange or magical feeling.

I passed by during the National Day holiday in 2018. A large dirt road was built in front of the Hanging Temple to welcome tourists during the National Day holiday. Wasn't the Hanging Temple closed for maintenance a month before the National Day? Why didn't they pave this small dirt road? Does the scenic spot lack this money? The ticket price of the Hanging Temple is over three digits.



Please make good use of the wealth left by the ancients to our descendants. The masters of various scenic spots, please be nicer to the tourists who come from afar.

Very steep, architectural wonders. The whole attraction is not big and can be walked through in 30 minutes, but try not to go during the peak tourist season, as the queues are too long.

Please arrive before 8:30 on holidays! We arrived at the foot of the mountain before 9:30. The traffic jam was so bad that we finally stopped the car. The line for buying tickets was so long and the tickets were sold out. So we took a photo of the Hanging Temple from a distance outside the scenic spot. If you want to go up, you have to get up early.

The ancient temple is indeed worth a visit. The only drawback is that you cannot stay there for too long, because there are many people queuing behind you, so you need to have some social ethics.

The review is late. I went there in the winter of the year before last, which was off-season. There were only a few dozen people there. It was really fun in the off-season. There are upper and lower floors like stairs in a duplex house, but they are very steep and short. They are basically straight up and down, and only allow one person to pass! From the building next to it, walking to the middle, there is a wooden staircase. It's so scary. You have to admire the ingenuity of ancient architecture! Because my fat son weighs more than 200 pounds, he didn't dare to go up, so we ended up without any success! The overall feeling is very good! It's worth a visit!



The noodles we had for dinner back in Datong County were so delicious!!! Highly recommended!

The scenery is spectacular and rare. There is no service. The toilet is clean. The ticket requires cash.

Not bad. But the buildings have survived, and there are no special historical events at that time.

The Hanging Temple of Luluyaogou is located on the Shenchi Stone Peak, 5 kilometers southwest of Liebao Village, Liebao Township, Shanxi Province. The mountains there are towering and towering above the clouds. The rocks are rugged and difficult for people to walk on. There is a cave hanging in the rock called Luluyao. According to the inscription, the Hanging Temple was first built in the fourth year of the Ming Dynasty Shun period. The abbot of the temple was Daoxuan. The combination of the cliff and artificial buildings of the Hanging Temple has a unique scenery.

The Hanging Temple was considered one of the architectural miracles of the time. I think it is worthwhile to watch it from a distance.

Well... my toes were frozen off and I couldn’t go up because there were too many people.

There are a toilet + a tourist shop + a stall selling hats, gloves and earmuffs + a stall selling grilled sausages.

After a four-hour trip, we arrived at the Hanging Temple. The scenery was really good and the safety measures were great, but the personnel order management still needs to be improved. It's still very good.

I had seen this place in textbooks before. This time I finally saw it with my own eyes. A trembling temple stands on the cliff. Because of the good location, it has been able to survive thousands of years of wind and frost and still stands today. The corridor of the Hanging Temple is narrow and steep, and can only accommodate one person. Although the entire Hanging Temple looks large, it actually has a small capacity. We were the first to arrive, so we could enjoy the tour. When we came down from the Hanging Temple, the large group of people behind us had already arrived, and everyone started queuing up, which was said to take two hours.

The Hanging Temple has been supported by these wooden pillars for more than a thousand years.

There is really no need to say much about the Hanging Temple, it is very precious all over the world.

The experience of going there in person is completely different from looking at photos.

Datong’s current tourist service and public transportation are not very complete, so it is recommended to charter a bus or take a one-day tour.

Climbing up to the top, you really get the feeling of "the tower is a hundred feet high, and you can reach the stars with your hands."

It is known as the "Hanging Temple, half a sky high, with three horsetails hanging in the air", and is famous for its steepness as if facing the abyss. Built in the late Northern Wei Dynasty 1,400 years ago, it is the only unique temple in China that combines Buddhism, Taoism and Confucianism.

I didn't go up, I just watched quietly from below.

The entrance fee has become 100 yuan, and there is no discount even for the elderly and in the off-season. Compared with the free 🆓 of other scenic spots, it is really... Even the Yungang Grottoes can use the card. But you can still go up, so go quickly, I'm really worried that you won't be allowed to go up soon. The scenic area is not big, about an hour.



Update: If you are going to the Hanging Temple, please check the latest news. It seems that the price has been reduced starting from January 1, 2019.

From a distance, it looks like a small toy. It is really scary to climb up. Anyway, the man who is afraid of heights has weak legs. The carvings in the temple are very beautiful, but it is a pity that they have been stolen and destroyed.

The spectacle is well-deserved of its name, and the best angle to see it is from the foot of the mountain, but it is also worth climbing up to find that it is actually a very small complex of buildings, but the communication links are very clever, and it really has the thrill of Jin Yong's novels.

The Hanging Temple is located at the foot of Hengshan Mountain, southeast of Hunyuan Bus Station in Datong, 65 kilometers away from Datong City. It has a history of more than 800 years and is a national key cultural relic protection unit. It is a temple built on a cliff with a unique structure. It is the only unique temple in China that combines Buddhism, Taoism and Confucianism.

It is about 100 kilometers from Yungang Grottoes to Hanging Temple, and it takes an hour by car. As we were talking, we hadn't recovered from the atmosphere of grotto culture, and the villages and mountains on both sides of the road hadn't been appreciated seriously, but the Hanging Temple had already appeared in front of us. The Hanging Temple is located in Jinlong Gorge at the foot of Hengshan Mountain, the Northern Peak, about 80 kilometers away from Datong City. This is the most unique scene among the 18 scenes of Hengshan Mountain, one of the Five Great Mountains in my country, and is known as the first scenic spot of Hengshan Mountain. Among the many temples in China, this Hanging Temple can be called a wonderful building. Most temples are built on flat ground, but this Hanging Temple is worthy of its name. It is built on cliffs and hangs in the air. Its unique design ideas and architectural art give it unparalleled magnificence. The steep mountains and cliffs here are thrilling and strange. From a distance, you can see the divine buildings and fairy palaces hanging in the air. The carved corridors and painted buildings hang on the cliffs like flying, as if they are finely carved works of art. Walk through the grotto, step onto the plank road, come out of the skylight and enter the corridor, which is like a fairyland with fairy towers and pavilions.

The entire temple is shaped like a dragon, and there were originally two temples, but unfortunately the one opposite was burned down when the national highway was opened.

The corridors of the Hanging Temple are so narrow that two adults cannot pass through at the same time. Some guardrails are very low, perhaps only 60 centimeters high, which will definitely scare people with acrophobia.

I had a lot of fun with my boyfriend. I was a little scared when I climbed to a high place. I was amazed by the wisdom of the ancients. I think it was worth the trip.

Since there were too many people at the attraction, I couldn’t wait any longer and could only take photos outside. I’ll just consider it as the fact that I was there. It’s spectacular!

Actually, it is not very big. After climbing up, I felt that the building was very narrow. After more than 1,500 years of wind and rain, geological disasters, it is still standing tall, which is really a miracle.

I thought it would be very high but it wasn't. I thought I would be very scared but it wasn't.

The temple is hanging on the cliff, built at an altitude of more than 100 meters. Although the temple is small, it is fully functional and has everything it should have. In ancient times, it was a sentry post at the entrance of the ancient road. This is a place you must not miss when you come to Hengshan in Datong. Because the scenic area is small, you need to queue up to watch. The road is narrow and steep, so you need to pay attention to safety.

The scenic area is very small, and the buildings are majestic and unique, clinging to the cliff. Looking at the stressed pillars, it's scary to walk up to them.

There is a stone in the Hanging Temple with the word "spectacular" written on it.

But after going to Yanmen Pass, I felt that the highlight of the trip to Shanxi was Yanmen Pass.

Although the Hanging Temple has its own characteristics, it cannot be called "spectacular".

Kitadake Sky

Except for the Southern Peak, the Five Mountains are basically bare, and the Northern Peak is naturally no exception, so the expectation for Hengshan Mountain turned into the expectation for the Hanging Temple. Without much foreplay, the car turned a corner on the road and saw the five big characters "The Scenic Spot of the Hanging Temple". The mountain is a barren mountain, the valley is a deep valley, the wall is a cliff, and the wooden pillar that is said to support the entire temple alone is not a temple. As for why the ancients had to advance and retreat between the cliffs where it is difficult to worship and it is difficult to breathe, I thought for a long time, showing off their skills.