Origin of Xuankong Temple
The origin of Xuan Kong Temple could be traced back to the late Northern Wei Dynasty about 1400 years ago. At first, Xuan Kong Temple was called Xuankong Pavilion, but later it was renamed Xuan Kong Temple. This was because the entire monastery seemed to be hanging on a cliff, and in Chinese, the word "hanging" and "mysterious" had the same pronunciation, hence the name. Xuankong Temple was the only unique temple in China that combined Buddhism, Taoism, and Confucianism. It was also one of the earliest wooden structures built on the existing cliffs in the world. The architectural style of Xuankong Temple integrated the characteristics of China and India, and had a strong Buddhist artistic atmosphere.
The Origin of Xuankong Temple
Xuankong Temple was an ancient building complex on Yantou Mountain in Lingchuan County, Datong City, Shanxi Province, China. It was built about 1500 years ago during the Northern Wei Dynasty. The temple was built on a cliff, hence the name "Xuankong Temple". It was built by monks and local craftsmen during the Northern Wei Dynasty. They used wooden construction techniques and successfully built the temple on a cliff.
The Origin of Mount Heng Xuankong Temple
The origins of Mount Heng's Xuankong Temple could be traced back to the Northern Wei Dynasty, around 491 AD. It was said that a Northern Wei Taoist priest named Kou Qianzhi had instructed his disciples to build a temple in the sky before his death. His disciples had chosen the site and designed it many times before finally building the temple on a steep cliff. The architectural structure of Xuankong Temple used a combination of wooden structures and suspension cable structures. It relied on the bumps of the mountain and the shape of the rock to support the building. The entire temple was made of wood and stone, cleverly embedded in the cracks between the rocks in the mountains, forming a floating effect. Xuankong Temple was famous for its unique architectural skills and engineering miracles. It was also one of the four Xuankong Temples in China and one of the oldest existing Xuankong Temples in the world.
Xuankong Temple and Xuankong Village
Xuan Kong Temple and Xuan Kong Village were two different locations. Xuankong Temple was located on the cliff of Cuiping Peak on the west side of Jinlong Gorge, Hengshan Mountain, Hunyuan County, Datong City, Shanxi Province. It was a unique temple built on the cliff. The temple was built on an earthen platform in the vast desert west of Xuankong Village. It was six to seven meters above the ground and looked like it was suspended in the air from afar, hence the name Xuankong Temple. Xuankong Temple was built 1400 years ago in the late Northern Wei Dynasty. It was the only unique temple in China that combined Buddhism, Taoism and Confucianism. It was listed as a key cultural relic protection unit in Shanxi Province. Xuankong Village was located in Censhan Township, Ningwu County, Shanxi Province. The entire village was located on a cliff that was more than 2300 meters above sea level. Looking up from the bottom of the valley, it was like a castle in the air, with its back against the cliff and its face facing the canyon, forming a unique landscape that was isolated from the surrounding world. Xuankong Village was one of the top ten ancient villages in China. In recent years, through targeted poverty relief and tourism development, it had undergone earth-shaking changes.
Xuankong Temple
The Xuankong Temple was located between the cliffs of Cuiping Peak on the west side of the Golden Dragon Gorge in Hengshan, Hunyuan County, Datong City, Shanxi Province.
Xuankong Temple
Xuankong Temple was a temple located on the cliff of Cuiping Peak on the west side of Golden Dragon Gorge in Hengshan, Hunyuan County, Shanxi Province, China. It was built 1400 years ago in the later period of the Northern Wei Dynasty. It was the only unique temple in China that combined Buddhism, Taoism, and Confucianism. It was also one of the earliest wooden structures built on the cliff in the world. Xuankong Temple was a key cultural relic protected in China and was known as the "number one scenic spot" among the 18 scenic spots of Mount Heng. The temple was about 50 meters above the ground and consisted of 40 houses. All of them were supported by a wooden frame structure and were fixed by 27 wooden beams inserted into the rock wall. Buddhist, Taoist, and Confucian statues were worshiped in the temple, and a large number of murals, sculptures, and Buddhist scriptures were preserved. They had extremely high cultural value. The architectural style of Xuankong Temple was unique. It was famous for its precipitous abyss. It was known as one of the earliest and best preserved high-altitude wooden cliff buildings in China. Xuankong Temple was also one of the seven Xuankong Temples in China. The other Xuankong Temples were distributed in Guangling County, Long County, Jingxing County, Xishan County, Jianchuan County, and Jiande City.
Xuankong Temple
Xuankong Temple is located in Hunyuan County, Datong City, Shanxi Province.
Xuankong Temple
The highlights of Xuankong Temple included the boardwalk, the north tower, the uneven heights of the temples and pavilions, as well as the magnificent scenery of the towering mountain walls. When the clouds and mist arrived, the tourists felt as if they were in a palace in the sky. It was a wonderful feeling. In addition, the architectural art of Xuankong Temple was also very superb. The entire temple was suspended on the steep cliff, giving people the feeling of flying in the air. It was very dangerous and strange. The visitors could experience the unique charm of the Xuankong Temple by climbing, drilling through the skylight, passing through the grottoes, crossing the boardwalk, walking along the corridor, and so on.
Xuankong Temple
Xuankong Temple was located between the cliffs of Cuiping Peak on the west side of Jinlong Gorge, Hengshan Mountain, Hunyuan County, Datong City, Shanxi Province.
Xuankong Temple
Xuankong Temple was located between the cliffs of Cuiping Peak on the west side of Jinlong Gorge, Hengshan Mountain, Hunyuan County, Datong City, Shanxi Province.
To Xuankong Temple
Xuankong Temple was located between the cliffs of Cuiping Peak on the west side of Jinlong Gorge, Hengshan Mountain, Hunyuan County, Datong City, Shanxi Province. From Datong bus station or Xinnan bus station, one could take a long-distance bus to Chaotic Origin, then chartered a car to Heng Mountain and Xuan Kong Temple. The price was about 50 yuan. Xuankong Temple is open from 08:30-17:30 (Winter: November to May) and 08:00-18:00 (Summer: June to October). The ticket price was 130 yuan per person in the peak season (March to October) and 125 yuan per person in the off-season (November to February). Xuankong Temple was a wooden structure built on a cliff. It had unique architectural features and was known as the embodiment of the essence of ancient Chinese architecture. There are copper, iron, stone, mud Buddha statues in the temple, etc. On the rocks under the temple are engraved the calligraphy of Li Bai, a poet of the Tang Dynasty. Xuankong Temple was about 50 meters above the ground. It was a thrilling and spectacular scenic spot. It was listed as the number one wonder of Mount Heng.