It could be seen that there were different views. Some people suggested going to Xuan Kong Temple first because Xuan Kong Temple was on the way to Mount Heng. They could finish their tour of Xuan Kong Temple first before going to Mount Heng. Others thought that it was better to go to Mount Heng first, because Mount Heng was one of the five mountains. There were natural landscapes such as the sea of clouds and sunrise. They could experience the mountain scenery first, then visit the Xuankong Temple to experience the charm of Buddhist culture. Overall, if he had enough time, he could go to Xuan Kong Temple first before going to Mount Heng. If time was limited, they could choose which scenic spot to visit first according to their personal preferences.
First, go to Xuankong Temple, then go to Mount Heng. According to document 1 and document 2, the Xuankong Temple was located below the Hengshan scenic area and was very close. The tour time was relatively short, usually about 1-2 hours. The tour of Mount Heng might take 3-4 hours. In addition, documents 3 and 4 also mentioned that going to Xuankong Temple first could save time and leave more time for visiting Mount Heng. Therefore, if you have enough time, it's best to visit Xuan Kong Temple first before heading to Mount Heng.
It was a better choice to go to Xuan Kong Temple before going to Heng Mountain. Xuan Kong Temple was an exquisite ancient building that was not too big. It would not take too much time, but it needed to be savored carefully. As for Mount Heng, it stretched for hundreds of miles and required a longer time to visit. Thus, he could make better arrangements for his journey by going to Xuan Kong Temple first.
Xuankong Temple was located on Mount Heng and was one of the 18 scenic spots of Mount Heng. Therefore, it could be said that Xuankong Temple was on Mount Heng.
Usually, tourists would visit Xuankong Temple first, then take the scenic transportation up the mountain to visit Mount Heng. Thus, he suggested going to Xuan Kong Temple first before heading to Mount Heng.
There were different opinions. Some people suggested going to Xuan Kong Temple first because it was on the way to Mount Heng. They could finish visiting Xuan Kong Temple first before going to Mount Heng. Others thought that it was better to go to Mount Heng first, because Mount Heng was one of the five mountains. There were natural landscapes such as the sea of clouds and sunrise. They could experience the mountain scenery first, then visit the Xuankong Temple to experience the charm of Buddhist culture. According to the information provided, there was no clear answer.
The Xuankong Temple on Mount Heng was famous for its unique architecture, which was as steep as an abyss. It was a temple hanging on a cliff, about 50 meters above the ground. The entire temple was made up of 40 houses, all supported by a wooden frame structure, and only 27 wooden beams were inserted into the rock wall to fix it. The architectural features of Xuankong Temple included single eave, double eave, and three-layer eave. The structure had a raised beam structure, a flat roof structure, and a bucket arch structure. The roof had a main ridge, a hanging ridge, a hip ridge, and a poor ridge. Inside the temple were statues of Buddhism, Taoism, and Confucianism. It was a rare temple in China that combined the three religions. The architectural style of Xuankong Temple was a combination of Chinese landscape architecture, while also retaining the layout of traditional architecture. This temple was famous for its unique architectural skills and engineering miracles. It was one of the four Xuankong Temples in China and one of the oldest existing Xuankong Temples in the world.
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.
Mount Heng Xuan Kong Temple was open to the public at different times. According to the document [2], on June 4, 2023, the Xuankong Temple scenic area was temporarily closed. However, according to the document [3], starting from December 8, 2022, the Hengshan scenic area and the Xuankong Temple scenic area will be reopened. In addition, document [5] mentioned that from June 22, 2023, the Xuankong Temple scenic area would fully pilot the reservation reception mode, and non-reservation visitors would not be received. Therefore, according to the information provided, the opening of Mount Heng Xuan Kong Temple might change. Whether it would be opened or not would need to be determined according to the latest announcement or news.
Mount Hengshan Xuankong Temple was located between the cliffs of Cuiping Peak on the west side of the Golden Dragon Gorge in Mount Hengshan, Hunyuan County, Datong City, Shanxi Province.
There were many legends and stories about the Xuankong Temple on Mount Heng. The most famous legend was about the thousand-year-old ginseng. It was said that there was a thousand-year-old ginseng growing deep in the mountains near Xuan Kong Temple. This ginseng had miraculous effects and could cure all kinds of diseases. However, it would only appear at a specific time and place, and only the fated could find it. In addition, there was also a legend about Li Bai's inscription of the word 'magnificent'. It was said that when Li Bai traveled to the Xuankong Temple, he saw the Xuankong Temple built on the cliff and was amazed, so he wrote the word "spectacular". In addition, there were also legends about the construction of Xuankong Temple, calling it a wonder of the world. These legends added mystery and charm to the Xuankong Temple on Mount Heng.