The internal structure of Xuan Kong Temple
The internal structure of Xuankong Temple was made of wood. It mainly relied on wooden beams to bear weight, while the walls mainly played a maintenance role. The main hall of the temple was the core of the entire building. It was divided into two floors. The lower level was originally a meditation room for monks to eat and drink and a hall for chanting scriptures. The upper level was the Three Buddha Hall, Taiyi Hall, and Guandi Temple. There were side halls on both sides of the main hall. On the south side were the Temple Hall and the Child-giving Guanyin Hall, and on the north side were the Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva Hall and the Thousand-hand Guanyin Hall. The architecture of Xuankong Temple was exquisitely carved, and there were all kinds of bronze, iron, clay, and stone statues. Overall, the internal structure of Xuan Kong Temple was full of artistic value and innovative spirit.
Joy of Life
The internal structure of the temple
We can get some information about the internal structure of the temple. Indian temples usually consisted of a central chamber, cloisters, and halls, and some even had colonnades. The womb was the place where the main statues were worshiped. Usually, only priests could enter. There was a tower-shaped structure directly above the main hall, called Vimana or Vimanam. The internal structure of the Parthenon Temple was simple and straightforward. It was divided into the front and back. The front part was dedicated to the golden Athena Colossus, and the back part had the statues of other heroes. The Pantheon in Rome was designed in a symmetrical structure, consisting of a front porch, a main temple, and a back porch. The front porch faced the Roman Forum, with towering pillars supporting the roof on both sides. The internal environment of the Pantheon Temple created a space isolated from the outside world, where believers gathered. In general, the internal structure of the temple varied according to different cultures and religions, but it usually included the womb and other auxiliary spaces for worshipping the gods.
Xuan Kong Temple
The Xuankong Temple in " Celebrating Years " was in chapter 49.
Inside Xuan Kong Temple
Xuan Kong Temple had a unique interior layout and was filled with culture. Upon entering the temple, visitors would first see three main buildings, namely the Heavenly King Hall, the Great Buddha Hall, and the Tripitaka Block. The three buildings were of different heights and were connected by corridors, making the entire space compact and varied. In terms of interior decoration, Xuankong Temple embodied the essence of ancient China culture. The exquisite carved Buddha statues, murals, and simple furniture displayed the charm of ancient China art.
Inside Xuan Kong Temple
Xuan Kong Temple had a unique interior layout and was filled with culture. Upon entering the temple, visitors would first see three main buildings, namely the Heavenly King Hall, the Great Buddha Hall, and the Tripitaka Block. The three buildings were of different heights and were connected by corridors, making the entire space compact and varied. In terms of interior decoration, Xuankong Temple embodied the essence of ancient China culture. The exquisite carved Buddha statues, murals, and simple furniture displayed the charm of ancient China art.
Inside Xuan Kong Temple
The Xuankong Temple was filled with Buddhist, Taoist, and Confucian deities and Bodhisattvas. According to document 2, the Thunder Sound Hall worships the Three Saints of Hua Yan, surrounded by suspended statues, as well as Flying Heavens and Arhats. The Hall of Three Officials worships the Heaven Official, Earth Official, and Water Official. The screen behind it is carved with peony flowers, and there are nine coiling dragons above its head. The Three Sacred Halls worshipped the three Bodhisattvas, Guanyin, Samantabhadra, and Manjushri. There were also ten disciples on both sides. The Hall of Three Religious Sects worshipped Shakyamuni Buddha, Confucius, and Lao Tzu. The founders of these three religions lived in the same room. In addition, document 8 also mentioned that the Xuankong Temple worshipped the Fairy Goddess, Dragon King, and Maitreya Buddha. There were also golden Buddhist characters on the wall. In general, Xuankong Temple worshipped all kinds of immortals and Bodhisattvas, showing the unity of Buddhism, Taoism, and Confucianism.
Inside Xuan Kong Temple
Many Buddha statues and cultural relics were worshipped in the Xuankong Temple, which had a strong Buddhist artistic atmosphere. The temple could be divided into the southern and northern regions. The southern area had three floors, including the Pure Yang Palace, the Three Officials Hall, and the Thunder Sound Hall. Pure Yang Palace mainly worships one of the Eight Immortals of Taoism, Lu Dongbin. The Hall of Three Officials was the largest hall in Xuankong Temple, and there were clay sculptures from the Ming Dynasty inside. The Thunder Sound Hall was a Buddhist hall located at the highest point in the south. The north area was about 7 meters long and 4 meters wide. The overall layout of Xuankong Temple also included meditation rooms, Buddhist halls, Taiyi Hall, Guandi Temple, drum tower, bell tower, Qielan Hall, Child-sending Guanyin Hall, Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva Hall, Thousand Hands Temple Hall, Sakyamuni Hall, Three Officials Hall, Pure Yang Palace, boardwalk, Three Religion Hall, Five Buddha Hall, etc.
Inside Xuan Kong Temple
Xuankong Temple worshipped the Three Saints of Huayan, Guanyin, Samantabhadra, Manjushri and other Buddhist Bodhisattvas, as well as the founders of Taoism and Confucianism, Sakyamuni Buddha, Confucius, Lao Tzu and so on. In addition, there were pavilions, pavilions, flying apsaras, arhats, and other statues. The interior of Xuankong Temple was rich and varied, displaying the culture and art of Buddhism, Taoism, and Confucianism.
Is Xuan Kong Temple dangerous?
Xuan Kong Temple was considered a dangerous building. It was located near the Golden Dragon Gorge of Hengshan Mountain in Hunyuan County, Datong City, Shanxi Province. It was built on a cliff, so it was called "Xuankong Temple". The architecture of Xuan Kong Temple was extremely unique. It was famous for its precipitousness. It was once named one of the top ten most dangerous buildings in the world by Time Magazine. In addition, Xuan Kong Temple also faced some dangers, including natural disasters and man-made disasters. In the year 2012, someone was engaged in coal mining activities, and it was only about one kilometer away from Xuan Kong Temple. This posed a threat to the safety of Xuan Kong Temple. Fortunately, the relevant departments had taken measures to stop the coal mining activities, providing a safer guarantee for Xuan Kong Temple. In short, the buildings of Xuan Kong Temple were dangerous and required strict protection measures to ensure their safety.
Is Xuan Kong Temple open now?
Xuan Kong Temple was now open to tourists. According to the search results, most of the documents mentioned the opening hours of Xuan Kong Temple. According to the document [2], Xuankong Temple was open from 8 am to 5:30 pm. The document [4] also mentioned that Xuankong Temple was open to tourists all year round and did not restrict tourists from going up the mountain. In addition, the announcement in document [5] also mentioned that the Xuankong Temple scenic area would be fully piloting the appointment reception mode, and tourists who did not make an appointment would not be received. Therefore, it could be concluded that Xuan Kong Temple was currently open.
Is Xuan Kong Temple in Mount Heng?
Yes, the Xuankong Temple was located between the cliffs of Cuiping Peak on the west side of the Golden Dragon Gorge of Mount Heng in Hunyuan County, Datong City, Shanxi Province.