Xuankong Temple's Construction Age
The Xuankong Temple's construction dates back to the Northern Wei Dynasty and was built around 491 AD.
The Mystery of Xuankong Temple's Construction
The documentary on the mystery of Xuankong Temple's construction revealed the wonders of Xuankong Temple's architecture. According to the documentary's description, the secret of the construction of Xuankong Temple was that its true center of gravity was supported in the hard rock. The rock was chiseled into the shape of a right-angle echelon, and then the flying beam was inserted to make it sufficiently close to the sharp corner of the right-angle echelon. Using the principles of mechanics, the flying beam was half-inserted as the foundation. In addition, the location of the Xuankong Temple cleverly made use of the natural shape of the mountain and the cliff, making the temple both sheltered from the wind and rain, and a more three-dimensional building. The mountain peaks and stone walls protected Xuankong Temple from the threat of the cold wind, and the mountain peaks in front of the temple also blocked the sun, so that the summer sun could only shine on Xuankong Temple for a short three hours. The architectural essence and true meaning of Xuankong Temple were not only reflected in its thrilling and ingenious architecture, but also in its unique religious pattern of "three religions in one". Xuankong Temple was the only cultural temple in the country that combined Confucianism, Buddhism, and Taoism. The "Hall of Three Religious Concepts" located at the highest point of Xuankong Temple worshipped the ancestors of Buddhism, Taoism, and Confucianism, fully demonstrating the religious thought of the integration of the three religions. The mystery of the construction of Xuankong Temple was amazing. It was the combination of the wisdom of the ancients and the science of architecture. One of the reasons why it was preserved until now was that the religious pattern of the three religions combined made it impossible for the emperor to destroy it no matter what he believed.
The reason for the construction of Xuankong Temple
There were several reasons for the construction of Xuan Kong Temple. First of all, Xuankong Temple was built on a cliff because this place was the main road to Wutai Mountain in the south and Datong in the north. It was convenient for believers to come and worship. Secondly, the Hunhe River here flowed past the foot of the mountain in front of the temple. It often caused disasters due to heavy rains, and the river flooded. People thought that the Golden Dragon was causing trouble here, so they thought of building a pagoda to suppress it. Therefore, Xuan Kong Temple built a temple on this cliff. The architectural feature of Xuan Kong Temple was the use of wooden beams called "Iron Carrying Poles" to support the pavilion. These wooden beams were deeply embedded in the rocks to bear the weight. In addition, standing trees (pillars) also played a supporting role. The landing point of each standing tree had been carefully calculated to ensure that it could support the entire Xuankong Temple. In general, the reason for the construction of Xuankong Temple was to facilitate the pilgrimage of believers, suppress the flooding of the river, and use special wooden beams and standing trees to support the entire temple.
What is the mystery of the construction of Xuankong Temple?
The mystery of the construction of Xuan Kong Temple was how it could be built on a cliff and not collapse for thousands of years. The construction of Xuankong Temple used wooden beams and columns, which were soaked in the special ironwood and tung oil to prevent termite bites and preservation. The center of gravity of the Xuankong Temple was supported by the hard rock, and the entire temple was supported by the mechanical principle of inserting flying beams and beams. In addition, Xuan Kong Temple had chosen the location of the cliff to reduce the impact of the wind and the sun. These factors together allowed Xuan Kong Temple to be built on the cliff and not collapse for thousands of years.
Xuankong Temple tickets are free at the age of 60?
Xuankong Temple tickets are free for seniors over 60 years old. According to the information in documents [1],[2],[3],[4],[5],[6],[8], and [9], elderly people over the age of 60 can enter the park for free with their valid documents. Therefore, Xuan Kong Temple's entrance ticket was free for the elderly over 60 years old.
Xuankong Temple is free of charge at any age.
The age policy of Xuankong Temple was as follows: the elderly over 60 years old could enter for free with valid documents; the elderly over 70 years old, the disabled, disabled revolutionary soldiers, and active military personnel could enter for free with valid documents. Other age groups would need to buy tickets.
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.
What's in Xuankong Temple?
Xuankong Temple had a monastery, a meditation room, a Buddhist hall, a Three Buddha Hall, a Guandi Temple, a drum tower, and other buildings. There are more than 80 statues of Buddha in the temple, made of copper, iron, stone and mud.
Xuankong Temple's characteristics
Xuankong Temple's characteristics were mainly reflected in the strange, dangerous, clever, and mysterious architectural style. The architecture of Xuan Kong Temple was extremely unique. It was famous for its precipitousness. It was located on the cliff and consisted of the main hall, side hall, and back hall. There were more than 40 houses in total. The architectural structure of Xuankong Temple was unique. They were all connected by mortise and tenon without using any nails or cement. This special architectural structure allowed Xuan Kong Temple to hang firmly on the cliff, giving people the illusion of standing in the air. The architectural style of Xuankong Temple combined the architectural features of China and India, and had a strong Buddhist artistic atmosphere. The layout of Xuankong Temple was ingenious. The main building was composed of two flying buildings in the north and south, facing each other. There was a boardwalk in the middle, forming a closed-loop tour route. Xuankong Temple also had a rich cultural content. There were many Buddha statues and cultural relics inside, making the entire temple even more solemn. Xuankong Temple was an important Buddhist holy land, and it was of great significance to people who believed in Buddhism. It was regarded as a pure land in Buddhism, and believers believed that they could obtain divine blessing and inspiration here. The existence of Xuan Kong Temple brought hope and strength to the people, making them believe that no matter what difficulties and challenges they faced, as long as they had faith, they could stand in the air and surpass everything.
What's in Xuankong Temple?
Xuankong Temple had a monastery, a meditation room, a Buddhist hall, a Three Buddha Hall, a Guandi Temple, a drum tower, and other buildings. There are more than 80 statues of Buddha in the temple, made of copper, iron, stone and mud.
Xuankong Temple's Praise
Xuankong Temple was an amazing building. It was cleverly attached to the steep stone cliff, giving people the feeling of flying in the air. Looking at the Xuankong Temple from afar, it looked like an exquisite relief embossed embedded in the cliff. Climbing the Xuankong Temple, climbing the hanging ladder, crossing the flying inn, passing through the grotto, drilling through the skylight, walking on the roof, walking on the winding corridor, after several twists and turns, one could appreciate the beautiful scenery of this magnificent temple. Xuankong Temple's architectural design was exquisite, and the viewing platform allowed people to see the magnificent scenery of the deep gorge. This temple was not only an important cultural heritage of Shanxi Province, but also a witness to Chinese civilization, showing the wisdom and hardworking spirit of the ancient people.