Hanging Temple

Hanging Temple The Hanging Temple is located at the foot of Mount Heng in the southeast suburbs of Hunyuan County, Datong City, Shanxi Province. It is a temple that combines Buddhism, Taoism, and Confucianism. The following is a detailed introduction to it: Historical Origin - Construction and Development: The Hanging Temple was first built in the late Northern Wei Dynasty and has a history of more than 1,500 years. The existing buildings were mainly built during the Ming and Qing Dynasties. - Origin of the Name: Originally named "Xuan Kong Temple," it was later renamed "Hanging Temple" because the temple looks like it is hanging on a cliff. Architectural Features - Overall Layout: Facing Mount Heng from the west to the east, it consists of a Buddhist hall courtyard, South Tower, North Tower, Hanging Plank Road, and a platform in front of the temple, with a total building area of 472 square meters. The main body of the temple runs from north to south, with a multi-level horizontal layout, built along the mountain's terrain. - Structural Features: The wooden frame structure uses half-inserted beams as the base and relies on rocks as hidden supports. It uses the principles of mechanics to stabilize the building, and the columns and beams form a strong support system. There are special construction forms in which grottoes are connected to temple halls, and half of the building is a building and half is a grotto. Main Halls and Statues - Halls: There are six palaces and more than forty pavilions and halls. The main halls include the Three Palaces Hall, the Three Saints Hall, and the Three Religions Hall. The Three Religions Hall is the highest point of the building, 90m above the ground. - Statues: There are more than 80 Buddhist statues of various sizes in the temple, including iron castings, bronze castings, dewaxing, clay sculptures, wood carvings, and stone carvings. The themes are rich, and the statues of Sakyamuni, Lao Tzu, and Confucius reside in the same hall, reflecting the idea of the confluence of the three religions. Cultural Value - Architectural Art Value: The Hanging Temple's architectural site selection and design are ingenious, integrating mechanics, aesthetics, architecture, and many other achievements. It is the essence of ancient Chinese architecture and has extremely high scientific research value and tourism value. - Religious and Cultural Value: As a temple that combines Confucianism, Buddhism, and Taoism, the Hanging Temple incorporates the essence of the three religions. It is a treasure of Chinese religious culture and is of great significance for studying the integration and development of ancient Chinese religious culture. Tips: You need to book tickets in advance. If you really can't get them, you can go directly to the offline front desk of the visitor center to wait for tickets to be released, and you may have the opportunity to buy tickets. For taking pictures, it is actually better to take pictures at the bottom of the mountain than on the Hanging Temple. Self-driving cars cannot be driven to the scenic parking lot. You can only park in the free parking lot of the visitor center, and then buy a 20 yuan/person pass to take the shuttle bus to the scenic spot. However, if you only go to the Hanging Temple, you can walk from the visitor center, which is not far away. It is not recommended to go to Yuemen Bay and Hengzong, especially Yuemen Bay. Those who understand will understand. In addition: If you are really hungry, you can eat the jelly and knife-cut noodles at the entrance of the scenic spot. They are a bit more expensive, but the taste is okay. Don't eat roujiamo, don't eat roujiamo, don't eat roujiamo.