You have asked the right person about this question. I happened to travel to Shanxi with my family not long ago and made a guide.
Personally, I think the most worth visiting attraction in Shanxi is the Xuankong Temple.
Now I will share my experience of visiting Xuankong Temple in detail. I hope it can help you.
Address of Xuankong Temple: The Xuankong Temple is located at the foot of Hengshan Mountain in the southeast suburb of Hunyuan County, Datong City. It is located between the cliffs of Cuiping Peak on the west side of Jinlong Gorge in Hengshan Mountain. It is the "first scenic spot" among the eighteen scenic spots in Hengshan Mountain.
Among the major scenic spots and historic sites in the country, the Xuankong Temple is unique in the world for its precipitous site selection, unique architecture, ingenious structure, and rich connotations.
Such unique art is rare in the world!
So don’t miss this attraction when you come to Shanxi!
1. Basic information opening hours: June to October: 08:00-18:00. November to May of the following year: 08:30-17:30 Ticket price: Peak season (March to October): 130 yuan/person
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Off-season (November to February): 125 yuan/person.
Recommended play time: 1-2 hours Transportation route ① Take Hunyuan No. 2 and get off at Tangjiazhuang Station, then walk 2.4 kilometers to arrive.
② Taiyuan direction: Dayun Expressway - Chenjiabao Exit - Beiyue Hengshan: Xuankong Temple.
③Beijing direction: Beijing-Dalian Expressway - Hunyuan Exit - Beiyue Hengshan: Xuankong Temple.
2. Features of Attractions There are many Hanging Temples in China, the most famous of which is the one located on Hengshan Mountain in Datong, Shanxi Province.
Datong Xuankong Temple was built in the late Northern Wei Dynasty 1,400 years ago. It is the only unique cultural monument in China that combines Buddhism, Taoism and Confucianism.
The architecture of the Hanging Temple is very unique and is famous for being as steep as facing an abyss. It is known as "the Hanging Temple, half a day high, with three horsetails hanging in the air"!
The Hanging Temple is laid out like "one courtyard and two floors", with a total length of about 32 meters and 40 pavilions and halls.
The two majestic three-eaves high-rise buildings on the top of the mountain in the north and south seem to be facing each other in the sky, hanging on the cliff like a knife. They are surrounded by corridors on three sides, six palaces and pavilions intersect with each other, and the planks are flying, each connected and at random heights.
At first glance, the whole temple is supported by only a dozen wooden pillars about the width of a bowl, with the highest point about 50 meters above the ground.
The overall layout of Xuankong Temple: temple, Zen room, Buddhist hall, Three Buddha Hall, Taiyi Hall, Guandi Temple, Drum Tower, Bell Tower, Jialan Hall, Avalokitesvara Hall, Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva Hall, Thousand-Hand Guanjian Hall, Shi
Jia Hall, Leiyin Hall, Sanguan Hall, Chunyang Palace, Plank Road, Three Religions Hall, Five Buddhas Hall... In fact, the Hanging Temple is not big. The most amazing thing is that it relies on the mortise and tenon structure to be embedded into the cliff without falling.
Climbing up to the Hanging Temple, the building is narrow, with dangerous cliffs on the top and deep valleys on the bottom. The pavilions are suspended in the air and the structure is ingenious.
After more than 1,500 years of wind, rain, earthquakes and various disasters, the Hanging Temple is still standing tall.
3. Food recommendations: When visiting this place, of course you must try the unique and unique food here!
It is recommended that you try these delicacies: Hunyuan jelly broad beans, Beiqi mushrooms, Hengshan Zhengbeiqi, Hengshan astragalus sheep... Tips: The temple hangs in mid-air on a steep and steep cliff. It is not recommended for friends who are afraid of heights.