Travelogue of the Hanging Temple of Datong

To the left is Mount Heng, to the right is Mount Cuiping, and the Hanging Temple is located in the gorge between the two mountains. After getting off the bus, I could feel the strong winds in the valley, probably around level 10, but fortunately, it was not very cold and still bearable. It is right next to the Hengshan Scenic Area. However, the introduction to this Beiyue (Northern Peak) is a bit misleading. The current Beiyue Hengshan was only 'appointed' in the 17th year of the Shunzhi Emperor of the Qing Dynasty, which is just over 360 years ago. The old Hengshan, which dates back to the time of Emperors Yao and Shun, is located at Mount Daomao in the northwest of Quyang County, Hebei. The Beiyue Temple in Quyang County has been the place for worshipping the deity of Hengshan since ancient times, with a history of 5,000 years. This introduction seems to have appropriated the history of the old Hengshan for itself, which feels a bit like gilding. The Hanging Temple's main attractions are: the 'hanging' thrill, the peculiar construction at high altitudes, the immortal techniques of a thousand years, and the integration of three religions. There is a dam on the west side, I wonder if it is abandoned. The visiting route is a one-way path, roughly like this From a distance, it indeed looks quite 'suspended', somewhat like the early 'glass walkways'. The Hanging Temple has a layout of 'one courtyard and two towers', with a total length of about 32 meters and 40 pavilions and halls. It includes a monastery, meditation rooms, Buddha halls, Three Buddha Halls, Taiyi Hall, Guandi Temple, Drum Tower, Bell Tower, Garan Hall, Guanyin Hall for Sending Children, Hall of Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva, Hall of Thousand-Handed Guanyin, Shakyamuni Hall, Thunder Sound Hall, Three Officials Hall, Chunyang Palace, walkways, Three Religions Hall, Five Buddha Hall, and others. The two three-eaved Xieshan-style tall buildings in the north and south face each other, hanging on the cliff, with three-sided galleries embracing them. Six halls intersect with each other, with walkways flying over, interconnected, and staggered in height. At first glance, the whole temple seems to be supported by only a dozen wooden pillars as thick as bowls, with the highest point about 50 meters above the ground. In fact, holes are carved into the rocks, and the main structure of the building is embedded within the rock, with horizontal wooden beams inserted as support for the external components. On a spiritual level, building temples in high places is also considered to be closer to the divine. The attributes of a construction fanatic were fully demonstrated a thousand years ago. Looking at Mount Heng from a distance, it is not as majestic as imagined. The Xieshan-style roof looks quite new, probably recently restored. The stairs are very narrow, and these pillars are just psychological comfort for tourists; the main load is still borne by the wooden beams inserted into the rocks. The indoor part is inside rock caves, and carving out caves in the high altitude is also very dangerous.