Mystery, history & majesty

Xuankong Temple

In Datong's Hunyuan county, the towering Hengshan Mountain cradles the Xuankong Temple, or the Hanging Temple, which appears delicately suspended against a nearly vertical cliff face, as if supported by only 30 pillars. Up close, one can see how ancient wisdom ingeniously enables the temple to "hang" on the cliff 60 meters aboveground — equivalent to a 20-story building — for an astonishing 1,500 years. Within a limited space of some 300 square meters, the temple complex comprises more than 40 halls that honor Buddhist, Taoist and Confucian cultures and showcase the creativity of overcoming the challenging terrain.