Xuankong Temple Guidebook

Xuankong Temple is located on the cliff of Cuiping Peak at the foot of Mount Heng, southeast of Hunyuan County, Datong City, Shanxi Province. Xuankong Temple was originally named "Xuan Kong Temple" and was built in the 15th year of the Taihe period of the Northern Wei Dynasty (491 AD), more than 1,500 years ago. It has been repaired many times during the Tang, Jin, Yuan, Ming, and Qing dynasties, and the existing buildings were mainly built during the Ming and Qing dynasties. ✔️Visiting order: 1. Arrive at the scenic area and enjoy the panoramic view: After entering the scenic area, don't rush to climb Xuankong Temple. You can stand on the viewing platform or a suitable location a little further away to enjoy the panoramic view of Xuankong Temple. This is also an excellent place to take panoramic photos of Xuankong Temple, so you can take photos here as a souvenir. 2. Check in at cultural relics: - Xu Xiake Memorial Pavilion and "Tian Xia Ju Guan" stone inscription. - Li Bai's "Zhuang Guan" stone inscription. 3. Line up to climb Xuankong Temple: After visiting the above attractions, go to the climbing place to line up. Due to the small space of Xuankong Temple, when there are many tourists, the number of visitors needs to be limited, and it may take some time to line up. 4. Enter Xuankong Temple for a visit: - Hall of Three Religions: After entering Xuankong Temple, the first place you enter is the Hall of Three Religions. Here, the Buddha of Buddhism, Confucius of Confucianism, and Laozi of Taoism are enshrined. The three founders of the three religions are in the same room, which is very rare in the country and reflects the unique culture of the integration of Buddhism, Taoism, and Confucianism in Xuankong Temple. - Ying Shen Hall: After coming out of the Hall of Three Religions, walk to the right along the plank road, and you can see the Ying Shen Hall, where a statue of the Ying Shen Buddha over 5 meters high is enshrined. It is said to have fallen from the main peak of Mount Heng during the Northern Wei Dynasty. - Hall of Three Officials: Continue walking north to the Hall of Three Officials, where the Three Officials of Taoism are enshrined, namely the Heavenly Official, Earthly Official, and Water Official. The Three Officials are in charge of the operation and disasters of the three realms of heaven, earth, and water. - Mahavira Hall: Finally, at the end is the Mahavira Hall, where the Three Buddhas are enshrined, namely the Past Buddha Kasyapa, the Present Buddha Sakyamuni, and the Future Buddha Maitreya, representing Buddhism's understanding and transcendence of the cycle of time. After visiting each hall, walk along the long bridge connecting the South and North Towers and feel its thrill and ingenuity. The long bridge is about ten meters long, with a building on the bridge, a hall in the building, and a Buddha in the hall, which is amazing.