Mt. Hengshan


Mt. Hengshan is located in Hunyuan County of Shanxi Province in northern China. It is the Northern
Mountain of the "Five Sacred Mountains". Boasting 108 peaks and spanning 150 kilometers, it has an
average elevation of 2,017 meters. The Tianfeng Peak, the highest peak, is 2,190 meters above sea
level, the highest among the Five Sacred Mountains.

Mt. Hengshan offers some spectacularly beautiful scenery. The soaring mountain peaks and the
undulating curves of the mountain ridges, the steep, precipitous cliffs, the grotesque and fantastic caves,
the dense and verdant tree cover, the gurgling, meandering brooks, full of the singing and chirping of
birds, not to speak of the canopy of clouds and mist that variously - and to varying degrees - veils and
unveils the mountain and the skies that surround it, all bear witness to how Mt. Hengshan was able to
call attention upon itself as one of Taoism's 'Five Sacred Mountains'.

The cloud-and-mist cover on Mt. Hengshan changes capriciously; when it is clear and sunny, the entrance to Clouds Out Cave appears as
inconspicuous as that of any cave, but when it is rainy or foggy, white mists and clouds will continuously waft out of the cave's entrance, giving it a
surreal appearance.

Mt. Hengshan boasts many cultural relics like temples, sites of academy, steles and engravings, some of which occupy important positions in the
development of China's ancient architecture, such as the Xuankong Temple, Yuanjue Brick Pagoda and Yongan Temple.

The most famous temple at Hengshan is not Daoist, but is actually the Buddhist Hanging Temple
(Xuankong Temple). The Hanging Temple stands at the foot of Mt. Hengshan and is one of the most
dramatic sights at Hengshan - a wooden temple clinging to the cliff side, appearing to defy gravity with
only a few wooden posts as support. The Hanging Temple, built in 491, has survived more than 1,400
years. The extant monastery was largely rebuilt and maintained in the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) and
Qing Dynasty (1644-1911). The buildings were restored in 1900 and there are 40 wooden halls and
structures linked by an ingenious system of pillars, posts and walkways.