Heng Mountain Photo Gallery and Information Page

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Tours Featuring Heng Mountain:
Roots of Chinese Culture 14-Day Tour (CIT006): Taiyuan – Wutai Mountain –
Heng Mountain – Yingxian – Datong –
Pingyao – Linfen – Yuncheng –
Luoyang – Dengfeng (Shaolin
Monastery) – Zhengzhou – Kaifeng

Map of China showing the location of Hengshan (恒山) in Shanxi Province

One of the Five Sacred Mountains of Taoism, Hengshan (also known in English as “Heng Mountain” or “Mount Heng”) is a popular tourist destination because of the ancient temple perched precariously on a cliff face: Xuankong Temple (悬空寺), usually referred to in English as the Hanging Temple or Hanging Monastery. In addition to its gravity-defying construction, the temple is unique in its unusual combination of Taoist, Buddhist, and Confucian elements. Note: This mountain in Shanxi Province should not be confused with the Hengshan (衡山) located in Hunan Province.

BASIC FACTS:
Chinese Name: 恒山 (traditional characters: 恆山; pinyin: Héngshān)
Province: Shanxi
Weather: Dry, with cold winters and very warm summers

Hengshan Photos

The photos below show some of the sights and attractions that you will see on our tours that include Hengshan. Please refer to individual itineraries for specific information about the attractions featured on each tour.

Click on any photo below to open a full-sized version in a separate window.

A front view of the Hanging Temple on Mount Heng (恒山), China A frontal view of the Hanging Temple, Hanging Monastery, or Xuankong Temple, on Mount Heng (恒山), China The Hanging Temple, Hanging Monastery, or Xuankong Temple at Mount Heng (恒山), China
The aptly named
“Hanging Temple”
(photo by Patrick Streule)		 Almost camouflaged against the
red rock of the cliff face…
(photo by J.P. Bennett)		 …the temple provided monks with a
quiet place of isolation and refuge
(photo by “TaQpets“)
The underside of the Hanging Temple, Hanging Monastery, or Xuankong Temple at Hengshan (恒山), China Side view of the Hanging Temple, Hanging Monastery, or Xuankong Temple at Hengshan (恒山), China Downward view from the Hanging Temple, Hanging Monastery, or Xuankong Temple at Hengshan (恒山), China
Like Wright’s Fallingwater (but built 1500 years earlier),
the temple is supported by cantilevers set into the rock
(photo by J.P. Bennett)		 Side view of the temple
(photo by J.P. Bennett)		 Vertiginous downward view
(photo by Patrick Streule)
A mountain vista backdrop to a closeup view of the eaves of a building at the Hanging Temple, Hanging Monastery, or Xuankong Temple at Mount Heng (恒山), China Detail of the eaves of a temple building at the Hanging Temple, Hanging Monastery, or Xuankong Temple on Mount Heng (恒山), China A mountain vista backdrop to a closeup view of the eaves of a building at the Hanging Temple, Hanging Monastery, or Xuankong Temple at Mount Heng (恒山), China
Temple eaves and
a mountain vista
(photo by Jeremy Reding)		 A closeup of the eaves reveals decorative details
(photo by “TaQpets“)		 Inspiring views to
aid spiritual seekers
(photo by J.P. Bennett)
A doorknocker with the face of a demon at the Hanging Temple, Hanging Monastery, or Xuankong Temple on Mount Heng (恒山), China A Buddha statue at the Hanging Temple, Hanging Monastery, or Xuankong Temple on Mount Heng (恒山), China A Confucian statue at the Hanging Temple, Hanging Monastery, or Xuankong Temple at Mount Heng (恒山), China Animal carvings on the roof of a building at the Hanging Temple, Hanging Monastery, or Xuankong Temple on Mount Heng (恒山), China
A demonic doorknocker
provides protection
(photo by J.P. Bennett)		 A Buddhist statue
at the temple…
(photo by “TaQpets“)		 …rubs elbows with
a Confucian statue
(photo by “TaQpets“)		 Rooftop animal carvings provide
further protection and decoration
(photo by “TaQpets“)
A narrow stairway at the Hanging Temple, Hanging Monastery, or Xuankong Temple on Mount Heng (恒山), China Stairways and walkways cling to the cliff face at the Hanging Temple, Hanging Monastery, or Xuankong Temple on Mount Heng (恒山), China A profile view of the Hanging Temple, Hanging Monastery, or Xuankong Temple on Mount Heng (恒山), China A profile view of the Hanging Temple, Hanging Monastery, or Xuankong Temple on Mount Heng (恒山), China
No room for wide,
comfortable stairs
(photo by “TaQpets“)		 Stairways and walkways
cling to the cliff face
(photo by J.P. Bennett)		 Explore each level
(photo by Vera and
Jean Christophe)		 Its vertical arrangement maximizes its
floor space while minimizing its footprint
(photo by Patrick Streule)
View of the support posts and beams of the Hanging Temple, Hanging Monastery, or Xuankong Temple at Hengshan (恒山), China Long, spindly posts supporting the Hanging Temple, Hanging Monastery, or Xuankong Temple on Mount Heng (恒山), China Closeup of the long, spindly posts supporting the Hanging Temple, Hanging Monastery, or Xuankong Temple on Mount Heng (恒山), China View from directly below the Hanging Temple, Hanging Monastery, or Xuankong Temple on Mount Heng (恒山), China
View of one building’s
support beams and posts
(photo by J.P. Bennett)		 Shockingly spindly
support posts…
(photo by J.P. Bennett)		 …but cantilevered
beams carry the real load
(photo by J.P. Bennett)		 The Hanging Temple in the shadow of
Mount Heng: an indelible sight
(photo by Patrick Streule)

Tours Featuring Heng Mountain:

Open the information page for our Roots of Chinese Culture 14-Day Tour (CIT006)
Roots of Chinese Culture 14-Day Tour (CIT006)
Taiyuan – Wutai Mountain – Heng Mountain – Yingxian
– Datong – Pingyao – Linfen – Yuncheng – Luoyang –
Dengfeng (Shaolin Monastery) – Zhengzhou – Kaifeng

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