An ancient Chinese monastery makes a strong impression on anyone who sees Xuankun for the first time (even in photographs). And it's not at his age (by the way, the temple, according to historians, was erected at the end of the 5th century), but in its unique location. Xuanqun literally hangs on the steep rock of Hengshan, at an altitude of 30-50 meters. One can only guess how the ancient builders, not having tower cranes and other technical gadgets, were able to build a monastery on a steep cliff, also so durable.

Despite the hard-to-reach position, many tourists visit the temple. For these purposes, steps have been set up that lead directly to the sacred complex. Needless to say, what panoramas are open to visitors when they are at the top - in Xuankun. By the way, the name of the monastery itself is translated as a "hanging monastery."

Another peculiarity of the temple is that it is dedicated to three religious teachings: Buddhism, Taoism and Confucianism. Each direction is presented in separate halls (there are no less than 40 of them) and has corresponding attributes: decoration, altars, sculptures. As for sightseeing visits, Xiu-kun is open to tourists all year round. Entrance: 35 CNY (May 2014).

This order is here to prevent visitors from entering crowded in the halls and did not interfere with each other. As the saying goes, look - go on. You can get to Xuankong and the sacred mountain of Hengshan in Shanxi Province on special tourist buses from Datong (about 70 kilometers) and Changsha (about 110 kilometers). But keep in mind that buses are brought only to the entrance of the national park, where Hengshan Mountain is located. Next, you need to go on foot or shell out for private taxi drivers

Xuankong, Panorama

Inside the Temple, Xuankong

@ Entrance to the temple, Xuanqun

Dragons, Xuankong

Pagody, Xuankong

Syuankun Garden, Syuankun