Hunyuan Travel Recommendations for 2024 (Updated in Apr)

Datong in the Winter.

We stayed in Datong for 1 full day during January 2023. The temperature ranged between-10 and -20 so was pretty chilly and you need lots of layers. There are two main activities/ attractions in Datong, the Yungang Grottoes and The Hanging Temple. the Yungang Grottoes are close to the city about a 20min taxi from the centre and definitely worth a visit. The Hanging Temple is further away and requires a 1hr to 1hr and half taxi. Which our hotel helped organise. but this is definitely worth doing the Temple is just magical.#2023travelwish #datong

THE HANGING TEMPLE

Built more than 1,500 years ago, this temple is the only existing one combining 3 Chinese traditional philosophies or 3 religions (Buddhism, Taoism, and Confucianism). According to legend, the temple construction was started at the end of the Northern Wei dynasty by only one man, a monk named Liaoran (了然), in 491 AD. Over the next 1,400 years, many repairs and extensions have led to its present-day scale. #china #asia #hangingtemple #temple #ancient #architecture #buddhism #taoism #confucianism

The hanging temple is becoming more and more famous in the world. Noted as one of the UNESCO World Heritage Site, this temple has a very unique story behind and it is also located surrounded by beautiful range of mountains. The queue to go up the temple can be very long during holiday season, so estimate about 1-2 hours of queuing before climbing up. #happynewyear #hangingtemple #china #happynewyear

[Shanxi Temple] Hang Kong Temple, also known as Xuankong Temple, located in Wuyuan County, Shanxi, 65 kilometers away from Datong City, is the only existing Buddha, Tao, Confucianism and the three unique in China temple. It was built in the late Northern Wei Dynasty more than 1,500 years ago. Later, the dynasty of the Northern Dynasties repaired the Hanging Temple. Because the Northern Wei Dynasty moved the Taoist Taoist Temple from Pingcheng to Datong, the ancient artisans The Taoist temple "has not heard the sound of cockerels and dogs" has built a hanging temple, and it has the wonders of today. Hanging Temple is built between the cliffs of Cuiping Peak on the west side of Henglong Mountain, facing the Hengshan Mountain, facing the Tsui Ping, carrying dangerous rocks, descending the deep valley, hanging the pavilion, and the structure is wonderful. There are forty temples in the Hanging Temple. The mechanics are based on semi-inserted flying beams. The rock is concealed by the rock, the pillars are connected up and down, the corridors are connected to each other, and the twists and turns are surprising. There are more than 80 statues of bronze, iron, stone and mud in the temple. It is like a delicate and embossed relief. It is set in the cliffs of Wanli, and there is a volcanic atmosphere. The word "spectacular" on the rock under the temple is the treasure of the poetry of the Tang Dynasty. The ancients said: "The tower is suspected of the sea, the bird road is not in the clouds." Xu Xiake, a great traveler of the Ming Dynasty, sighed as "the giant view of the world."

In the morning light, I visited the Beiyue Hengshan, one of the five mountains, to see its Fanghua. According to legend, Pangu opened the world, chaos first opened, Qing is the sky, and turbid is the ground. He turned his body into a five-yellow, head to the east, and Beiyue Hengshan became the right arm of Pangu. Because it is located in the north, it is the place where everything is undone, so it is called Hengshan. For the lord of Wanshan in the North, it is also known as Hengzong. Hengshan West is Yanmenguan, East is Taihang Sanshan, Nanshi Sanjin, and the north is overlooking Yunmeng; the peaks are rushing, the momentum is magnificent, the towering, and the cross. This is too early, it is still hazy in the mountains, covering the clouds, only a little bit of sunlight in the thin layer of the clouds, this is still the most attractive. Yunxia hides gold and silver enamel, faintly circling the sun and moon. Sunny, the smoke is flying, and the fun is full of fun. When the clouds dispersed, the sky was more open, and Hengshan showed its original appearance. Under the lush greenery is a layer of dangerous rocks, the cliffs stand sideways, stone clips blue sky, as if a heart will fall into the abyss. The canyon is deep and you can only see the green cliffs under the cliff. It is no wonder that ancient poems have clouds: the rock is so heavy that it is unpredictable.

Traveling in Datong, climbing the Range Rover and exploring the ancient temple are also very good, so we drove to Hengshan in the morning. Beiyue Hengshan is located in Wuyuan County of Datong. It has been a famous scenic spot and the birthplace of Taoist culture since ancient times. It was approved by the State Council to be included in the first batch of national-level scenic spots with the perfect combination of human landscape and natural landscape. In 2009, Beiyue Hengshan was included in the National Natural and Cultural Heritage List. Hengshan is the Beiyue in the "Five Sacred Mountains" and also a Taoist holy place. It is said that Zhang Guo, one of the Eight Immortals, is practicing in Hengshan. The Beiyue Hengshan Scenic Area includes Tianfengling, Cuipingfeng and Qianfoling. The current development is Cuipingfeng and Tianfengling. Generally speaking, Hangshan Hengshan refers to the Tianfengling scenic spot. Hengshan main peak is divided into east and west peaks, east is Dafengling west to Cuiping peak, two peaks face each other, style is unique, the cliff green belt, the level is distinct. Hengshan cloud, change endless, but we did not encounter good time, see a lot of pictures of Hengshan cloud on the network, really super beautiful.

As one of the Five Sacred Mountains, Beiyue Hengshan is the universal sacred place of Taoism in the world. According to legend, Zhang Guo, one of the Eight Immortals, is practicing in Hengshan. The highest altitude is more than 2,000 meters, but don't be too nervous. You can choose to take the bus to the Hanging Temple and climb up. You can also choose the cable car to the Hengshan Mountain. Individuals are still advised to drive by car, or choose a transportation vehicle in the scenic area, or go to the middle of the mountain, or look at the scenery along the way. These ancient buildings are the essence of it.

Beiyue Hengshan is one of the five famous mountains in China. It has a history of more than 5,000 years. Countless emperors and literati singers have climbed to the top. It is also a place where everyone should come at least once in their lives. Hengshan sky high cloud, the platform is the cliff, the big white clouds are like the top of the head, at your fingertips, as the wind blowing from the valley continues to surge, people can not help but think of the poem "swinging chest" Stratus clouds."

Datong in the Winter.

We stayed in Datong for 1 full day during January 2023. The temperature ranged between-10 and -20 so was pretty chilly and you need lots of layers. There are two main activities/ attractions in Datong, the Yungang Grottoes and The Hanging Temple. the Yungang Grottoes are close to the city about a 20min taxi from the centre and definitely worth a visit. The Hanging Temple is further away and requires a 1hr to 1hr and half taxi. Which our hotel helped organise. but this is definitely worth doing the Temple is just magical.#2023travelwish #datong

Yungang Grottoes

It’s a Buddhist cave-carving complex. All the statues are carved in caves or small grottoes. They are dated 5th and 6th centuries. It’s a UNESCO heritage and it’s amazingly beautiful! Statues really impress. Some of them are big like skyscrapers, some statues are very small, but cover the whole wall in the cave. The complex is big, you can walk around. There is a part with caves, but the other part of mountains is surrounded by beautiful natural landscape. You can walk in the park, or alone the river. You will spend at around 4 hours there, so food 🥢🥡 options are available on the territory. #bucketlistreboot

We visited these caves as well as the Longmen caves. Both are remarkable although Longmen has a greater “wow” factor. Keep in mind if you do go to Datong that it is a coal city and the air is often polluted. #wintergetaway #wintergetaway

Yungang grottoes is located near the city of Datong. It is a very common place for tourists who come to visit Datong, as it is easy to reach. Public bus will take around 40 minutes so it is quite convenient. Inside, you will see really massive statues from the history which are just beautiful. There is also a museum inside. #HalloTrip  

The quaint ancient city beneath Mount Heng, don't miss this place after visiting the Hanging Temple!!

Don't rush to leave after visiting the Hanging Temple, there is a lesser-known Hengshan ancient city less than 4km away, with 4 historical sites within a few hundred meters, 3 of which are national protected sites! Half-day tour itinerary Hunyuan Confucian Temple → Hunyuan Prefecture Office Yijue Temple Pagoda → Yong'an Temple These attractions are all within walking distance, and after visiting, you can try the Hunyuan cold noodles. Hunyuan Confucian Temple (National Level 7) is open for free It was built during the Liao Dynasty, and the existing structures such as the Jie Gate, Dacheng Hall, Zunjing Pavilion, and the east and west side buildings are Ming and Qing architecture. The Dacheng Hall has the structural features of the Jin and Yuan dynasties, with a width of five bays, a single-eave hip roof, and uses reduced and shifted columns. The wall behind the Dacheng Hall is inscribed with the words 'Loyalty, Filial Piety, Integrity, and Righteousness.' The Confucian Temple is quite small and can be seen in about 10 minutes. It is very new and clean, and the last part is not yet fully restored. Hunyuan Prefecture Office ticket is 30 yuan It is a distinctive Ming and Qing style prefectural government building in the north, quite large in area, but mostly newly reconstructed, so it is not highly recommended to buy a ticket for a visit.

One-day tour of Hunyuan Ancient City

One-day tour of Hunyuan Ancient City The ancient city under Mount Heng has three national treasures, numerous historic sites, and Yong'an West Street, which is especially suitable for taking photos at night. It's a super comfortable and less-known ancient city. Driving route🚗: Hunyuan Confucian Temple——Hunyuan Prefecture Office——Yuanjue Temple Pagoda——Yong'an Temple. These attractions are all within walking distance of each other, and you can easily stroll🚶from one to another. Hunyuan cuisine🍚: Cai's Restaurant: cold noodles, deep-fried meat, and there's another dish that seems to be called pot chicken, but I've forgotten the exact name. I didn't get to try the cold noodles from Xiao Xifu, as it was already closed when I went there. The sign on the door said it was open until seven in the evening. There's also a night market nearby, located on the same street as Yuanjue Temple. It's very lively at night with lots of people and various snacks, perfect for taking photos📷 Hunyuan Ancient City is a particularly suitable small city for living. I felt very relaxed spending a day here, away from the hustle and bustle of big cities. The people here are also very simple and enthusiastic. You can come to Hunyuan to experience the slow pace of life.

6 things you must know before going to Hunyuan! The small ancient city under Mount Heng!

🚶 Many people will come to see the Hanging Temple🗿 But they will miss the ancient city of Hunyuan under Mount Heng The small ancient city is not big but has 3 national treasures Friends who like ancient architecture must come here for a stroll❗️ 1⃣Transportation🚗 Generally depart from Datong to Hunyuan⚠️ If you are not self-driving and don't want to charter a car 🚌901-1 route 15 yuan can reach The first and last bus is at 6 am and 6 pm 🉑️ The journey is 1.5h to the end of Hunyuan Bus Station You can then take a taxi directly to the Hanging Temple After playing the Hanging Temple, you can take a taxi to stroll around the ancient city 2⃣Accommodation recommendation🏢 Friends who drive by themselves will return to Datong in one day's itinerary But if you want to play Mount Heng➕Hanging Temple➕Hunyuan Ancient City You can stay in the ancient city for one night❗️ The Hunyuan County Prefecture Yamen Inn is super characteristic😀 3⃣📸Must-visit attractions: ✅Hunyuan Confucian Temple (National Seven) ✅Yuanjue Temple Pagoda (National Seven) ✅Yong'an Temple (National Five) 4⃣Half-day tour recommendation Hunyuan Confucian Temple➡Hunyuan Prefecture➡Yuanjue Temple Pagoda➡Yong'an Temple The distance between several attractions is very close🚶‍♂️walking distance 5⃣️Travel tips ✅Hunyuan Confucian Temple and Yuanjue Temple Pagoda are free to visit ✅It's very casual to enter Yuanjue Temple Pagoda👨‍👩‍👧‍👦You can try to communicate🌟Sneak in ✅Yong'an Temple architecture, calligraphy, murals, and glazed tiles are all worth a look👀Be sure to listen to the explanation🔉 ✅Hunyuan Prefecture requires a ticket🎫Not highly recommended, can be ignored if no time 6⃣️Specialty food🍜 Be sure to try Hunyuan cold noodles Recommended restaurants are Little Wife Shop, Cai Family Restaurant 🥡 The ancient city of Hunyuan is still a relatively niche travel destination But I still want to share this treasure travel destination The county town is not big and suitable for walking and shopping with a peaceful mind🍃 It is in these inadvertent discoveries that life is realized This trip is really full of endless surprises

Hengshan is not only beautiful scenery, but also an important birthplace of Taoism. There are many Taoist temples on the mountain. It is said that Zhang Guo, one of the Eight Immortals, is practicing in Hengshan. An early play of the ancient temple hanging over the mountainside of Cuiping Peak, the entire temple was built on a cliff, built in the Northern Wei Dynasty, and the temple is dedicated to "Buddha", "Tao" and "Russian The Buddhas of the three factions are the earliest existing temples of "three religions in one".

Hengshan is such a mountain, this time it is the second time to board Beiyue. Friends who often climb mountain know that there are four seasons in the mountains, and the scenery in the four seasons is different. Although the weather is gloomy, occasionally the sun will also bring unexpected surprises. In the temple group of Hengshan, I encountered a halo, and took a group photo!