Shanxi Trip｜Day Datong - Daixian

Today we left Datong for Daixian. The self-driving tour order was: Hanging Temple - Yong'an Zen Temple - Yuanjue Temple - Pure Land Temple - Yingxian Wooden Pagoda - Yanmen Pass 1️⃣ Hanging Temple (P2-3) The "sky pavilion" crafted by Northern Wei artisans. Arrived at the foot of the mountain around 9:30. The Hanging Temple is in a mountain hollow where sunlight doesn't reach. We originally planned to wait for the sun to rise higher, but after asking a local security guard, we learned that in winter sunlight reaches the hollow around 8 a.m. for about 30 minutes. Unfortunately, we missed the best time. Not feeling strong enough to climb, we just viewed it from afar. 💰 Ticket for viewing without climbing: 15 RMB, shuttle bus: 20 RMB ⏰ Duration: 1 hour 2️⃣ Yong'an Zen Temple (P1, P4-6) Built during the Jin Dynasty, Main highlights: (refer to the post for details, just copying notes) ✅ Plaques outside the hall, giant carved characters "Solemn" on the temple outer wall, glazed tiles on the main hall roof, and "Tiger Roar Dragon Chant" on the back of the main hall ✅ Inside the hall: murals and coffered ceiling Murals include: Ten Great Wisdom Kings (north wall) + Water and Land Dharma Assembly paintings (east, west, south walls) North wall highlights 1: Each Wisdom King’s true form is painted inside a circle at the upper left corner. North wall highlights 2: The Immovable Wisdom King (Dainichi Nyorai) tears open his fierce face with both hands, revealing his original compassionate appearance. North wall highlights 3: Flame-haired Deva Wisdom King’s lion mount’s eyes use special paint that shows different colors from different angles. 💰 Ticket: 20 RMB (combined ticket with Yuanjue Temple for 30 RMB), free parking ⏰ Visit duration: 1 hour 3️⃣ Yuanjue Temple (P7-8) Next to Yong'an Zen Temple, highlights: ✅ Northern Shanxi Jin Dynasty imitation wooden dense-eaves brick pagoda, octagonal with nine stories ✅ The pagoda top has an ancient wind vane used for lightning protection. ✅ The pagoda has four doors; only the south door is a solid wooden door that can open. The other three are brick doors, one of which is carved with a woman opening the door. 💰 Ticket: 20 RMB, free parking 4️⃣ Yingxian Wooden Pagoda (P9-11) The oldest and tallest wooden pagoda in China and the tallest wooden pagoda in the world. Built during the Liao Dynasty. The exterior has five stories and six eaves, but the pagoda actually has nine stories: five visible and four hidden. Constructed entirely with mortise and tenon joints without nails, 54 types of bracket sets form the "sky pavilion." You can see the pagoda from far away after exiting the highway. Entering the scenic area, the sight of the pagoda is very impressive. Many plaques hang on the pagoda, including "Supreme Divine Craftsmanship" written by Ming Emperor Yongle (Zhu Di) and "World Wonder" written by Ming Emperor Wuzong (Zhu Houzhao). Inside the pagoda are 34 colored statues. Currently, only the first floor is open to visitors, where you can see a tall colored Liao Dynasty Buddha statue inside the hall. 💰 Ticket: 50 RMB, free parking ⏰ Visit duration: 1 hour 5️⃣ Pure Land Temple (P12-14) ✅ The most beautiful Jin Dynasty coffered ceiling, original from the Jin Dynasty, with nine coffered ceilings on the main hall ceiling. ✅ In the courtyard, there is a Liao Dynasty stone lion with disheveled hair, now so damaged it’s unrecognizable and covered with glass. You can take photos of the Pure Land Temple with the Yingxian Wooden Pagoda in the background from the temple’s backyard. For details, refer to the introduction in " ". 💰 Ticket: 15 RMB 🚗 Free parking 6️⃣ Yanmen Pass (P15-18)