During the Northern Wei Dynasty, Emperor Taiwu strongly promoted Taoism by renouncing Buddhism and ordering its eradication. Under this context, the Hanging Temple (Xuankong si) was born in 491.

The Hanging Temple, a wooden construction game painted between heaven and earth, is located on a cliff facing Mount Hengshan, one of the five sacred mountains of Taoism. Suspending some 50 meters above the ground, it is a wooden frame structure with 40 halls and pavilions. The temple is supported by wooden pillars anchored in the cliff behind the buildings. “Sheltered from the wind and precipitation”, it is precisely its special position that has allowed its longevity.

It is also the only temple where Buddhism, Taoism, and Confucianism are united. More than 80 religious statues in bronze, iron, terracotta, or stone are distributed in the temple.