[2025 Hunyuan Attraction] Travel Guide for Yong'an Temple South Courtyard (Updated May)

Yingxian Wooden Pagoda, also known as Yingxian Fogong Temple Sakyamuni Pagoda, is located in the Fogong Temple in the northwest corner of Yingxian County, Shanxi Province. It was built in the second year of Qingning in the Liao Dynasty. (1056), it has a history of more than 970 years. The tower is 67.31 meters high. The tower body is a loft-style building with an octagonal plan and five floors and six eaves. There is not a single iron nail in the entire tower. It is made entirely of 54 types of brackets that are riveted and stacked together. The structural design is scientific and rigorous, which is amazing. The Yingxian Wooden Pagoda is one of only eight remaining Liao Dynasty wooden structures in China. It is also the oldest and tallest existing all-wooden high-rise tower building in the world. It is known as one of the "Three Greatest Towers in the World" along with the Eiffel Tower in France and the Leaning Tower of Pisa in Italy. Tickets: 50 yuan Public transportation travel guide: High-speed rail station: Yingxian West Station: Arrive at the exit of Yingxian West Station and take the shuttle bus to Yingxian Wooden Pagoda. The fare is about 5 yuan and the journey takes about 30 minutes. Arrive at the Liao Dynasty Cultural City, walk about 400 meters north to the south entrance of the Wooden Pagoda Scenic Area Ying County Station: Arrive at the exit of Yingxian Station and take the shuttle bus to Yingxian Wooden Pagoda. The fare is about 5 yuan and the journey takes about 20 minutes. Arrived at the Liao Dynasty Cultural City, It costs about 5 yuan and the journey takes about 20 minutes. Arrive at the Liao Dynasty Cultural City, walk about 400 meters north to the south entrance of the Wooden Pagoda Scenic Area Shuttle bus operating hours: Yingxian West Station/Yingxian Station-Liao Dynasty Cultural City: 07:19-20:30 Yingxian Bus Station-Yingxian West Station/Yingxian Station: 06:30-19:30 PS: The off-season will be adjusted according to passenger flow Direct bus from Datong to scenic spots (reservation required in advance): Datong Ancient City->Yingxian Wooden Pagoda (the pick-up point and Niushun Hotel opposite Yangmen Square) Ticket price: 39 yuan Departure time:7:30/8:30/13:20 Yungang Grottoes 1>Yingxian Wooden Pagoda (stop at Datong Ancient City) Ticket price: 39 yuan Departure time:12:55 Hengshan Visitor Center - Yingxian Wooden Pagoda Ticket Price: 29 Yuan Departure time: 11:10/12:30/13:55 PS: There will be extra buses during peak season Datong through train travel guide: Travel to the Hanging Temple, Hengshan Mountain, Yingxian Wooden Pagoda (Pure Land Temple), Yungang It is best to have 2 days to visit these attractions in the grottoes Two-day through train tour: D1: Arrive at Yungang Grottoes at 9 am, take a direct bus to Yingxian Wooden Pagoda at 12:55 pm, visit Yingxian Wooden Pagoda and Jingtu Temple, and take a direct bus back to Datong D2: Take a direct bus from Datong Ancient City to the Hanging Temple, visit the Hanging Temple and Hengshan Mountain, and then take a direct bus back to Datong. If you want to visit Hunyuan Ancient City, Yong'an Temple, and Yuanjue Temple, take the intercity bus from Hunyuan to Datong for the return trip One-day tour by direct train: In the morning, take a bus from Datong Ancient City to the Hanging Temple, visit the Hanging Temple and Hengshan Mountain. In the afternoon, take a direct bus to Yingxian at 13:55, visit the Yingxian Wooden Pagoda and the Pure Land Temple, and take a direct bus back to Datong In short: Datong Ancient City - Hanging Temple, Hengshan - Yingxian Wooden Pagoda, Pure Land Temple - Datong Ancient City

Datong suddenly became popular, with architecture and cultural relics from the Northern Wei to the Ming and Qing dynasties dominating friends' circles with beautiful photos. If there's something you can't stop thinking about, there must be a response, so set off immediately, fly directly from Shanghai to Datong, land at Yungang Airport in 2.5 hours, and start a three-day journey in the ancient capital. Day 1️⃣: Hanging Temple + Yong'an Zen Temple + Yuanjue Temple + Yingxian Wooden Pagoda 📌Hanging Temple🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 Located in Hunyuan County, built during the Northern Wei Dynasty, suspended on a high cliff. It's hard to imagine that over a thousand years ago, ancient people built a complex of one courtyard, two buildings, and a total of 40 large and small pavilions on cliff walls as sharp as knives. From a distance, it looks like a relief sculpture ready to take flight, worthy of the 'magnificent' description left by the poet Li Bai. You must visit and experience the thrill and ingenuity of the Hanging Temple by climbing the hanging ladders, crossing the flying bridges, and squeezing through the skylights. 💰Ticket price: 15 yuan for distant viewing, 115 yuan to climb to the top ⏰Opening hours: 1️⃣08:30 - 16:00 (November 1st to February 28th of the following year) 2️⃣08:00 - 18:00 (March 1st to October 31st) 🚶Visiting time: 2 hours 📌Yuanjue Temple🌟🌟🌟 Located in the ancient city of Hunyuan at the foot of Mount Heng. The highlight of this temple is a brick pagoda from the Jin Dynasty. The wind bird at the top of the pagoda is the most exquisite and complete ancient wind direction indicator in China, still able to rotate with the wind after a thousand years. Unfortunately, Yuanjue Temple is currently under renovation, and the gatekeeper only allows distant viewing, missing the chance to closely appreciate the exquisite carvings on the pagoda. 📌Yong'an Zen Temple🌟🌟🌟🌟 Walking forward from the east alley of Yuanjue Temple, you will reach Yong'an Zen Temple, established for the salvation of spirits from all realms and the relief of souls in the six paths of reincarnation. Founded during the Jin Dynasty, destroyed by fire, and rebuilt during the Yuan Dynasty. The most worthwhile sight is the 'Yong'an Blessing Picture' in the main hall, said to be painted during the Ming Dynasty, depicting the Ten Kings and the assembly of immortals, Buddhas, and spirits from the three teachings. Due to the protection of the murals, there is no lighting, so you need to bring your own cold light flashlight or follow a guide to view. 💰Ticket price: 20 yuan ⏰Opening hours: 09:00-17:00 🚶Visiting time: 1 hour 📌Yingxian Wooden Pagoda🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 An hour's drive from Yong'an Zen Temple brings you to the city of Yingxian in Shuozhou, where the thousand-year-old Yingxian Wooden Pagoda stands. At 67.31 meters tall, nearly the height of a twenty-story building, it was built during the Liao and Qing Ming periods, advocated by Empress Dowager Xiao. The pure wooden structure of the pagoda is built without a single nail. It has withstood over 40 earthquakes, more than 200 shots and bombardments, and countless lightning strikes, yet it remains standing, a true miracle. Standing at the base of the pagoda and looking up, listening to the clear and distant chimes of the wind bells under the eaves, one can't help but be in awe of the sacred and magnificent epic architecture of that once brilliant era. 💰Ticket price: 50 yuan ⏰Opening hours: 07:00-18:00 🚶Visiting time: 1 hour

I arrived in Hunyuan County the night before and stayed at the Zhou Shu Inn, which I highly recommend. It's full of antique-style bungalows, and the breakfast is amazing (see the last two photos). During the off-season, you can enjoy a thousand-yuan experience for just two to three hundred yuan. Hunyuan's overall planning is excellent, especially the delicious food. For dinner, I had the Northern Shanxi Old Kitchen, and for lunch the next day, I went to Cai's Restaurant, both of which were among the top experiences of the trip. Yong'an Temple was recommended by netizens when I was planning the trip, and it was indeed fantastic! I'm glad I didn't miss it! Inside, there's a whole wall of murals, and to protect them, there are no lights at all in the main hall. It's not as dark as others have said; after the first minute or two, you can see everything clearly. We were lucky to have a friend who studies painting with us, who was full of praise for the murals. He explained the layout and the use of gradients and negative space. We spent nearly two hours examining the Yuan Dynasty murals on the wall opposite us, character by character. When I visited, it was just after the Lantern Festival, and there were still lanterns and dragons at the entrance of the main hall, which shows the temple's harmonious relationship with the local community. It's not isolated from the ancient architecture like in some other places. On the way out, I also visited Yuanjue Temple, which has a Jin Dynasty brick pagoda. If you're short on time, you can see the pagoda from Yong'an Temple; it complements the ancient city beautifully. After lunch, we went to the Hanging Temple, a ten-minute drive from Hunyuan County. The existing buildings and the deities they house were largely restored at the end of the Qing Dynasty. After seeing so many temples, I found this one to be somewhat disappointing. You don't have to pay if you just look from below, and the ticket to climb to the top is 100 yuan. All five of us felt that it was enough to view it from below, and if you've seen similar mountain architecture before, there's no need to climb to the top.

Among the many famous attractions in Datong, Yong'an Temple is a very low-key existence. Yong'an Temple is located in the northeast of the Drum Tower North Lane in Hunyuan County, Datong City. It was originally built in the Jin Dynasty and was rebuilt in the second year of Yuan Yanyou (1315) due to fire. The exquisite and precious murals of the national treasure level in the temple are its biggest feature. Because of its preciousness, it has not been widely publicized locally. As the staff in the temple said: 'We protect it high-profile and publicize it low-profile'. In order to protect the murals, the entire visit process is in a relatively dark environment, completed by the guide holding a flashlight. No photography is allowed throughout. The mural photos in the notes are replicas displayed in the side hall. Tips: The ticket is 20 yuan. It is recommended to hire a guide. After the visit, you can randomly choose a restaurant to taste the authentic Hunyuan Liangfen. The food shown in the notes are Hunyuan Liangfen, Guo You Rou, Stir-fried Mixed Mushrooms, Oat Dumplings, and Yellow Rice Cold Cake.

Hanging Monastery near Hunyuan