Xuan Kong Temple was built using wooden structures and mechanical principles. The buildings of Xuankong Temple mainly relied on the support of "iron carrying poles" and standing trees. Experts pointed out that the boardwalk and pavilions of Xuankong Temple were supported by wooden beams deeply inserted into the rocks, using ironwood trees soaked in tung oil. These wooden beams and stumps had been carefully calculated and designed to be able to withstand several tons of weight, allowing the entire Xuankong Temple to hang firmly on the cliff. In addition, Xuankong Temple's architectural structure also adopted the design of mortise and tenon structures and elastic structures to enhance its earthquake resistance. In general, the architecture of Xuankong Temple was a miracle built by ancient craftsmen using wooden structures and mechanical principles.
Xuan Kong Temple was built more than 1000 years ago in the later period of the Northern Wei Dynasty. According to legend, the ruler of the Northern Wei Dynasty believed in Taoism and ordered craftsmen to build Xuankong Temple according to the requirements of Taoism. Xuankong Temple was located on a steep cliff, about 60 meters above the ground, and on both sides were cliffs that stood more than 100 meters. The experts had inspected Xuan Kong Temple many times and put forward many opinions. Some experts believed that the reason why Xuankong Temple could be built on the cliff was mainly because of the "iron carrying pole" that erected the pavilion. In addition, the architectural structure of Xuankong Temple used a variety of different wooden structure techniques, such as mortise and tenon, bucket arch, bucket arch color painting, wing angle mortise and tenon, etc. The architectural features of Xuankong Temple were strange, suspended, and ingenious. The overall structure was made of wood. The builders of Xuankong Temple were craftsmen from the Northern Wei Dynasty. According to the requirements of Taoism, they used wooden structure techniques and special architectural layout to build the temple on the cliff so that it could survive for thousands of years.
Xuankong Temple was built in the later period of the Northern Wei Dynasty, about 1500 years ago. It was located between the cliffs of the Golden Dragon Gorge in Hengshan, Hunyuan County, Shanxi Province. It was one of the earliest wooden structures built on the cliffs in the world. Xuan Kong Temple was built on a steep cliff on both sides, and the temple was built on these cliffs. It gave people the feeling that it was stuck to the cliff. From afar, they could see layers of pavilions, supported by dozens of wooden pillars that looked like chopsticks. Xuankong Temple was built with a wooden frame structure and was designed according to the principles of mechanics. The overall layout of Xuankong Temple included the temple, meditation room, Buddhist hall, Three Buddha Hall, Guandi Temple, drum tower, and other buildings. There was no clear answer to why Xuan Kong Temple was built and how it had been maintained for thousands of years.
Mount Heng Xuan Kong Temple was built during the Northern Wei Dynasty. According to the information provided, Xuankong Temple was built by the Northern Wei Celestial Master Daoist Kou Qianzhi before his death. Through site selection and design, his disciples built the temple on a steep cliff, relying mainly on the shape of the mountain and the shape of the rock to support the building. The building structure used a combination of wooden structures and cable structures, allowing the entire temple to hang firmly on the cliff. The buildings of Xuan Kong Temple were made of wood and stones, which were cleverly embedded in the cracks between the rocks in the mountains, forming a floating effect. Xuankong Temple was one of the earliest and best preserved wooden cliff buildings in China. The specific construction process and technical details were not provided.
Xuankong Temple was built by a monk named Ran Ran.
Xuankong Temple was built in 491 AD during the Northern Wei Dynasty.
Xuankong Temple was built by monks and local craftsmen during the Northern Wei Dynasty.
Xuankong Temple was built by monks and local craftsmen during the Northern Wei Dynasty.
Xuankong Temple was built in the later period of the Northern Wei Dynasty. It was built in 491 AD.
Xuankong Temple was built by monks and local craftsmen during the Northern Wei Dynasty.
Xuankong Temple was built to fulfill the last wish of Kou Qianzhi, the Heavenly Master of the Northern Wei Dynasty. Kou Qianzhi hoped to build a temple in the air to pursue the realm of "Upper Yan Xiao Ke, Lower Jue Xiao Fu". The construction of Xuankong Temple began in the first year of Tianxing in the Northern Wei Dynasty (398 AD). After decades of hard work, it was finally completed 1400 years ago. Xuankong Temple was the only unique temple in China that combined Buddhism, Taoism, and Confucianism. It was also one of the earliest wooden structures built on the existing cliffs in the world.