Xuankong Monastery Wooden Construction
Sophia Lofgren - 40149476
City University Hong Kong
27/11/2023
Discovery – knowledge/methods during lecture + historical and geographical background:
The Hanging Temple of Hengshan is located around 60 km southeast of Datong, China, in the Shanxi
province. It is one of the world’s forgotten wonders. Hengshan mountain is known as the North
Mountain of the Five Sacred Mountains in China. It was constructed during the mid-Northern Wei
Dynasty (386-534) by a monk named Liao Ran, the temple is made up of two-three story pavilions and
a yard, these are linked by staircases and steps. The whole temple is a wooden frame structure. What is
so special about this temple is that it is lined along the surface of a sheer cliff rising above 75 metres on
the foot of Mount Hengshan. Xuankong Temple literally means ‘temple hanging in the sky’. You could
say that it is an architectural miracle as it has withstood winds and storms for over 1500 years. The
traditional Chinese wood-frame beam and column system was applied to the monastery. The temple is
also in such a location in the mountain that it is sheltered from sunlight and erosion. It is tucked into the
natural overhang of Hengshan’s Cuiping Peak which extends outwards. The temple faces Tianfeng
Peak. Because it is basically in between two peaks, a bay-shaped valley is formed. Tectonic movements
are also quite common in the geographical area of where the temple is located, yet it has still remained
intact because of its position. It has gone through several restorations during the Qing (1644-1912) and
Ming (1368-1644) dynasties.
Figure 1.
https://www.alamy.com/stock-photo/Xuankong-monastery-inside.html?sortBy=relevant
The temple is in quite a remote location which is how it also served as a travel lodge; a rest stop for
travellers. The structure of the entire monastery is greatly different than the traditional monasteries of
China.
The monastery has a total of 40 halls. The entire temple is about 32 metres long and can be divided into
three parts. It is a three story, two tower temple, with worship halls, a drum tower, a belltower, and
dormitories. The fact that the temple has multiple levels simply adds to the point that it is a complex
architectural structure.
A bridge connects the North and South Pavilion. The South Pavilion holds the tallest statues of the
monastery. It has the Chunyang palace, Three official palace and Leiyin palace. The Chunyang palace
is dedicated to worship the Eight immortals of Taoism. The three official palace is the largest in the
entire monastery. The statues in the palace have clay sculptures from the Ming dynasty. The palace's
name corresponds to three officials: a "heaven official" who provides blessings, a "earth official" who
forgives sins, and a "water official" who drives evil away. The highest clay sculpture in this palace is
nearly 2 metres tall, making it the largest statue in Hanging Temple. The Leiyin shrine is a Buddhist
shrine at the summit of the South Pavilion. When Buddha Sakyamuni preached Buddhist sutras in
Buddhism, his voice was as loud as thunder. As a result, it is known as Lei yin Hall (because of the
thunder).
Figure 2.
The primary materials used in the construction are wood
and clay, with wooden crossbeams supporting the whole
structure. It is said that these crossbeams were soaked in
tung-oil, which is good for anti-corrosion. Holes were
chiselled into the cliff where the beams were then
inserted to create a good foundation. The main structure
is hidden inside the bedrock.
https://www.alamy.com/stock-photo/Xuankong-monastery-inside.html?sortBy=relevant
However, what is surprising is that the outstanding wooden beams you can see in the image depicted
above were actually added decades after the temple was built in order to reassure people the monastery
would not fall down.
Figure 3.
https://www.alamy.com/stock-photo/Xuankong-monastery-inside.html?sortBy=relevant
When you look at the image above closely you can see that it has the classic components of a columnand-beam framing structure. You can see the different columns, the lintel, and the tou-kung to support
the roof. It seems that there are also Queti under the tou-kung. The Queti is the triangular bracket under
the beam which joins the column. It is colourful and decorated.
Figure 4.
https://www.alamy.com/stock-photo/Xuankong-monastery-inside.html?sortBy=relevant
The roof is the most significant characteristic in Chinese architecture. It is a symbol of hierarchy. The
roof of the hanging temple has some very distinctive characteristics.
We can see that this roof has one main ridge, eight hip ridges and a total of nine ridges. You can also
see that the hip ridge is upturned. This means that the Hengshan temple has a gable-and-hip roof. The
gable-and-hip roof was only used for high-class buildings (like temples). The eaves of the roof are there
to protect the wooden columns and the exterior walls. In figure 3 you can also clearly see the rafters of
the temple; these are the small wooden pieces that become the underneath support of the eave.
The eave of the roof is green. Green roofs symbolize bamboo shafts, which then represent youth and
longevity. The roof itself is yellow, this is the royal colour. It symbolizes imperiality, the power of the
throne and prosperity. Yellow is one of the central colors in traditional Chinese culture.
Figure 5.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hanging_Temple#/media/File:Hanging_Monastery_near_Datong,_China_07.JPG
One of the pillars has a large dragon head as you can see in figure 5. Dragons symbolize great power,
good luck and strength in Chinese culture. They represent power and authority, specifically control over
typhoons, water, rainfall and floods. It makes sense that the dragon head is shown on the temple as it is
in such a position that it is shielded from natures disasters.
As this is a religious building of both Buddhist and Taoist belief, we can already conclude that the
ornaments on this building are of the official style.
Ornaments are a symbol of auspiciousness and lucky wish. Ornaments of official style symbolize the
class and status of a building. We can see that the temple has red exterior columns.
Figure 6.
In figure 5 you can also see
the Chih-wei on the roof. It is
a classical decoration for
high-ranking buildings, the
functionality is to cover the
joints of the main ridge and
hip ridge on the roof.
https://www.alamy.com/stock-photo/Xuankong-monastery-inside.html?sortBy=relevant
Figure 7.
https://www.alamy.com/stock-photo/Xuankong-monastery-inside.html?sortBy=relevant
In figure 7 you can clearly see the Jiao-Shou, it has 4 corner animals.
Analysis: how does the building represent Chinese culture (religion and belief)
What is also interesting about the temple is that it is not only dedicated to one religion, but three.
Confucianism, Taoism, and Buddhism are all practiced within the temple and are represented in 80
statues and carvings throughout the temple in bronze, iron, terracotta, and stone. This shows that there
was harmony between the religions even centuries ago.
Inside the monastery sculptures of Sakyamuni, Confucius and Laotzu are featured together which is
rare. Confucianism was a way of life for the ancient Chinese. Confucius and his teachings continue to
have a strong influence on the structure of Chinese society and its emphasis on rituals, familial respect
and obligation, ancestor worship, and self-discipline. Taoism is concerned with the more spiritual
elements of life, which includes the nature of the universe. The Taoist faith emphasises attaining
spiritual immortality by becoming one with nature. These ideas are different from Confucianism.
Buddhism is a philosophy that emphasises human development and deep understanding. Buddhists seek
enlightenment through meditation, spiritual study, and practise.
The three religions are certainly different from each other which is why it is so interesting that they
built a temple where all three religions were practiced and welcome.
Figure 8.
https://www.alamy.com/stock-photo/Xuankong-monastery-inside.html?sortBy=relevant
When the temple was built a principle of Taoism was followed, so to have no noises. This is another
reason why the temple was built so high up. The way that the temple is built also shows a harmony
between man-made structures and nature.
Critical thinking: personal points of view (values and significance, challenges, inspirations,
enlightenments)
Personally, I chose this architectural temple as I simply find it highly interesting. When I was looking
for an architectural structure to study, I came across this temple and thought it really stood out from
everything else. The fact that they were able to build such an engineering miracle with wood, and the
fact that it has survived for over 1500 years is astonishing. It really shows how strong some of the
structures are, like the tou-kung and cross-beam structure. It is also incredible that they were able to
construct the temple at such a great height without any kind of machinery at the time.
It was quite challenging to find loads of information about the temple. It was also sometimes hard to
see the details as the temple can only be viewed through pictures. However, when I was looking at the
details, I really noticed all the Chinese architectural components. Details which you might not think are
important genuinely have a meaning, like the green details on the eaves for example.
In conclusion, the Xuankong Monastery is a tribute to the Chinese architecture and craftsmanship. The
wooden structure on a high vertical cliff, with all the different religious details carved into the temple
would astonish anyone which is why it can truly be called one of the most incredible old Chinese
architectural structures.
References:
“Chinese Religions and Philosophies.” n.d. https://education.nationalgeographic.org/resource/chinesereligions-and-philosophies/.
“Hanging Temple: Travel Guide for Hengshan Hanging Temple.”
n.d. https://www.chinadiscovery.com/shanxi/datong/hanging-temple.html.
“Travelogue: The Hanging Temple of Datong.” 2019. CGTN. September 14,
2019. https://news.cgtn.com/news/2019-09-14/Travelogue-The-Hanging-Temple-of-DatongJYws8W8l6o/index.html.
“Xuankong Temple a Breathtaking Architectural Wonder of Ancient Times.”
n.d. http://shanxi.chinadaily.com.cn/2020-12/25/c_577454.htm.
Foer, Joshua. 2023. “Hanging Temple of Hengshan.” Atlas Obscura, November 25,
2023. https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/hanging-temple-hengshan.
Holland, Jennifer. 2020. “The Meaning of the Dragon Symbol in Chinese Culture.” Chineasy.
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20rainfall%20and%20floods.
Little, Stephen, Shawn Eichman, Kristofer Shipper, and Patricia Buckley Ebrey. n.d. “Taoism and the
Arts of China.” Ancient Construction Marvel of Wutaishan and Hanging Temple of Hengshan, China.
Song, Candice. 2023. “The Hanging Temple, Hanging Monastery of Hengshan.” China Highlights Since 1998! November 23,
2023. https://www.chinahighlights.com/datong/attraction/hanging-monastery.htm.
Weiyun, Tan. n.d. “Ancient Mountain Pass Thwarted Many Invasions of Central China.”
SHINE. https://www.shine.cn/feature/art-culture/2112270068/.
Wikipedia contributors. 2023. “Hanging Temple.” Wikipedia. August 13,
2023. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hanging_Temple#.