The Hanging Temple and the Yungang Grottoes are among China's most iconic cultural landmarks, each demonstrating the ingenuity and spiritual devotion of ancient artisans. On August 8, 2025, I had the opportunity to take a day trip to these landmarks with one of our long-term partners and friends Mr. M, a journey made possible by the high-speed railways.

We departed from Beijing North Station at 08:20 and arrived in Datong South Station at 10:06, where our over 20-year long our local partner Mr. Zhang was waiting to greet us with warm smiles and a comfortable car. Then he started to introduce us the situation in the car. The drive to the visitor center for the Hanging Temple takes less than 1.5 hours. Since the release of the game "Black Myth: Wukong" in August 2024, Shanxi Province has increasingly grown in popularity among Chinese tourists, due to the game featuring scenes inspired by ancient buildings in Shanxi Province, such as the Hanging Temple and the Yungang Grottoes. 

There used to be one ticket for entering the Hanging Temple before the game's release, but now there are two separate tickets required due to the need for crowd control and protection of historical relics. One ticket is for entering the scenic area where you can see the temple at the foot, another one is for boarding the hanging temple. The boarding ticket is limited to a maximum number of 3260 per day, and the supply will be gradually reduced year by year in the future.There are specific rules regarding the details of ticket sales and visiting hours on the WeChat mini-program of Beiyue Yunyou(北岳云游), which is the official tourism promotion platform for Hengshan Mountain, home to the Hanging Temple. Booking boarding tickets is extremely difficult, even for a travel agent. Fortunately, since the mini-program does not accept passport bookings, foreign tourists can purchase tickets at a special counter in the Hengshan Visitor Center.

As soon as we arrived at the visitor center, Mr. Zhang went to queue for the special counter designated for foreign tourists and other special tourists such as Active - duty military personnel, disabled visitors, Firefighter and Journalists etc. While he was in line, Mr. M and I seized the opportunity to grab some sandwiches for lunch.

After about 15 minutes, Mr. Zhang obtained the ticket for M and we proceeded to queue for the shuttle bus. There are two directions for the shuttle bus: one leads to the Hanging Temple, and the other to the Hengshan Scenic Area. The queue for the Hanging Temple is extremely long, taking 1 hour or more during high seasons. Then, it took us approximately 6 minutes by shuttle bus to reach the Hanging Temple scenic area. 

From the shuttle bus stop, we walked for a short distance to reach the first gate of the scenic area.

Next, we proceeded to the entrance gate for boarding the temple. From there, we continued to cross a bridge to enter the queuing corridor for the temple.

While queuing in the corridor, we could see the Hanging Temple from a distance. The temple seemed to be hanging on the cliff, as if it could fall at any moment, but in fact, it had withstood the test of time for more than 1500 years(Construction was completed in 491 AD.).

It took us approximately 20 minutes to walk slowly from the entrance gate to the actual Temple entrance, while waiting in line. Then, we spent about 30 minutes completing the entire temple tour. This is much faster than we expected. Mr. Zhang said it should take about 3 hours for this whole procedure. Probably because it’s lunch time and many people were having lunch.

When we finally stepped onto the Hanging Temple, every step felt like a journey through time. The corridors were narrow, and the floorboards creaked under our feet, adding a touch of mystery. We carefully explored every corner, admiring the detailed carvings and the serene statues. 

It is a unique temple that integrates the three teachings of Confucianism, Buddhism, and Taoism. This unique cultural fusion demonstrates the inclusiveness and diversity of Chinese culture.

There are nice views on the mountain.

After visiting the Hanging Temple, we proceeded to the Yungang Grottoes, a journey that took slightly more than 1.5 hours. The Yungang Grottoes stretch across a vast cliff face, housing thousands of Buddhist statues and carvings that date back to the Northern Wei Dynasty(386AD—534AD). A reminder: for all visitors, tickets to the Yungang Grottoes must be booked online one day in advance.

Upon our arrival at the Yungang Grottoes, we were once again struck by its popularity. 

We took the shuttle bus from the entrance to the scenic area once again.

Then we followed the crowd to the grottoes, where the massive Buddhas carved into the sandstone cliffs stood as timeless guardians of wisdom and serenity. Some of the statues had been damaged over time, but that only added a sense of historical vicissitude.

The large - scale Buddha statues carved on the rock walls were of different sizes and postures, each with its own unique charm.

We queued 40 minutes for the Cave 6.

There are many other magnificent ones.

The Great Buddha of Cave 20 is the most magnificent masterpiece of the Yungang Grottoes, and its image frequently appears in art albums, serving as the iconic symbol of Yungang.

Then it took us 1.5 hours to Datong city(half hour more than usual due to traffic jam) for a quick but very good dinner: Datong Daoxiao Noodles.

Then Mr. Zhang sent me the Datong South for my trip back to Beijing. My original train was (08:08/22:00) but I changed it to (20:59/22:59) so that I could make it.

Trip Summary:

These two sites collectively showcase the profound influence of Buddhism on Chinese culture and the exceptional craftsmanship of early Chinese sculptors, making them well worth a visit. However, we would recommend avoiding the summer months, especially from July 20 to August 20, as these periods are peak times for family travel. The rest of the time, except for May 1-5 and October 1-7, and possibly a few other minor festivals, such as the Duanwu Festival (which varies in date each year), is suitable.

For a day trip, I suggest taking the earlier trains to Datong to ensure you have sufficient time to visit the two sites.

Mr. M spent the night in Datong city and visited the Old City the following morning. He stated that it is a vast area with very nice temples, making it well worth the visit.

Yours Truly

Angie Guo - Charmission Travel