Heng Shan or Heng Mountain (simplified Chinese: ; traditional Chinese: ; pinyin: H ng Sh n) in Shanxi Province is one of the Five Sacred Mountains of Taoism. At 2,017 m, it is one of the five tallest peaks in China Proper. Heng Shan in Shanxi Province is sometimes known as the Northern Heng Shan, and the one in Hunan Province as Southern Heng Shan (simplified Chinese: ; pinyin: H ng Sh n). Both mountains have the same pronunciation in Chinese, and the Southern Heng Shan is also one of the Five Sacred Mountains.
Mt. Hengshan, also variously called Ziyue, Hengzong or Changshan Mountain, lies some 60 kilometers south of the city of Datong, Shanxi Province. The mountain, whose highest peak reaches an altitude of 2017 meters, is the northernmost of the 'Five Sacred Mountains of China', or 'Wu Yue', as they are called by the Chinese, in recognition of the mountains' link to Taoism.
Ancient battleground: Mt. Hengshan has been an age-old battleground. It is the bottleneck to Central Hebei Plain from Plateau beyond the Great Wall. Many emperors utilized Mt. Hengshan in national defense planning. Emperors and generals went down in history on battles won and lost right here. Plenty of ancient battlefield relics litter the landscape with passes, fortresses, castles and beacon towers. These make Mt. Hengshan unique among the famed mountains.
Mt. Hengshan offers some spectacularly beautiful scenery. The soaring mountain peaks and the undulating curves of the mountain ridges, the steep, precipitous cliffs, the grotesque and fantastic caves, the dense and verdant tree cover, the gurgling, meandering brooks, full of the singing and chirping of birds, not to speak of the canopy of clouds and mist that variously - and to varying degrees - veils and unveils the mountain and the skies that surround it, all bear witness to how Mt. Hengshan was able to call attention upon itself as one of Taoism's 'Five Sacred Mountains'.
Overhanging Temple: Overhanging Temple, at the mountain's foot, was built in Northern Wei Dynasty (386-534), on the high cliff hemmed in by a precipice on either side. It sits up there beyond reach in abject solitude. From the bottom you see range upon range of pavilions supported by dozens of wooden pillars. Entering the temple, people will be surprised by its half-house and half-cave inner structures. Overhanging Temple deserves a visit.
Many of the evergreen trees - mainly the Chinese Red Pine, or Pinus tabuliformis- on Mt. Hengshan have craggy, grotesque shapes, though not all of them of course. Four of the most exquisite old specimens of Pinus tabuliformis on Mt. Hengshan stand straight and tall ("proudly and elegantly" some would say), their roots visible like claws gripping the rocky mountainside. They have been known as the "Four Great Men" of Mt. Hengshan ever since the Tang Dynasty era.
Mt. Hengshan Scenic Spots has temperate semiarid continental climate and distinct four seasons. It features cold-dry winters, windy springs, short rainy summers, and short sunny autumns. There is extreme temperature difference between daytime and at night. Annual average temperature in Mt. Hengshan is 6.1 degree centigrade.
Opening Time:
8:00-18:00
How to get there:
You can take the regular bus from the city of Datong to Hunyuan County; the fare is 15 yuan.
Tips:
1) Minimum recommended time to allot to a sightseeing trip to the area: 1 day.
2) Suggested 1-day itinerary: Big Character Sinus Tiger Wind Gap Sacrificing Cliff Flying Stone Cave Beiyuan Temple Tianfeng Hill.