Mount Heng (North) is located about 4 kilometers south of Hunyuan County in Datong City, with its main peak, Tianfeng Ridge, reaching an elevation of approximately 2,016 meters. While it lacks the majestic grandeur of Mount Tai or the sheer precipitousness of Mount Hua, it uniquely combines features of majesty, steepness, seclusion, and antiquity.
In fact, the current Mount Heng in Hunyuan, Shanxi, was not the original Northern Mountain. In ancient texts, the Northern Mountain originally referred to Mount Damao (ancient Mount Heng) near present-day Baoding, Hebei. It was not until the 17th year of the Shunzhi reign in the Qing Dynasty (1660) that the official site for sacrificial rites to the Northern Mountain was relocated to present-day Hunyuan, Shanxi. Therefore, the Mount Heng referred to today as the Northern Mountain is the one in Hunyuan.
The location of Mount Heng is highly strategic: it borders the Inner Mongolian grasslands to the north, connects to the Taiyuan Basin to the south, leads to Beijing in the east, and links to Yanmen Pass in the west. Thus, ancients said: “He who controls Mount Heng controls the spine of the realm.” A series of famous passes in Chinese history are distributed around Mount Heng: Yanmen Pass, Pingxing Pass, and Ningwu Pass. Renowned generals such as Li Mu, Meng Tian, Wei Qing, Huo Qubing, and Xu Da all operated in this region. Consequently, Mount Heng is not only a famous religious mountain but also a significant military stronghold.
The parking lot at the Mount Heng Scenic Area Visitor Service Center is spacious and features a KFC and a Chagee tea shop. The scenic shuttle bus ticket costs 20 yuan, with the first stop being the Hanging Temple. Admission to the Hanging Temple is purchased separately for just 15 yuan, allowing you to view the temple from across the river. There is also a highly sought-after climbing ticket priced at 100 yuan; tickets are released both online and offline, and the release rules change frequently. It is advisable to check Xiaohongshu or the official WeChat account in advance for the latest regulations. Because the interior space of the temple is narrow, crowds are dense, and the railings are relatively low, those with a fear of heights are advised against climbing. However, viewing it from below takes only about 10 minutes.
Many people actually know Mount Heng solely because of the Hanging Temple. Originally built during the Northern Wei Dynasty, the existing structures were all rebuilt during the Ming and Qing dynasties. The temple is built on the mountainside of Cuifeng Peak, dozens of meters above the ground, and has a history of over 1,400 years. Supported entirely by 27 wooden beams, the main structures appear suspended in mid-air from a distance, and deities from Buddhism, Taoism, and Confucianism are enshrined together in the same hall. Thus, it is not only an architectural miracle but also a symbol of religious integration. Ancients summarized its characteristics in three words: unique, suspended, and ingenious. The entire temple comprises 40 rooms in a wooden frame structure, with main buildings connected by corridors and plank roads. In 1982, the Hanging Temple was listed as a Major Historical and Cultural Site Protected at the National Level. TIME magazine also once listed it among the world’s most famous precarious buildings.
In 1991, the Mount Heng Cultural Relics Management Office organized specialists to re-inscribe the characters “Zhuang Guan” (Spectacular)—attributed to the Tang Dynasty poet Li Bai—onto the cliff face beneath the temple, based on the original traces found in a Qing Dynasty rubbing preserved at Huayan Temple.
Afterward, continue taking the scenic shuttle bus to the Mount Heng ticket checkpoint. Next to the checkpoint is a martial arts-themed town inspired by *The Smiling, Proud Wanderer*, though it seems to have few visitors, and it is unclear whether it is actually in operation.
After passing the ticket checkpoint, you can choose to take the cable car up the mountain to Kuixing Pavilion, or continue transferring via scenic shuttle bus to Hengzong. Hengzong is roughly halfway up the mountain and represents the highest point accessible by vehicle; beyond this, you must proceed on foot.
Overall, I feel that Mount Heng has a relatively low profile among the Five Great Mountains; it is neither particularly high nor very steep, and the entire visit did not take much time. We combined it with the Yingxian Wooden Pagoda on the same day, but the Hanging Temple is definitely worth seeing.
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