恒山

Why this place

Mount Heng in Shanxi is the northern sacred mountain, and its great attraction is the Hanging Monastery — a temple complex built into a sheer cliff face 75 metres up in 491 CE, held there by beams set into the rock. It is one of the most improbable buildings in China.

What to see

• The Hanging Monastery (Xuankong Si), 75 metres up a vertical cliff, still in use after 1,500 years
• The Hengshan ridge walks and the Taoist temples on the mountain itself
• The Beiyue Temple at the foot, and the old town of Hunyuan

What to eat

• Shanxi noodles and vinegar; the northern mountain's oat dishes
• Hunyuan's local 'liangfen' cold noodles, a summer specialty

How to plan

One day: the Hanging Monastery in the morning, the mountain in the afternoon.

Best time

May–October