Mianshan Mountain has a number of Taoist abbeys. [Photo/Xinhua]

The peculiar Mianshan Mountain boasts more than 100 natural karst caves of different sizes. Among them, Baofu Cave (Belly-embracing Cave) is the largest, a huge grotto some 180 meters wide, 50 meters high and 60 meters deep. The cave houses over 200 halls and rooms of the Yunfeng (Cloudy Peak) Temple, which was built in ancient times to make the utmost of this magical natural gift, the giant and serene rock cave.

Yunfeng Temple enshrined and worshiped the King of Spirituality, the first Han Chinese to become a Buddha. Born in the Tang Dynasty (618-907), his secular name was Tian Zhichao and his body is incased in a clay statue in the center of the main hall. Tian is credited with bringing the Buddhist doctrine to the Mianshan Mountain region.

One of the Yunfeng Temple highlights is the auspicious bell hanging ceremony. This was originally a Buddhist memorial service to pray for rain and give thanks to Buddha during the Tang Dynasty, but it has evolved into a local folk custom. After making or redeeming a wish before the Buddha in the temple, people invite local professionals to hang jug-sized copper bells on the steep rock faces outside the cave.

Hanging the auspicious bells is a spectacular performance. First, the bell hanger climbs to the mountain top, ties a thick rope to a tree, and abseils down the mountain to the cliff face above the entrance of the cave. Another rope tied to his waist hangs down to the foot of the cliff, where his fellow swings the rope to help him move along the cliff side and affix the bells above the cave entrance. Afterwards, people set off fireworks to celebrate the auspicious ceremony. When breezes blow the tinkling of copper bells hanging on the cliff echoes throughout the valley.

In addition to Buddhist temples, Mianshan Mountain has a number of Taoist abbeys. Dailuo Palace is the grandest among them. With a floor space of some 30,000 square meters, the palace is more than 110 meters high, the equivalent of a 35-storey building.

Dailuo Temple features exquisite painted sculptures from the Tang to Qing (1644-1911) dynasties known as the "Dunhuang sculptures of Shanxi Province". In addition, the palace's Scripture Hall houses 108 rosewood blocks engraved with the Tao Te Ching (a fundamental text in both philosophical and religious Taoism). These engravings are fashioned after the works of 108 contemporary calligraphers. Since some of these masters have passed away, Liu Haisu and Qi Gong among them, the engravings have become even more precious. Below these are 46 marble slabs inscribed with the Tao Te Ching in both English and Japanese, which are rarely seen in other places in China. Besides, the Depositary of Buddhist Texts on the temple’s top floor stores hundreds of rare books.