Built in 1056 during the Liao dynasty, this impressive building is China's oldest surviving wooden pagoda. From the outside, it appears to have only five stories, though it actually has nine; and its complex system of supports includes 54 kinds of brackets. Frescoes on the ground floor and a gilded statue of Sakyamuni date to the Liao dynasty. During a 1974 renovation, engraved sutras and documents related to the construction of the pagoda were discovered inside one of the statues of Buddha. Unfortunately, visitors are now only allowed to climb to the second level of this delicate structure.

For those on their way from Datong to Wutai Shan, it's possible to visit the Hanging Temple and Wooden Pagoda in a day, then spend the night in Ying Xian and leave the next morning for Wutai Shan. East of the pagoda, the friendly, affordable Lihua Chun Binguan, Yinghun Lu (eastern extension of Xinjian Dong Lu; tel. 0349/502-9593), is the best hotel in Ying Xian, and its restaurant serves good Cantonese and local dishes. Standard rooms go for ￥88 to ￥108 ($11-$14). The hotel can arrange for north- or southbound hotel pickup. The minibus to Wutai Shan charges ￥35 ($4.35) for the 2-hour trip.