US students begin cultural exchange visit in Shanxi province

Thirteen teachers and students from George School in Langhorne, Pennsylvania, began a five-day cultural exchange visit to Shanxi province on Monday, touring the Hanging Temple in Datong on their first day in the region.

First built during the Northern Wei Dynasty (386-534), the temple is one of China's rare surviving sites where Buddhism, Taoism, and Confucianism coexist within a single structure. It is built into a cliff face above a gorge in Hunyuan county, a feat of ancient engineering that made an impression on the visiting group.

"Different people each bring their own strengths, and only when they come together can such an amazing work be created," said Khalil Shaheed, a student visiting Datong for the first time. "If we only clung to our own perspectives, the miracle of the Hanging Temple would never have come into being."