National 5A Scenic AreaNorth China
Hanging Temple (Xuankong Si)
悬空寺 · Shanxi, Datong
A gravity-defying monastery built into a sheer cliff face for more than 1,500 years.
The Hanging Temple clings to the side of a vertical cliff in the Hengshan mountains, its pavilions supported by slender wooden beams driven into the rock. It is remarkable for both its engineering and its ecumenism, housing Confucian, Buddhist and Taoist deities under one roof.
First built in the late Northern Wei dynasty around 490 AD, the temple has been repeatedly repaired over the centuries. Its location beneath an overhanging cliff protected it from floods, snow and sunlight, helping it survive more than 1,500 years. It is part of the Mount Heng (Beiyue) scenic area.
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