Hanging Temple

Xuankong Si, also known as the Hanging Monastery, is an unusual Chinese temple built in the middle of a cliff near the sacred Hengshan Mountain in Shanxi Province. It belongs to the temple buildings that belong to one of the sacred mountains of Taoism.

The monastery was built among a huge cliff just below the gorge, and the sacred mountain itself is located just three kilometers from the area.

Xuankong Si appeared here back in 491, during the reign of the Northern Wei Dynasty. It was built in the middle of a pilgrimage route that lasted from the capital to Mount Hengshan.

In order for the temple building to be protected as much as possible from the restive Hun River, but at the same time located as close as possible to the gorge, Xuankong Si was built right on a rock that towered above the ground.

The monastery was regularly reconstructed and rebuilt until the beginning of the 20th century. The Xuankong Si consists of three sections that are interconnected by staircases that are slightly higher than each other. Their total length is about 150 meters. The highest point of the crossing is 50 meters, and the lowest is 26 meters from the ground.

The main structure of this complex is located on a huge platform, but the other two just hang down. Hanging structures are secured by cantilever beams that are located in the middle of deep rock nests. In front of the very first section there are entrance gates that have towers.

The tour of Xuankong Si is quite stressful, because you need to strictly adhere to the local rules. The route through the monastery follows these signs, and a group of people is also not welcome here.

The local safety rules must be followed, because the bridges and stairs of Xuanong Si are so narrow that there is simply no other way.