Hanging Temple of Hengshan
A 5th-century temple improbably built into the side of a cliff
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Click to enlarge. A view looking down source
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Click to enlarge. These wooden pillars have supported the weight of the temple for hundreds of year. source
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Click to enlarge. The steep stairs in the Hanging Temple source
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The Hanging Temple, located about 60 km southwest of Datong, China in Shanxi province, is one of the world's forgotten wonders. Clinging to a crag of Hengshan mountain, in apparent defiance of gravity, it consists of 40 rooms linked by a dizzying maze of passageways. The temple is said to have been built by a monk named Liao Ran, during the late Northern Wei Dynasty (386-534 AD) and restored in 1900.
The temple was constructed by drilling holes into the cliff side into which the poles that hold up the temples are set. Interestingly the temple is dedicated to not just one religion, but three, with Confucianism, Taoism and Buddhism all worshiped within the temple and represented in 78 statues and carvings throughout the temple.
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- Hours 9:10 am to 5:00 pm
- Cost CNY 60
- Address
Hanging Temple of Hengshan
Mt. Hengshan
Shanxi
China
Directions / Map
Directions
The temple is located about 60 kilometers southwest of Datong.
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By Anonymous June 19 2009
I think you have the title wrong on this one - It should be "Hengshan".
By Anonymous June 19 2009
The pictures in your articles are too small. You need to make them enlarge when clicked. For a site with the focus on enlightenment that's a HUGE oversight!
By Anonymous June 19 2009
PLEASE make the photos bigger, or at least make it where they will bigger when you click them! It's an awesome site, but I find myself wanting to go to somewhere else to see bigger photos.
By Anonymous June 28 2009
If you google it, there are some nice close pics on Flickr
By Anonymous August 11 2009
Until you make your photos bigger, I'm using your website to find interesting place names, then seeking out pictures elsewhere.
By admin August 12 2009
Dear angry horde,
We agree! The pictures can now be clicked to enlarge them to original size.
Of course this is also a user-generated site, so if you find yourself wishing a post had bigger pictures, please add some! Click the add photos button above every post and add away. This site is meant to be a resource for everyone and we could definitely use the help! Thanks,
The Atlas Obscura Team
By emil300 October 5 2009
The pictures are wonderful. I only wish I can visit in person. A credit the the Chinese pleople.
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