Hanging Temple Listed Among Top 10 Most Dangerous Structures in the World

|ChinaNews|Published:2022-01-21 09:02:00

Hanging Temple Listed Among Top 10 Most Dangerous Structures in the World_fororder_xuanjkongsi1

The Hanging Temple [Photo via the Publicity Department of the CPC Datong Municipal Committee]

The Hanging Temple is a temple off a cliff of Cuiping Peak to the west of Jinlong Gorge, Mount Hengshan, in Hunyuan County, Datong City, China's Shanxi Province. The construction was built during the late Northern Wei Dynasty, and has a history of more than 1,500 years. It is a Key Cultural Relics Protection Site in Shanxi Province, and also the "Top Landscape" among the 18 splendid landscapes of Mount Hengshan. The Hanging Temple marks the optimum of China's art of ancient architecture, with hanging technique, bizarre and exquisite features. In 2010, American TIME magazine selected "Top 10 Most Dangerous Structures in the World", among which the Hanging Temple of Mount Hengshan was listed.

Hanging Temple Listed Among Top 10 Most Dangerous Structures in the World_fororder_xuankongsi2

The Hanging Temple [Photo via the Publicity Department of the CPC Datong Municipal Committee]

The temple has 40 palaces in total, with mortise and tenon structure applied in the main wooden frame, and the hidden rock bracket, integrated beams and columns, and closely linked rails. There are over 80 Buddha statuses made of copper, iron, stone and mud, and the word "Splendid" (Zhuangguan)written by Li Bai, "the immortal of poetry" of Tang Dynasty, on the rock at the foot the temple. Xu Xiake, a famous geologist during the Ming Dynasty, also praised the temple as the "magnificent view in the world".

A visit to the Hanging Temple is rewarded with the history of Mount Hengshan's geologic structure, and the architectural art of the Northern Wei Dynasty. Visitors are all amazed by the bizarre integration of the architecture and the natural environment, and impressed by the remarkable presentation of history and art.

Share This Story