Xuankong Si Monastery, China

Fans of the Confucian culture have an amazing opportunity to visit the Hanging Temple. The monastery is located in the province of Shanxi. It was built against a hillside of the sacred mountain Hengshan. The Hanging Temple is a unique temple complex, which combines the Taoist, Buddhist and Confucian shrines. The monastery was built in 491. Its main feature is its location. All 40 halls and pavilions are literally hanging over a precipice that inadvertently gives an impression that they could collapse at any moment. In fact, all the buildings grip on wooden stilts abutting against the rock.

It is noteworthy, that the rock itself is also an integral part of the architecture. It replaces the rear wall of the premises. In some pavilions, niches are carved in walls. Statues and other religious paraphernalia are set there. The Hanging Temple is the only temple in China, in which three religious-philosophical schools were merged. However, in most cases, travelers are attracted not with its high religious significance.

They're doing a long way to walk along narrow wooden bridges over the precipice to admire the antique sculptures and objects of religious utensils, as well as to look at the monks who chose to live in such unusual circumstances. Literally, the Chinese name of the monastery means Temple Floating in the Air. The monk Liao Ran is considered to be its founder. He intentionally erected the monastic abode in such a remote place to protect it from outsiders, as well as to create a shield from the effects of nature. Next - Xi'an Beilin Museum