Hengshan Hanging Temple (Monastery) - China
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Hengshan Hanging Temple (Monastery) - China


The Hanging Monastery is located at the foot of Heng Shan (Heng Mountain, or Mt. Hengshan).This unique monastery was built into a cliff's sheer face by monks near Mount Heng, close to Datong, more than 1,500 years ago. Suspended some 50 meters over the ground and consisting of 40 pavilions and halls, the Hanging Monastery was actually constructed without the help of wooden pillars that appear to support. When the monastery was built the pillars weren't here, but they were added later because many people wouldn't dare to climb up to the monastery worrying it would fall. The pillars are actually moveable and can even be taken away. The monastery's 6 main halls are intricately and ingeniously linked by winding corridors, bridges, and boardwalks that offer a perilous glimpse of the ground below, increasing the visitor's awareness that this truly is, quite literally, a hanging monastery. Oak crossbeams are plugged into holes dug into the cliff-side to provide the temple's main support. The temple is also notable for being the only one still remaining which combines the traditional Chinese religions Buddhism, Taoism, and Confucianism.


Hanging Monastery is an architectural wonder. A unique mechanical theory was applied to building the framework. Crossbeams were half-inserted into the rock as the foundation, while the rock in back became its support. Seen from below, it appears to be a tumble-down castle in the air. Hanging Monastery mixes mechanics, aesthetics, and Buddhism.



 
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Hengshan Hanging Temple (Monastery) - China - by Abha Sharma - 01-22-2015, 08:44 AM

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