Datong >> The Hanging Monastery

	Attraction Typ: Temple, Monastery, Mosque, Church
	Location: about 80 km from city
	Recommend: 5 Star
	The Hanging Monastery
	The Hanging Monastery lies 75km away from Datong, built about 1500 years ago at the foot of Mt. Hengshan, the temple is a structure that clings precariously to the side of the Mt. Hengshan range. Caves carved into the cliffs or along natural contours make up the rooms and walkways, and bridges connect the different halls. It is an immortal masterpiece of ancient architecture and a piece of crystallization of workmanship and resourcefulness.
The Hanging Monastery on cliff of the Hengshan Mountains is a masterpiece of Chinese architectural art and one of the eighteen wonderful scenes of the Northern Mountain. The whole temple was built on the rock face of a sheer cliff and the highest place in the temple is about 50 meters above ground, like a palace suspending on the cliff face. The temple has more than 40 halls and rooms, house 78 bronze, iron, colored clay and stone statues. The Hanging Monastery is unique not only for its location on a sheer precipice but also because it includes Buddhist, Taoist, and Confucian elements.