Hanging Monastery

One of China's most amazing vistas is the Hanging Monastery, which is perched dangerously halfway up a cliff and is 75 meters (246 feet) above the earth. This amazing monastery, which consists of a network of 40 chambers connected by walkways and mid-air corridors, seems to be bonded to the edge of a high cliff. Although it is really supported on stilts rather than being built into a cliff, the label "hanging" may be deceptive. The monastery has hung here for 1500 years and dates back to the fifth century. Its current scale is the result of several repairs and extensions made during its lengthy existence.

The statues of Laozi, Confucius, and Shakyamuni, the three principal founders of Taoism, Confucianism, and Buddhism, respectively, that stand side by side in the Hanging Monastery are its most notable feature. The Hanging Monastery operated as a journey lodge, or a rest stop, for travelers because of its distant position. The Hanging Monastery entrenched China's three main faiths so that more tourists may remain there because religion was pervasive at the time and people were unwilling to stop at sites that worshipped a different religion. The Hanging Monastery consists of two pavilions, a bridge, and 40 halls. It’s 32 meters long in total.

Location: Hunyuan County, Datong City, Shanxi Province, China