Hanging in The Air: Miracle Monastery

#chinatrip In the South-East of Datong, not far from the city of Hunyuan, the real miracle of architecture is located on the rocks near the sacred Hengshan Mountain. This is Xuankong si (Hanging Monastery, kit. 懸空寺, pinyin Xuankong Si, pall.Xuankong-si), which is carved right into the rocks above Jinlong Canyon. It is more than 1400 years old, it was built in 491, during the Northern Wei Dynasty, and no analogues of such splendor of construction art have been found. It is here that complete isolation and a calm environment are so appreciated in the spiritual world. Xuankong si is located just a few hundred meters from the place where the Hun River breaks out of the narrow and short Jinlong Gorge (Jinlong, Golden Dragon). The complex is located on a high cliff on the left, western bank of the river, and the sacred Hengshan Mountain is on the right. Xuankong-si was built on the way of pilgrims from the capital of the Pingcheng Empire (now Datong), to the sacred Hengshan Mountain. There used to be bridges from the monastery up an almost sheer cliff, which have now been removed. Apparently they led to a bridge over which it was possible to cross a stormy river. In order to escape from the flood of the Hun River and make the building a help for pilgrims, it was necessary to act in the only acceptable way to build as high as possible. There are more than forty rooms, halls and pavilions inside the monastery. There are only three large sections, they are located one above the other and connected by corridors and passages. The lowest mark is 26 meters above ground level, the highest is about 50 meters. It is worth considering that the main feature of the monastery is that all the squares are built on the face of the rock using the slightest recesses, as well as the support of beams and supports. The only exception is the first, main section. It rests on a foundation of bricks. In front of it there is an entrance gate with two traditional bell/drum towers. All pavilions and buildings are interconnected by a whole system of various passages, corridors and passages. Statues of Buddhas and other gods are located inside the premises. In general, this temple complex unites Buddhist, Taoist and Confucian altars at once.