"You must visit the Hanging Temple and witness the architectural miracle"

#MarchGoodPlaces2025 Today I came to the Hanging Temple I embarked on a journey to Hunyuan County, Datong City, Shanxi Province, and came to the Hanging Temple with a history of more than 1,500 years. The uniqueness of this temple lies in the fact that it integrates Buddhism, Taoism and Confucianism into one, making it the only temple of its kind in my country. The Hanging Temple, the origin behind the name is fascinating. Its original name was "Xuankong Pavilion", which was taken from the teachings of Chinese Taoism and Buddhism. Later, it was renamed "Hanging Temple" because the entire temple seemed to be hanging on a cliff. Looking from a distance, you can see forty pavilions hanging above the cliff, which is amazing. The most fascinating thing is the scene of this temple hanging 50 meters high and built on a steep cliff of more than 100 meters. It looks like there are only chopstick-like wooden pillars supporting it, but if you look closely, you will find that some of the wooden pillars do not bear gravity at all. This incredible architectural structure makes people wonder why the Hanging Temple has stood for thousands of years? It is said that there were no wooden stakes when it was built, only some wooden pillars were placed under the temple to calm people’s hearts. Its real center of gravity is chiseled into the solid rock, and the inserted flying beam is supported by the principle of mechanics, making it like a half-inserted flying beam as the base. The local specialty iron fir wood used in the flying beams is soaked in tung oil, making it anti-corrosive and durable. These hidden designs and efforts have enabled the Hanging Temple to stand tall for thousands of years and it is hailed as a world architectural wonder. Standing inside the Hanging Temple, listening to the rustling sounds in the wind, and feeling the religious protection for thousands of years, it feels like traveling through time and space. This journey of exploring the wonders of the ancient temple gave me a deeper experience of the wisdom and wonder of ancient Chinese architecture. #Hanging Temple #Shanxi Province #Datong City #China Travel