6/28/2006: Hanging monastery
 

http://cellar.org/2006/hanged_temple_05.jpg

I've never seen this before and so it was remarkable to me.

And since there isn't even a Wikipedia entry for this amazing landmark, found in the Shanxi province, maybe a lot of you haven't seen it.

Not hanging, literally, but cantilevered into the side of this rock face is the Hengshan hanging monastery.

Says here the monastery dates back over 1400 years to the Northern Wei Dynasty. However, most of what you see today are reconstructions made during the Ming (1368-1644) and Qing (1644-1911) Dynasties.

http://cellar.org/2006/hanged_temple_02.jpg

Well at least they put in a handrail. Who's first up those 700-year-old stairs?

The pavilion to the far right is roughly 15 stories off the ground? I'm getting queasy just looking at this.

(for the record, I am afraid of falling, not of heights. Once I am assured that I will not plummet to my death (like going to the top of the CN Tower), I really enjoy myself. I get equally queasy on small stepstools and steep curbs)

Wow - that's really cool... reminds me of the Anasazi cliff dwellings at Mesa Verde.

When I grow up, I want my house to look just like that.

Or maybe the IntelSat building. I'm not sure yet.

Mmm, musta missed that one. I'll add it to the list.

It's hard to hit 7000 years of history and landmarks in three years.

That's what cracks me up -- the "modern restorations" are ~600 years old!
:lol:

Wow.

...Why?

Awesome. I want one just like it!

They look a little leery of the railings. :D

Is that bird shit streaking the sheer cliff faces above?

Prolly don't have to worry about privacy.
Great pics and informative links too. Thanks.

And yes, I had to. I pressed the fart button. I doesn't fart.

Hmmmm... some of the quarries around here might yield similar sheer rock walls...

Just beautiful... thanks for the post.

If you build it we will come. ;)