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Hanging temple

in
Mount Hengshan, China

By
Tamarapu sampath kumaran
About the author:
Mr T Sampath Kumaran is a freelance writer. He regularly contributes articles on
Management, Business, Ancient Temples and Temple Architecture to many
leading Dailies and Magazines. His articles for the young is very popular in “The
Young World section” of THE HINDU. His books on places of interest and culture
of different society have been well received by the readers.
He was associated in the renovation of the Nava Tirupathi Temples, and
Tirukkurungudi Temple in Tamilnadu., and with the production of two
Documentary films on these temples.

Acknowledgement: Google for the pictures and many authors for the information.
One of the Five Sacred Mountains of Taoism, Hengshan. also known as “Heng
Mountain” or “Mount Heng” is a popular tourist destination because of the ancient
temple perched precariously on a cliff face. The Hanging Temple is on the way
from Datong to Pingyao, in China. In addition to its gravity-defying construction,
the temple is unique in its unusual combination of Taoist, Buddhist, and Confucian
elements. It is one of the most popular destinations in China. Because of the ideal
climate conditions, Mt. Hengshan keeps green all year around. And the natural
scenery in this scenic area makes it reputed as a "solitary beautiful mountain in
southern China".

60km outside the unprepossessing city of Datong, Shanxi Province, is a small town
called Hunyuan. 5km outside Hunyuan the cliffs of the Jinlong (Golden Dragon)
Canyon rise precipitously into a blue summer sky. Some 50m up their vertical white
rock, suspended like some overgrown circus performer on wooden stilts, is, of all
things, a monastery. Having endured over 1500 years of rain, snow, wind and sun,
and in more modern decades the daily weight and tramp of visitors along its labyrinth
of wooden steps and boardwalks, the Hanging Monastery represents a unique
construction; a mixture of architectural daring and imagination.
In the Northern Wei Dynasty period of Chinese history, Datong was the capital
city and the nearby Wutai (Five Terrace) mountain was a famous Buddhist site.
Pilgrims came from near and far to worship at the mountain, usually making the
journey from Datong in the north and passing Golden Dragon Canyon on their
way. Logistically then, it made sense to build a monastery there, where passing
pilgrims could rest and pay their respects. The only problem being that, at that
time, the Hunhe River flowed through the gorge, and this river was well known for
being rather temperamental: a storm of any kind, winter or summer, was sure to be
followed by massive flooding. So, the story goes, that when the monk Liaoran built
the monastery in around 491AD, he built it far up the cliff face to avoid the
flooding and hoped that Buddha would provide some protection for the area
against the capricious dragon’s watery whims.

The Hanging Monastery temple boasts a fine collection of religious statues —80 in
all —including statues in bronze, iron, terracotta, and stone, all are remarkably true-
to-life. The most outstanding feature of the Hanging Monastery is the side-by-side
sculptures of Lao-Tzu, Confucius, and Shakyamuni —the founders of the three main
religions of China: Taoism, Confucianism, and Buddhism, respectively.

Due to its relatively remote location, the Hanging Monastery served as sort of travel
lodge — a rest stop for travelers. Because religion was prevalent at that time, and
people preferred to stop at places that has facilities to worship. Hanging Monastery
enshrined China’s three major religions so that more travelers could stay there.
Hengshan Mountain is composed of 72 peaks, among which the first mountain peak
is Huiyan Peak. Going further toward the north, you will feast your eyes on all the
graceful scenery. Here in Mount Hengshan, it is green all over. There are various
kinds of precious trees and a vast area of primeval forest. Among all these trees here,
some are 300 - 400 years old, which still bloom when spring comes. Some trees are
even over 1,000 years old. The trees in the primeval forest are bending with lichen
growing on the trunks, resembling old men wearing tattered clothes. From the
mountain peaks, you can see the grand view of sunrise, the rolling cloud and the
oceans of trees. There magnificent views are called 'four oceans' on Mt. Hengshan:
ocean of flowers, ocean of trees, ocean of cloud and ocean of snow.
The monastery sits ridiculously, perilously, snug with the sheer cliff face, and
protected to some extent by the fact that the niche it has been built into is concave.
Whilst its cliff-face position is what makes the construction seem death-defying,
ironically, it is the surrounding ridges of rock that cushion the temple from the
worst of the elements.

The slender wooden poles seem to be all that is propping the structure up, but the
real work is being done within the rock. Horizontal holes were chiseled into the
cliff, and strong wooden beams inserted into them; it is upon this invisible
foundation that the monastery really sits. And it is some foundation, allowing for
its length of over 150m, and the 40 different “rooms” contained in the complex.
In fact, the monastery is divided into 3 main sections, and the entrance is the most
solid area, built with brick and stone, and opens out into a courtyard with twin bell
and drum towers. Here also is the Sanguan Hall, where you can make offerings to
the plain-faced Taoist deities. Further on, as one moves through the maze of narrow
wooden walkways and corridors, directed by signs through this one-way system,
reaches s the 2nd section, and Sansheng Hall. This hall is a sanctuary for Buddhists
and contains sitting Buddhas and their followers.
The 3rd, and highest section of the monastery, is perhaps the most surprising of all
from a religious or philosophical point of view. For here is the Sanjiao Hall, where
a statue of Shakyamuni is flanked by those of Confucius and Laozi; here, on the
edge of a cliff, Confucianism, Taoism and Buddhism stand shoulder to shoulder.
Acclaimed as the peak of perfection the Hanging Temple was designed skillfully
and constructed audaciously.. The temple is built to establish that people are more
creative than nature.
Though it's primarily classified as a Buddhist temple, as with many temples we see
in China, it combines elements from several religions, including Taoism and
Confucianism. It was fun, walking along the corridors supported by the wooden
poles fastened into the cliff side. It seemed almost adventurous though it was built
as a haven for contemplation. One is unduly fascinated with the way the buildings
melded right into the rock. It's like they were just stapled on. It's hard to believe
this has been standing since 491 AD.
There are plenty of temples, large and small, to be discovered here. Bedroom
Palace is the oldest temple to be found on the mountain and was originally
constructed in 435AD.

It is built into a circular niche in the rock known as Flying Stone Cave, and as
such is a peaceful spot, with excellent views from the top of its stone-stepped
entrance, wrapped in a sheltered canopy of rock, tree and sky. The temple contains
a statue of the Great Northern Emperor. The grottoes carved into the stone cliff
side present varying sizes of statues in them from small – a few inches high – to
so gargantuan you must crane your neck up to glimpse the top. Entire walls are
carved with rows and rows of tiny figures surrounding the free-standing statues.
What a life, carving and chiseling in this stone. It must have been like a form of
meditation, creating so many niches and statues, especially the rows of little ones,
thousands and thousands.
Most of them were carved in a span of 60 years during the late 400s/early 500s AD.
According to UNESCO (this is designed a World Heritage site) there are 252 caves
and about 51,000 statues.
The highest temple is called the Meeting Deity Palace and is housed in a lofty
niche of pale rock with two large pine trees towering over its main hall built back
into the recesses of the cliff. The hall houses statues of three of the most important
Taoist deities representing wealth, fortune and longevity
Many of the temples are looked after by Taoist monks or followers, who look the
part with their faces gnarled as the bark of ancient trees, and their grey wispy
beards, and many have been on the mountain for over 40 years.

Each day they follow the


same routine, climbing up to this temple, opening it up, cleaning it, chatting,
thinking, watching the world pass by, and then as dusk approaches, closes the
shutters, lock the gates, and heads back down again for home.
One deep cave was so huge, it had a path carved into it, you could walk a loop around
a centerpiece of stone. Every inch of the interior, several stories high, was carved
into Buddha or picture scene, or geometric or floral design and then painted.

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