These are outstanding pictures of the famous Hanging Monastery in Beijing China. It has been kept in condition by the monks and so on, who still carry out the mission. You can see the people visiting all around the stairs and walkways. Isn't this amazing? There are things inside that connect all world religions though it seems to be Chinese Buddhist, it is actually a mix. It is explained inside with icons and so on of the different religious cultures. The story behind it:
Excerpt:
Although the Hanging Monastery is located at the base of Hengshan, one of the most sacred mountains in Daoism (Taoism), it is in fact a Buddhist temple. At the same time, this unusual structure has shrines devoted to all of China ’s main religions—Buddhism, Taoism, and Confucianism. Nowhere is this more evident than in the Sanjiao Dian (“Three Teachings Hall”), where a Buddhist Sakyamuni statue is flanked by Confucius on the left and Laozi on the right.
This unique monastery is located along the traditional route between the sacred Wutai Shan mountains to the south and Datong City to the north, making it convenient for passing pilgrims. This temple was suspended above a cliff to protect it from the frequently flooding waters of the river below (now controlled by a dam upstream) and from the snow, rain, and sunshine above. It is also said that the original planners located in this unusual location based on a Taoist concept; they desired that the monastery be as silent as possible, and this location shelters it from the ground-level sounds of the area
Consisting of a complex of 40 rooms linked together by mid-air corridors and walkways, this remarkable monastery appears to be glued to the side of ... this architectural wonder has been hanging here for over 1400 years. Known as Xuankong Si in Chinese—“ Temple Suspended in the Void”—this architectural wonder was build in 491 during the Northern Wei period. It has been renovated a number of times over the years, most recently in 1900, and much of the current structure dates from the Ming and Qing Dynasties.
