Located 3.5 kilometers southeast of Hunyuan County and built halfway on the cliff at Jinlong Canyon, the Hanging Monastery of Hengshan Mountain is one of China's most unique and remarkable feats of wooden architectural complex. The monastery is also the only one built in honor to Sakyamuni, Laozi, and Confucius, who are founders of Buddism, Taoism and Confucianism respectively.

The monastery is founded during the Northern Wei period (386-584) in the 6th century, boasting a history of over 1,400 years. An architectural complex was built on the base of the natural hollows and outcrops along the contour of the cliff. Over 40 halls and pavilions within an area of 152.5 square meters are connected each other by corridors, bridges, boardwalks. They are evenly distributed and well balanced in height. Inside the monastery are over 80 statues; some are cast with bronze, some with iron, some with clay and some are carved out of stone. Founders of Buddhism , Taoism and Confucianism are living friendly and harmoniously with each other.

Facing east, the architectural complex hangs about fifty meters above the ground. It used to be much higher above the ground, but over the ages the silt has built up, raising the level of the riverbed. Reconstruction work was carried out from the Tang through the Qing dynasties, as well as in recent times. In 1982, the monastery was listed as one of our country's key protecting units of cultural relics. 

  Dangerous architecture

The hanging monastery is built in a perilous situation, half way up a cliff rising over one hundred meters above the ground.

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