Suspended in the sky

Xuankong hanging temple at Hengshan Mountain in Shanxi is one of China's most stunning examples of ancient architecture. Sun Ruisheng and Li Yang reports

China has at least seven hanging temples, among which Xuankong Temple at Hengshan Mountain in North China's Shanxi province, is perhaps the most worthy of the title.

Built of wood, tiles and stones in the mid Northern Wei Dynasty (386-534), the temple is made up of two three-story pavilions and a yard linked by staircases and steps, which are lined along the surface of a sheer cliff 50 rising meters above the river at the foot of the mountain.