Raw data
"Xuangongsi Hanging Temple (built 6th century onward)
The Hanging Monastery (Xuángong Si, or Temple Suspended in the Air or Void) of Hunyuan County, Shanxi Province is one of China’s unique and remarkable feats of architectural engineering. Sited about 50 mi (80 km) southeast of Datong, it is built about a third of the way up a vertical cliff in Jinlong Guan (Golden Dragon Gorge or Canyon), part of the long Hengshan (Heng mountain), one of the four sacred Taoist mountains. The monastery was founded during the Northern Wei period (386-584) in the 6th century, although much was reconstructed from the Tang through the Qing eras, as well as in more recent times.
The complex consists of forty caves, or rooms, including six main halls, but its characteristic feature is the elaborate wooden façade of pavilions and walkways precariously resting on timbers jutting out horizontally and vertically from the cliff."
http://www.orientalarchitecture.com/china/hunyuan/xuankongsi.php
Hanging Temple coords 39.665833, 113.705
http://stable.toolserver.org/geohack/geohack.php?pagename=Hanging_Temple¶ms=39_39_57_N_113_42_18_E_type:landmark
Input by: tmciolek, Dec 16, 2009
"According to the History of Hengshan Mountain, construction of the temple started at the end of the Northern Wei Dynasty by only one man, a monk named Liao Ran. Over a history of more than 1,400 years many repairs and extension led to its present day scale." - http://history.cultural-china.com/en/169History8181.html
Input by: tmciolek, Feb 22, 2013
Final data (and their sources)
Last updated: 02 Apr 2013
Lat/Long coordinates' accuracy:
The monastery in question is assumed to be situated actually no farther than 2km from the point defined by the coordinates below.
General location of the Xuankong monastery, CN.
Lat 39.665833 Long 113.705
Mapping & images: Falling Rain Genomics (http://www.fallingrain.com), 2009.
Google Map link:
Final data - explanatory notes
1. Monastery's name
- Xuankongsi monastery - http://www.orientalarchitecture.com/china/hunyuan/xuankongsi.php
2. Monastery's modern country & province
- China:Shanxi Sheng
3. Monastery's alternative/historical names
- Hanging Monastery - http://www.orientalarchitecture.com/china/hunyuan/xuankongsi.php
- Xuángong Si - http://www.orientalarchitecture.com/china/hunyuan/xuankongsi.php
- Temple Suspended in the Air or Void - http://www.orientalarchitecture.com/china/hunyuan/xuankongsi.php
- Pending Monastery - http://www.numerals.de/Art/Pagodas/pagodas.html
- Xuankongsi 懸空寺 - http://www.numerals.de/Art/Pagodas/pagodas.html
- Suspending Monastery - http://www.china.org.cn/english/TCC/41689.htm
4. Monastery's lat/long coordinates
- Approx., Lat 39.665833 Long 113.705 - http://stable.toolserver.org/geohack/geohack.php?pagename=Hanging_Temple¶ms=39_39_57_N_113_42_18_E_type:landmark
5. Other known nearby Buddhist monasteries
- [missing data]
6. Modern name of the known nearest city, town, or village
7. The settlement's alternative/historical names
- Khun'yuan' - http://www.fallingrain.com/world/CH/24/Hunyuan.html
- Hun-yuan-hsien - http://www.fallingrain.com/world/CH/24/Hunyuan.html
- Hun-yüan-hsien - http://www.fallingrain.com/world/CH/24/Hunyuan.html
8. The settlement's coordinates
- Approx., Lat 39.6961 Long 113.6806 http://www.fallingrain.com/world/CH/24/Hunyuan.html
9. Monastery's major Buddhist tradition
- Mahayana
10. Monastery's Buddhist sub-tradition
- [missing data]
11. Date-early
- Est. in the 500s CE - http://www.orientalarchitecture.com/china/hunyuan/xuankongsi.php
- "Construction of the temple started at the end of the Northern Wei Dynasty [386-535/536 - www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/638882/Wei-dynasty] by only one man, a monk named Liao Ran [ven.liaoran] - http://history.cultural-china.com/en/169History8181.html
- The monastery was founded in 491 during the Northern Wei period (386-584) - http://bjtoday.ynet.com/article.jsp?oid=2705212&pageno=8
- MBM chrono-tag 0467-99c - tmciolek 22 Feb 2013
- 0467-99c 0500-0532c 0533-66c 0567-99c 0600-32c 0633-66c 0667-99c 0700-32c 0733-66c 0767-99c 0800-32c 0833-66c 0867-99c 0900-32c 0933-66c 0967-99c 1000-32c 1033-66c 1067-99c 1100-32c 1133-66c 1167-99c 1200=> dated-el
12. Date-intermediate
- The monastery was reconstructed during the Tang through to the Qing dynasties.- http://bjtoday.ynet.com/article.jsp?oid=2705212&pageno=8
- MBM chrono-tag 1200=> - tmciolek 2 Apr 2013
13. Date-late
- Over a history of more than 1,400 years many repairs and extension led to its present day scale." - http://history.cultural-china.com/en/169History8181.html
- MBM chrono-tag 1200=> - tmciolek 22 Feb 2013
14. Details of contacts with other monasteries
- [missing data]
15. Type of evidence regarding the monastery
- [missing data]
16. Additional notes
- [missing data] (incl. details of the size of the monastic population)
17. Corrections & addenda to this page were kindly provided by
- [missing data]
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