In Shanxi! You must have never been! A niche temple built on a cliff

This cliff temple, named Shengquan Temple, is located in Guangling County, Datong City, Shanxi Province, China. Although it is not as famous as the Hanging Temple of Hengshan, it has unique natural scenery and architectural art value. Shengquan Temple was built during the Northern Wei Dynasty and has been renovated during the Ming and Qing Dynasties. The temple we see today should be the result of renovations in recent decades. The temple is built on the mountain, simple and elegant, like a pavilion carved into the wall. The newly built part is clean and tidy, with a square courtyard and bluestone paving. The surrounding area is the common temple, and the cliff temple embedded in the rock gives a sacred feeling. When you climb the stairs and enter the high platform in the air, you can discover the beautiful scenery in front of you, overlooking the ancient temple in the valley from a high place, which is very beautiful. Shengquan Temple perfectly combines architectural aesthetics and mechanics. It uses the horizontal beams embedded in the mountain as the foundation, cleverly uses the support of the mountain rock, the structure of the wooden tenon and stone mortise is rigorous, and the layout is clever, making the pavilion between the cliffs more beautiful. This peculiar architectural art combined with cultural edification is rare worldwide. It is deserved to be praised as a miracle in the history of architectural art. Buildings like the Hanging Temple are not only the treasures of ancient Shanxi architecture, but also the pride of our country's ancient architecture. They have witnessed the long history and cultural heritage of our country and are worth our inheritance and promotion.