Located in Hunyuan County, Datong, Shanxi Province, the Hanging Temple is famous for its unique location, and it’s the only existing temple which is dedicated to three religions: Buddhism, Taoism, and Confucianism.
悬空寺位于山西省大同市的浑源县，以其独特的位置而闻名。它是现存的唯一一座儒释道三教合一的寺庙。
The Hanging Temple was constructed in the late Northern Wei Dynasty and has a long history of over 1, 500 years. Its most attractive part is that the whole temple is protruding (伸出) from the cliff of Cuiping Peak and is 50 meters above the ground.
悬空寺始建于北魏晚期，拥有超过1 500年的悠久历史。其最吸引人的特点是整座寺庙悬挂在翠屏峰的悬崖上，离地面约50米。
Almost everyone who sees the Hanging Temple will wonder: How has it stood firmly on the cliff for more than 1, 500 years? Some people think this owes much to the standing pillars (柱子). But they were actually added long after the Hanging Temple was built to reassure people who were afraid that it would fall down. The temple is actually supported by 27 wooden cantilevers (木质悬臂) that are deeply embedded in the cliffside. The ends of these cantilevers are pre-drilled with wedges, which expand the wood and secure it firmly against the rock wall when inserted into the holes drilled into the wall. The deeper they are drilled, the more securely they are fixed.
几乎所有看到悬空寺的人都不禁发问：这座寺庙是如何在悬崖上稳稳屹立超过1 500年的？有人认为这得益于其立柱。但实际上，这些柱子是在寺庙建成后很久才添加的，主要是为了让人们安心，消除对其会坠落的担忧。寺庙实际上是由27根深嵌于悬崖侧面的木质悬臂支撑的。木质悬臂的末端预先打上了楔子，当把它们插入墙壁上钻出的孔中时，楔子便会将木材撑开牢牢固定在岩石壁上。钻得越深，固定得越牢。
The design and site selection of the Hanging Temple is another important reason for its preservation. It's located at the inward concave (内凹面) of the cliff and the protruding part is like an umbrella, which makes the temple free from the impact of rain and falling rocks. The high position of the temple also prevents the risk of being flooded.
悬空寺的设计和选址也是其得以保存的重要原因。它位于悬崖的内凹处，突出部分如同一把伞，使寺庙免受雨水和落石的影响。寺庙的高位也降低了被淹没的风险。
When you see the temple from afar, you may think that there is not much space inside. But when you go inside, you will find that it has all the things that a temple should have. The whole temple is about 32m long and divided into three parts.
从远处看，您可能会觉得寺内空间不大，但走进内部，您会发现它拥有寺庙应有的一切。整座寺庙约32米长，分为三个部分。
