It’s a miracle they got built! The incredible twin temples perched atop a breathtaking rocky spire
- They are perched atop a 330ft (100m) tall column of rock in China over 7,600ft (2,336m) above sea level
- They are thought to date back to the Ming Dynasty and visitors can climb over 8,800 steps to reach them
- This spire is called Red Clouds Golden Summit and sits on a ridge on Mount Fanjing, a Unesco Heritage Site
The fact that these twin temples were built was nothing short of a miracle.
They are perched atop a 330ft (100m) tall column of rock over 7,600ft (2,336m) above sea level, separated by a crevice that’s spanned by a bridge.
This jaw-dropping spire is called Red Clouds Golden Summit and sits on a ridge on Mount Fanjing, or Fanjingshan – an other-worldly Unesco World Heritage Site – in China’s Wuling mountain range.
These twin temples are perched atop a 330ft (100m) tall column of rock over 7,600ft (2,336m) above sea level
The jaw-dropping spire is called Red Clouds Golden Summit and sits on a ridge on Mount Fanjing – an other-worldly Unesco World Heritage Site – in China’s Wuling mountain range
The temples date back to the time of the Ming Dynasty and are separated by a rocky crevice. A small arched bridge connects them
The Buddhist temples date back over 500 years to the Ming Dynasty, according to Oddity Central, although they have since been rebuilt using sturdier materials – it gets quite windy at the top.
To reach the temples, visitors must climb over 8,800 steps, which takes around four hours, though there is the option to ride a cable car part way up the side of the ridge.
On reaching the top, visitors are first greeted by the Temple of the Buddha on the south side of the complex, which is said to represent the present.
Upon crossing the crevice – the ‘Gold Sword Gorge’ – they can then view the Maitreya Temple, which is meant to represent the future.
Some, we suspect, half expect to find a Jedi-in-hiding at the top.
On reaching the top, visitors are first greeted by the Temple of the Buddha on the south side of the complex, which is said to represent the present
Upon crossing the crevice – the ‘Gold Sword Gorge’ – visitors can view the Maitreya Temple, which is meant to represent the future
Mount Fanjing is an important landmark for Buddhists as they believe it’s where the Maitreya Buddha found ‘enlightenment’
According to My Modern Met, Mount Fanjing, in southwest China’s Guizhou province, is an important landmark for Buddhists as they believe it is the place where the Maitreya Buddha found ‘enlightenment’.
As a result, many temples were built along the mountain, some dating back to the 7th century.
Although many have been destroyed, around 50 remain.
Unsurprisingly, these incredible temples and the breathtaking landscape around them lure tourists in from all over the world.
In 2019, National Geographic Traveler put Mount Fanjing on its Best Trips of 2019 list and described hiking up the mountain as ‘climbing through a sea of clouds’
To reach the temples, visitors must climb over 8,800 steps, which takes around four hours, though there is the option to ride a cable car part way up the side of the ridge
One Tripadvisor reviewer said that the temples were one of the most memorable places they’d ever visited
In 2019, National Geographic Traveler put Mount Fanjing on its Best Trips of 2019 list and described hiking up the mountain as ‘climbing through a sea of clouds’.
Meanwhile, on Tripadvisor, one visitor to Mount Fanjing, Pavel Erokhin, wrote: ‘This was one of the most memorable places I’ve ever visited. Mostly because of the shape of the mount itself and the temples right on the summit of it.’
And yipjcs88 said: ‘This is a five-star tourist venue, offering spectacular mountain views.’
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