Two Buddhist Temples in the Air

Mount Fanjing, or Fanjingshan, is part of the Wuling mountain range in southwestern China’s Guizhou province. Named as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the mountain is home to a conservation area, a nature reserve, and a number of Buddhist temples—it has been considered a sacred site for centuries. Perched at the top of the most significant “Red Clouds Golden Peak” is the more incredible Fanjingshan Temple with 2,336 meters above the sea.

Two of these temples sit atop a lonely spire called the New Golden Summit, or Red Clouds Golden Summit, which rises more than 330 feet (100 meters) above the surrounding mountaintop. The Temple of the Buddha and Maitreya Temple are separated by a narrow gorge that visitors can cross via a short bridge.

The two temples were originally built from Yongle period of Ming Dynasty, about over 500 years ago, and the present temples have been rebuilt according to its original look and with iron tiles to protect from the strong mountain wind.

An aerial view of the short bridge connecting the temples atop the New Golden Summit

A closer look at the peak