Building temples on cliffs is an act of faith, in more ways than one. And when that temple is 1,500 years old, safe worshiping requires down-to-earth science as well as divine inspiration. The so-called “Hanging Temple” in northern China’s Shanxi province has just been renovated in time for the May Day holiday.

Built on a sheer precipice of Mount Heng, the Hanging Temple has again been unveiled after six months shrouded by scaffolding. It had to be closed last October after heavy rains loosened rocks and stones above, which fell and damaged the roof.

“We built a 2,800 square meter protective net in order to stabilize the broken rocks and stones. We've cleared out 300 tons of rubble. Now all the work is done, workers are busy removing the scaffolding,” said construction worker Ning Jiaxu.

Built on a sheer precipice of Mount Heng, the Hanging Temple has again been unveiled after six months shrouded by scaffolding.

Built on a sheer precipice of Mount Heng, the Hanging Temple has again been unveiled after six months shrouded by scaffolding. Apart from stabilizing the rocks, the team has also renovated the temple’s glazed tile roofs and carvings, and experts have inspected all the work to make sure it is safe enough to take in visitors again.

“We’ve carefully checked everything to make sure the rocks above the temple are no longer a threat. And all the renovations have met the planned result. The temple is safe to re-open,” said Hao Weihe, director of Relic Bureau of Hunyuan County.

Staff members at the scenic spot are busy cleaning up the rooms in the days leading up to the temple’s reopening on April 30. Also, with a surge in visitors expected during the imminent May Day holiday, the temple has introduced a one-way system so that vehicles can come and leave separately, avoiding traffic jams.

The Hanging Temple is unique in combining three Chinese traditional belief-systems: Buddhism, Daoism, and Confucianism. So visitors can again marvel at the temple's architectural and spiritual significance.