The spectacular Hanging Temple in China: The cliff corridor

 

 

Defying gravity: The spectacular Hanging Temple in China that has been suspended 246-feet above ground for 1,500 years For some travelers the phrase 'seen one temple you've seen them all' rings true, but The Xuan Kong Si Hanging Temple in China would impress even the most cynical among them. Also known as the Suspension Temple, this unique monument was built into a cliff by monks near Mount Heng, near Datong, more than 1,500 years ago. 'Hanging' 246 feet (75 metres) above the ground, it's also notable for being the only temple left that represents a combination of traditional Chinese religions Buddhism, Taoism, and Confucianism. Far from form over function, the structure was said to have been built to avoid floods and was placed cleverly beneath an overhang to shelter it from rain, snow and sun - which goes a way to explaining its excellent condition today. The temple of 40 rooms connected by a series of corridors, bridges and walkways defies gravity due to oak crossbeams which plug into holes chiseled into the cliff-side, with the buildings' main support structure deep in the bedrock. More than 80 statues of bronze, iron and clay are found in the temple representing the range of dynasties which have occupied and maintained it over the years. +9 Defying gravity: The Hanging Temple near Datong in China 'stands' 246 feet - or 75 metres - above the ground +9 Cliffside: The temple was built in a small canyon near Mount Heng in Hunyuan County more than 1,500 years ago   Protected: The remarkable structure is in top condition after regular revamps through various dynasties and the fact it's been built under a rock overhang +9 Out of place: The temple would blend into the cliff were it not for the elaborate and well-preserved traditional roof construction +9 Mini city: Even though it's built on a cliff, getting around The Hanging Temple is a relative breeze +9 Breaking barriers: It is the only temple remaining that has a combination of elements from three traditional Chinese religions - Buddhism, Taoism and Confucianism   Fixed in place: Oak beams fitted into holes chiseled into the cliff hold the whole thing together while the main support structure is in the bedrock   The cliff corridor: Incredible road cut through 360ft rock face which is only link to Chinese village was built purely by hand 1250m-long road runs through mountains in Huixian County in central China's Henan Province It was built entirely by hand in just four years by 14 locals from Guoliang village Before that the only way up to the village was an almost vertical set of 720 steps Welcome to the Cliff Corridor, a spectacular mountain road cut through a 110m high cliff face that serves as the only access link to a small Chinese Village. The 1250m-long road which runs through mountains in Huixian County in central China’s Henan Province, was chiseled and hammered out 40 years ago by 14 villagers from Guoliang village. The corridor is 5m high and 4m wide, and winds along the cliff at 110 meters high. Take the high road: The 1,250m long 'cliff corridor' connects Guoliang village in Henan Province China to the outside world Careful driver: A car makes its way along the cliff corridor which is the only access to the mountainous village in central China Almost 40 years ago, the only connection between Guoliang village and the outside world was a gruelling, almost vertical set of 720 mountain steps. The stairs were very dangerous because they were steep, narrow and had no handrails. Then in 1972 village head Shen Mingxin decided something had to be done and led 13 villagers in a mammoth effort to chisel and hammer a real road to the outside. Without use of any machinery, they created the cliff corridor purely by hand. It took the 14 villagers 5 years to complete the corridor, which is wide enough to be driven along, during which time they used up more than 10 tons of drill rods and 4,000 hammers.       Before the road was built in the mid 1970s the only access to the village was an almost vertical set of 720 mountain steps. The corridor is 5m high and 4m wide, and winds along the cliff at 110 meters high Feat: The 1250m-long corridor was chiseled and hammered out 40 years ago by just 14 villagers from Guoliang village Effort: It took the 14 villagers five years to complete the corridor, which is wide enough to be driven along Long way home: A pedestrian trudges up the 1,250m cliff corridor, one of the world's most spectacular roads Members of Guoliang village take part in an outdoor art class. Their only link to the outside world is the cliff corridor which was built purely by hand Journey's end: It took 14 villagers 5 years to complete the corridor, which is wide enough to be driven along, during which time they used up more than 10 tons of drill rods and 4,000 hammers

Chinese children forced to learn in rundown building on cliff-face because surrounding towns wrongly fear everyone in their village is a leper Leprosy died out in Mafengcun decades ago but the myth lives on The 13 pupils aged five-15 have to climb a mountain to get to school They have just four tables, few resources, and the roof has holes in it A group of Chinese children are forced to study in a rotting shack at the top of a mountain cliff because surrounding towns claim they are all lepers. Leprosy died out in Xinzhai, southwest China, decades ago but its neighbours in Yunnan province refuse to believe it. Despite numerous campaigns to encourage schools to take the pupils, the village is still colloquially dubbed Mafengcun, meaning 'leprosy'. Outlawed: Pupils at the Xinzhai school in China are forced to learn in an isolated building on a cliff path Outlawed from better-equipped schools, the village's 13 children, aged five to 15, climb a treacherous path every morning to get an education. The building is shabby, there are only four desks and with gaping holes in the roof, the children get wet when it rains. 'In summer we bake, in winter we freeze, but we need an education so we must put up with it,' one boy told a local newspaper. School run: The 13 children aged five to 15 have to climb this mountain route to get to class every day Perilous: The cave-like hollow in the mountain is the small bit of shelter teacher Yuan has found for the group To and from class, they have to climb a mountain path with just a rusting rail for support. Their teacher, Yuan Helun, 54, has been there 13 years teaching children the basics of reading, writing, maths and geography. Locals praise him for his selfless effort to make sure they get an education. Rusty: This is the rusty and flimsy piece of railing they rely on as support to get up the cliff for school Desperate: Their teacher, Yuan Helun, has been working here for 13 years but feels sorry for the kids Cliff-side: Their 'classroom' is a small section of shelter in the middle of a path on the side of a mountain 'Learning conditions are difficult and the children are stigmatised for no good reason by the other villages, but they are good kids and they learn fast, even though we do not have much in the way of resources,' he said. 'I cherish the time I spend with them and hope they find a decent life for themselves afterwards. 'They really are dedicated. They have to slog up this mountain, sit in a cold and wet room for hours, go back down the mountain and them help their parents with the housework. All conditions: 'In summer we bake, in winter we freeze,' one of the 13 children told a local newspaper A tough education: Many children in the village pictured here cannot face the daily hike so do not attend school 'They are from very poor families. The younger children make dolls from clay because their parents could never afford to buy them dolls from a toy shop.' Local media reported that some negotiations even ended in fistfights between those who want the children to move and the schools fighting to keep them out. 'My 13 students in Mafengcun finally have the right to equal education,' said Yuan.

Realm of beautiful decay

 

 

 

Frozen in time: Sprawling Neverland ranch Jackson turned into a private amusement park is crumbling and deserted five years after singer's death From outside the gates of Neverland Ranch it appears as if Michael Jackson's former home and fantasyland has been frozen in time. The backyard circus is long gone, but heartfelt notes placed by saddened fans at the property's entrance remain intact five years after Jackson's death. And visitors are still making the pilgrimage. 'I figured it would just be a closed gate, but I still wanted to see it for myself,' James Chen, who traveled from Seattle to see the ranch with his father, said. +20 Tributes: Flowers and messages are left at the gates of Neverland in 2009. Fans still flock to the ranch five years after Michael Jackson's death +20 Frozen: The sprawling ranch where Jackson had a theme park built is empty and abandoned +20 Retreat: Jackson, pictured greeting children at his home in 2004, left it in 2005 after a high-profile case accused him of molesting boys there While many Jackson ventures are thriving after his death, including a new album and Cirque du Soleil shows, there's not been similar movement at Neverland, despite rumors that the property could be transformed into a Graceland-like homage or sold to the highest bidder. Caroline Luz, spokeswomen for Colony Capital LLC, the real estate firm that bailed Jackson out after he defaulted on the $24.5 million he owed on Neverland, said that the Santa Ynez Valley property about 150 miles north of Los Angeles is being maintained, but she declined further comment. The estate was built in 1981 by developer William Bone, who called it Sycamore Valley Ranch. Jackson paid $19.5 million for the hilly, oak- and sycamore-studded property in 1988 and rechristened it Neverland after Peter Pan's island dwelling. He soon added such over-the-top amenities as a zoo and small amusement park. For nearly 20 years, Neverland was both Jackson's home and a pop culture landmark.   +20 Memories: Tributes and photos of the King of Pop are hung from a lantern at the gates +20 Hey day: The railway station at Neverland. Jackson paid $19.5 million for the ranch in 1988 and named it after Peter Pan's world +20 Abandoned: The theme-park and home has been deserted for nearly ten years. To the left is an ice cream cart given to Jackson by Elizabeth Taylor +20 Style: While he was living at the ranch, Jackson filled its grounds with statues of children at play It is where Elizabeth Taylor married Larry Fortensky in a lavish 1991 ceremony; where Oprah Winfrey famously interviewed Jackson live in front of 90 million viewers in 1993; and where then-wife Lisa Marie Presley and Jackson welcomed children from around the globe before the United Nations' 50th anniversary in 1995. Jackson later turned his back on Neverland after his 2005 acquittal on charges that he molested children at the ranch. He opted to live elsewhere in the world until his death in 2009. 'I guess they ruined it for my dad,' Jackson's eldest son, Prince, told a civil court jury last year. With no crush of fans or media throngs in years, and the amusement park just a whirling memory, Neverland's future remains unclear. +20 Grand: The 2,600-acre property had neat lawns, fountains and sculptures scattered across the grounds +20 Hide out: The room where Jackson stored his most valuable possessions was hidden behind a walk-in closet +20 Vacant: A bedroom, lined with shelves that lead to a mural, has been cleared of all furniture +20 Grand: The rooms may have been cleared, but the chandeliers and polished floors hint at the lavish style the King of Pop brought to his home During a recent stop outside the property, a landscaper could be seen zipping along the driveway in a red buggy as a guard manned the security shack at the front gate. The wireless router inside was named SVR Security, a nod to the property's original name. 'It has been really quiet,' said real estate broker William Etling, whose office is a few miles away in the wine-tasting town of Los Olivos. 'There hasn't been any noise about stuff happening out there. I'm surprised they haven't sold it to someone else already.' Etling, author of the Santa Ynez Valley tell-all Sideways in Neverland, wondered who the buyer of the $35 million, 2,600-acre property might be when a nearby 3,250-acre ranch recently sold for $22 million. His only guess: Someone who really likes the King of Pop. +20 Retreat: A sculpture of children outside the main entrance. Jackson's son, Prince, says allegations made against his father ruined the property for him +20 Splash out: The bathtub in the main house had views across the grounds of Neverland +20 Care takers: A few members of staff were kept on to maintain the property +20 Child's play: A spiral staircase is a central feature of the railway station Jackson had built +20 Center piece: The main house on the property was a French style building with a brook, right, leading up to it +20 Entertainer: Jackson, with then-wife Lisa Marie Presley, is surrounded by children during a UN celebration in 1995 +20 No place like home: An aerial view of the ranch in March last year shows the floral sign spelling out its name +20 Vast: An aerial photo of the Neverland estate shows off its pools, lakes and rambling pathways +20 Closed: The ranch is deserted but fans still travel to its gates to pay homage to the singer who died in 2009

Realm of beautiful decay: Haunting photos of abandoned mansions, shuttered asylums and deserted amusement parks where time stands still Dutch photographer Niki Feijen has criss-crossed the world looking for crumbling beauty lurking beneath a thick layer of dust inside long-forgotten buildings. Feijen, who made headlines last year with his first self-published book of photographs titled Disciple of Decay, is now preparing to unveil to the world his latest project titled Frozen. The new book, which is being released next month at the Berliner Liste art fair, features 184 pages of stunning interiors of abandoned mansions, mental institutions and churches from around the world. +21 Exploring decay: Dutch photographer Niki Feijen has traversed the world looking for crumbling beauty lurking beneath a thick layer of dust inside private bedrooms and public buildings +21 Globe-trotter: For years, the Dutchman has been traveling the world looking for boarded up buildings +21 Sequel: Feijen is now preparing to unveil to the world his latest project titled Frozen as a follow-up on his self-published book Disciple of Decay +21 +21 Hallowed ground: Feijen has always been interested in religious spaces, such as deserted chapels and small churches that haven't been in use in years +21 Time lapse: This image shows what appears to be a deserted old movie theater with rows of folded chairs still in place +21 Phantom music: The keys on this dusty old piano clearly have not been touched for many years The most poignant and unnerving images in the series depict rooms that look as if their inhabitants had just left, with pillows thrown carelessly on the bed and bath towels still hanging from a railing over a tub. Besides derelict old mansions ravaged by time and debris-strewn hallways, Feijen documented some more unusual spaces for his second book. One image shows what appears to be a deserted old movie theater with rows of folded chairs still in place and vegetation peeking through open windows. Another image shows an old roller coaster covered in a thick layer of grime in an abandoned amusement park, where the photographer also stumbled upon a water slide overflowering with plants and draining into a chipped blue-tile pool filled with standing rain water. Feijen has made a name for himself in the art world as photographer specializing in Urban Exploration, or Urbex. +21 Delusions of grandeur: This colonnaded ball room decked out in marble looks like it could be the site of a grand reception, if it weren't for the gaping hole in the roof +21 Just push play: The feeling one gets from looking at Feijen's images is that someone had pressed the pause button on life +21 Sacred spaces: Feijen's ideal shooting locations are ghost towns, insane asylums, dilapidated churches and castles frozen in time +21 +21 Journey into the past: Looking at these image, one cannot help but think that the owners of these personal items have just stepped out for a minute and will be right back +21 Water world: In his travels, Feijen has come upon this abandoned water park with a slide draining into an empty pool overgrown with vegetation +21 Ghosts of the past: A water park that was once crowded with happy children and parents has been reconquered by nature +21 Last stop: This roller coaster covered in a thick layer of grime has not heard children's terrified and joyful squeals in many years For years, the Dutchman has been traveling the globe looking for boarded up buildings, decrepit chapels and family homes where everything is still in place. In Frozen, one particularly unsettling and thought-provoking image shows dusty old jackets and a woman's black leather purse hanging from hooks in a foyer, and a pair of dirty slippers left next to a rusty bicycle. The feeling one gets from looking at Feijen’s images is that someone had pressed the pause button on life.  His ideal shooting locations are ghost towns, long-shuttered insane asylums, dilapidated hotels and castles frozen in time and looking like at any moment their rightful owners will walk through the door and reclaim their personal space. +21 Crumbling beauty: Even though Feijen's interiors are being eaten away by time itself, much architectural and aesthetic beauty remains +21 Bleak: Some of the shooting locations look especially gloomy, like this images of what appears to be a deserted jail or a mental institution +21 Eerie: This vast bedroom still bears the marks of its previous inhabitants, with white pillows resting on the two single beds joint together +21 Cavernous: This dizzying image shows a view from the top overlooking multiple flights of concrete stairs +21 Worse for wear: Time has not been kind to this humble hotel room where everything is covered in moss and debris +21 Attention to detail: In this badly damaged bathroom towels are still hanging from a railing over a tub While some of the interiors in Feijen’s photos have retained an air of grandeur, like the airy colonnaded ballroom adorned with marble, everything in sight has been touched by decay. In 2010, Feijen ventured into the ultimate deserted location, the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone in the Ukraine where time stopped in 1986 after a deadly nuclear accident that resulted in a rapid mass evacuation.