A 5-story structure on a 90-degree vertical cliff
In China :
In Dai county, North China’s Shanxi Province, the Zhaoguan Cave Cliff Complex was constructed nearly 1,600 years ago, built upon natural caves.
Among them, the Chaoyuan Cave is more than 1,000-year-old structure embedded within a rocky crevice. Visitors must squeeze through narrow fissures and climb iron chains to reach the three-level cave, then ascend further using wooden ladders—with its thrilling nature truly astonishing.
Scattered throughout the canyon are over ten such cave cliff structures, hidden among the mountains. Wooden beams crisscross the sheer cliffs, showcasing the extraordinary wisdom and courage of the craftsmen who perfectly blended architectural artistry with the ruggedness of nature.
Located in a temperate continental monsoon climate zone, Dai county has been shaped by the perennial alluvial deposits of the Hutuo River, forming a vast and fertile valley basin. Since the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), the region has not only been an important rice-producing area in northern Shanxi but also a key source of high-quality vegetables such as cabbage, radishes, and peppers.
In India :
Dzongkhul Monastery or Zongkhul Gompa is located 30 km northwest of Padum in the Stod Valley of Zanskar in Ladhak, Dzongkhul has traditionally been home to famous yogins. It is sited near the foot of a wide valley which leads to the pass known as the Umasi-la which joins Zanskar and Kishtwar.
Its foundation is attributed to Naropa (956-1041 CE), who was a celebrated Indian Buddhist yogi, mystic and monk from the renowned Vikramshila University in Bihar. He is said to have meditated in one of the two caves around which the gompa is built is built and the monastery is dedicated to him. His footprint can be seen in the rock near the entrance to the lower cave. The gompa contains images and thank as of famous Drukpa lamas. Zhadpa Dorje, a famous painter and scholar created some of the frescoes on the cave walls almost 300 years ago.
Impressions of Naropa’s ceremonial dagger and staff are also said to be in the rocks in his meditation cave which attracts many pilgrims. Until about the 1960s, there were some 20 resident monks, but the numbers have subsequently dropped.
It also contains a collection of religious artifacts, such as an ivory image of samvara, a crystal stupa, and texts containing spiritual songs and biographies.
Dzongkhul became a flourishing Kagyu meditation centre under the Zanskari yogi Ngawang Tsering (1717-1794).
Dzongkhul is in a south-western side valley of the Bardur River. It is built directly on a rock wall with two caves behind. In front are about 10 stone houses which tend to blend in with the surrounding rocks from a distance.
About 10 minutes’ walk from the gompa is a high viewing spot similar to the one at Hemis Gompa with views from the terrace.
