The Shaolin Flying Monks Theatre.


Photography is by Ansis Starks.

Photography is by Ansis Starks.

This is one of those things you really wish you could see in person!

Monks perform levitation over a huge wind tunnel at this amphitheatre, which was designed by Latvian studio Mailītis Architects for a mountain range in central China. The Shaolin Flying Monks Theatre stands on a slope covered in cypress trees on Songshan Mountain – a mountain range in Henan Province.

The mountains are home to the UNESCO World Heritage-listed Shaolin Monastery, which is also considered to be the birthplace of Zen Buddhism and Kung-Fu martial arts.

Tasked with creating an amphitheatre to host weekly shows where local monks as well as the general public can try flying, Riga-based Mailītis Architects wanted to create a building that respects its natural surroundings.

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Click all the images for full size! There’s much more at Dezeen.

Comments

  1. rq says

    I saw this a while ago, and figured you’d find your way to it eventually.
    It’s a wind tunnel that is a mountain in its own right. Well, almost… I can’t imagine how incredible the view would be while flying up there!

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