Datong Huayan Temple

Huayan Temple is located in the southwest corner of the ancient city of Datong. It was first built in the seventh year of Chongxi in Liao Dynasty (1038 AD) and named after the Buddhist classic "Huayan Sutra". It was also a royal temple of Liao Dynasty. It was destroyed in war and rebuilt in the third year of Tianjuan in Jin Dynasty (1140). It is one of the earliest and most well-preserved Liao and Jin temple complexes in China.

The temple does not sell incense, so it is not too commercialized, which preserves the purity of the temple.

This Northern Buddhist Palace, which flourished in the Liao and Jin Dynasties, is an important place in Xijing. The buildings, statues, wall collections, murals, flat silk, caissons, etc. in the temple are long in history, large in scale, and superb in craftsmanship. It can be called a museum of Liao and Jin art. The main hall, the Mahavira Hall, was first built in the eighth year of Qingning in the Liao Dynasty (1062 AD) and was rebuilt on the same site in the third year of Tianjuan in the Jin Dynasty (1140 AD). It is nine rooms wide and has a single building area of 1,559 square meters. It is the largest Buddhist temple in the Liao and Jin Dynasties in my country. The Bhagavad Gāthāna Hall was built in the seventh year of Chongxi in the Liao Dynasty (1038 AD). It is five rooms wide. There are 38 small wooden Sutra Collection Pavilions and five "Heavenly Palace Pavilions" arranged along the walls in the hall. The ingenious and exquisite craftsmanship was praised by the famous architect Liang Sicheng as "the only one in the country". The 31 Liao Dynasty clay sculptures enshrined on the central altar of the main hall are considered to be the best Liao Dynasty sculptures. The most lifelike is the Bodhisattva with clasped hands and bared teeth, which is so lifelike that historian Zheng Zhenduo praised it as the "Venus of the East"; the Huayan Pagoda is the second largest square wooden pagoda with a pure wooden mortise and tenon structure in China after the Yingxian Wooden Pagoda. It is 43 meters high, with a golden plate on the top and a lotus pond below. In particular, the nearly 500-square-meter underground Buddha palace under the pagoda was made of 100 tons of pure copper, which houses the relics of eminent monks and thousands of Buddha statues. It is magnificent and the only one in the country, and is a model of the perfect combination of tradition and reality.

Huayan Temple was first built in the Liao Dynasty. Unlike other temples that face south, it faces east and sits west. It is said to be related to the ethnic beliefs of the Khitan people. The main hall of Huayan Temple is the largest existing Buddhist temple building from the Liao and Jin Dynasties. There are inscriptions rebuilt in the hall during the Jin Dynasty. The gargoyles on the roof are relics from the Jin Dynasty and are also the largest gargoyles in ancient Chinese architecture. There is a wooden replica of the main hall of Huayan Temple in the Datong Museum. These particularities make Huayan Temple the only temple in the ancient city of Datong that requires tickets. Even if it is not free, it is worth a visit.

Huayan Temple is large in scale and has magnificent halls. It is the largest temple in Liao Dynasty. The buildings are staggered and have a sense of hierarchy. Huayan Temple is divided into upper and lower temples. The upper temple is mainly composed of the Mahavira Hall, which was built in Jin Dynasty. The Mahavira Hall covers an area equivalent to that of the Hall of Supreme Harmony in the Forbidden City and is the largest existing Buddhist temple in China. The main building of the lower temple is the Bhagavad Gāthāna Hall. Both its Liao Dynasty wood structure and Liao Dynasty clay sculpture are rare treasures. 31 Liao Dynasty colored sculptures are well preserved in the hall. It is especially noteworthy that the Bodhisattva with clasped hands and bare teeth, known as the "Oriental Venus", has slightly opened lips and a contented expression, with an indifferent and careless demeanor, which makes people have endless aftertaste.

The temple is indeed a temple in the Liao and Jin style. It is huge everywhere. The halls are huge, and the statues inside are also huge, which makes me feel very shocked. Huayan Temple is divided into the upper and lower Huayan Temples. The most famous in the upper Huayan Temple is the Great Hall, and the most famous in the lower Huayan Temple is the Hall of the Buddha. The Great Hall is really huge, no matter which angle you take a picture of it, the glazed chiwen on the ridge is 4.5 meters high. The one on the right is the original from the Jin Dynasty, and the one on the left is made in the Ming Dynasty. The Five Buddhas are enshrined in the hall, and there are twenty gods on both sides, with their bodies leaning forward, which is very distinctive. The murals here were repainted during the Guangxu period of the Qing Dynasty. Unfortunately, the Buddha statues were surrounded and you can't go in to see the murals behind.

Passing by the city wall and Qingyuan Gate, I came to Huayan Temple. During the National Day Golden Week under the epidemic, tourists were not too crowded. If possible, hire a tour guide. There are stories in the murals of the ancient temple. The ancient city is quiet and lush with trees. Except for the main hall, there are not many tourists. The red walls, blue sky and green leaves are good for taking pictures. I like to climb high and look far. I lined up for almost an hour and wanted to climb the Huayan Pagoda to see the new look of the ancient city. Because it is a wooden structure and the stairs are narrow, the number of people climbing the tower is limited each time, and shoe covers are also needed to protect the floor.

Buddhism in ancient times was not as serious and rigid as it is now. The smiling Bodhisattva with teeth showing is an example. If you can go to Maiji Mountain to have a look, I guess you will have a different view of Buddhism.

Huayan Temple, located in the southwest of the ancient city of Datong, was built in the seventh year of Chongxi in Liao Dynasty (1038 AD). It was named after the Buddhist classic "Huayan Sutra". It was a royal temple of Liao Dynasty and had a prominent status. Later, it was destroyed in war and rebuilt in the third year of Tianjuan in Jin Dynasty (1140). Today, the rebuilt Huayan Temple faces west and east. More than 30 single buildings, including the mountain gate, Puguangming Hall, Daxiong Hall, Bojiajiaozang Hall, Huayan Pagoda, etc., are arranged on the two main axes of north and south, covering an area of 66,000 square meters with a rigorous layout. The Daxiong Hall of the Upper Huayan Temple is still a Jin Dynasty building, while the Bojiajiaozang Hall of the Lower Huayan Temple is a more precious Liao Dynasty building.

Huayan Temple faces east from west. More than 30 individual buildings, including the mountain gate, Puguangming Hall, Mahavira Hall, Bhagavan Hall, and Huayan Pagoda, are arranged on the two main axes from north to south, with a rigorous layout. The Upper Huayan Temple is centered on the Mahavira Hall and is divided into two courtyards, with the mountain gate, the hall, the Guanyin Pavilion, the Ksitigarbha Pavilion, and two side corridors. The Lower Huayan Temple is located in the southeast of the Upper Temple, not far away. It is centered on the Bhagavan Hall and has Liao Dynasty statues, stone sutra pillars, pavilion-style sutra cabinets, and heavenly palace pavilions.

Huayan Temple is located on Daxi Street in the center of Datong City. It was built based on the classic "Avatamsaka Sutra" of Huayan Sect, one of the seven major sects of Buddhism, hence the name Huayan Temple. It is one of the earliest and most well-preserved Liao and Jin architectural complexes in my country.

Huayan Temple is not far from the Qingyuan Gate of the ancient city. When we arrived on foot, it was already past 4 pm. We scanned the code at the door to make an appointment and entered with our ID card...

Huayan Temple, named after the Buddhist classic "Avatamsaka Sutra", was first built in the Liao Dynasty. It has suffered from the destruction of wars and conflicts in successive dynasties, and has been rebuilt, destroyed, and rebuilt again... This shows its importance. It is now listed as a key cultural relic protection unit. It is considered to be an early and well-preserved Liao and Jin temple complex. Mr. Liang Sicheng called Huayan Temple one of the Buddhist art centers of the Northern and Southern Dynasties...

Huayan Temple covers a large area. If you walk around carefully, it will take more than 1.5 hours. We came late, so there were not too many people in the temple. From time to time, we could see monks passing by. The layout of the temple is very rigorous. From the perspective of terrain, it can be divided into the upper temple and the lower temple. The upper temple mainly has the Pu Guangming Hall and the Great Hall, and the lower temple is mainly the Bhagavad Gāthāna Hall...Pu Guangming Hall: The building specifications are double-eaved hip roof, with a summer hall in front...

Baoxia is a protruding area in front of the main hall. The main hall is used to enshrine Buddha statues, while Baoxia is generally an area for people to worship...

If you have been to a Japanese temple, you should have a more vivid understanding. The place where tourists usually throw incense money and ring bells to make wishes is actually the area of ​​Baoxia. The main hall of some Japanese temples is not open to the public...

The Main Hall was built in the Liao Dynasty. It has a hip roof, a width of nine rooms and a depth of five rooms. It is the largest existing ancient wooden religious building in China! There is a pair of the largest existing glazed chiwen on both sides of the main ridge of the roof of the main hall. The glazed chiwen is used to decorate the roof. It is shaped like a dragon head and a fish tail, and is decorated with phosphorus patterns... Similar decorative shapes can be seen on many ancient buildings in Japan now... From the Main Hall, you can see the Huayan Pagoda on the west side. It is also the second largest wooden temple and pagoda building in my country after the Yingxian Wooden Pagoda. The wooden pagoda is open to the public. It has 3 floors above ground, where you can climb up and look far away, overlooking the panoramic view of the ancient city. There is 1 floor underground, which is called the Thousand Buddhas Underground Palace. All the Buddha statues are made of pure copper. In the center of the underground palace, there is a stupa...

You need to wear the provided shoe covers as required when entering the tower, but the number of shoe covers is limited, so you need to wait in line for the tourists who entered first to come out before you can change and enter... The wooden ladder climbing up the tower is very narrow and steep, especially when going down the tower, many people are half-sitting and rubbing down a little bit... Climbing to the top of the tower, overlooking the inside and outside of the ancient city, the tradition and the modern are only separated by a city wall, but you can see two different scenery. The ancient buildings in the city, the old houses being demolished and the antique buildings being built, let people appreciate the traditional charm of the ancient city very well... And looking far outside the city, the various modern buildings standing in a row impact your visual experience... The Bogaya Tibetan Hall of the Lower Temple of Huayan Temple enshrines 31 Liao Dynasty clay colored sculptures, among which there is a vivid and beautiful Bodhisattva statue called "Oriental Venus". When Mr. Liang Sicheng first saw this statue, he also marveled that it was a divine product...

Huayan Temple was first built in the seventh year of Chongxi in the Liao Dynasty (1038 AD) and was named after the Buddhist classic "Huayan Sutra". It was later destroyed in a war and rebuilt in the third year of Tianjuan in the Jin Dynasty (1140 AD). It is one of the important temples of Huayan Sect in my country during the Liao and Jin Dynasties. The Mahavira Hall of the Upper Temple and the Main Hall of Fengguo Temple in Yi County, Liaoning Province are both among the two largest existing Liao and Jin Buddhist temples in my country. The Bhagavad Gaya Hall of the Lower Temple has a proper shape and extremely exquisite architecture. 31 Liao Dynasty clay statues are well preserved in the hall, which is an artistic masterpiece among clay sculptures.

When Datong City launched the famous city revival project in 2008, it invested heavily in a large-scale renovation of Huayan Temple, restoring the prosperous structure of the Great Huayan Temple during the Liao and Jin Dynasties. More than 30 individual buildings have been formed, including the mountain gate, bell tower, Sutra Hall, Seven-Room Hall, Amitabha Hall, Medicine Master Hall, north and south side gates, north and south exhibition corridors, Manjusri Pavilion, Samantabhadra Pavilion, north and south corridors, north and south five-room halls, west corridor, Patriarch Hall, Treasure House, square wooden tower, etc.

Huayan Temple is the most famous in the ancient city. There are "Huayan Temples" in many places, but Datong Huayan Temple is extraordinary: Datong Huayan Temple, which was first built in Liao and rebuilt in Jin, is majestic and magnificent, covering a vast area. The Buddha Hall is tall and solemn, and the Buddha statues in the hall are old but exquisite, which makes people feel awe. Walking in the temple, you will also be amazed by the beautiful scenery in the temple.

The two main halls are real antiques, and the rest are rebuilt. They feel too new. There is no ancient feeling. It is not as good as the Sunhwa Temple.

The Main Hall is really worth a visit.

Huayan Temple is divided into the Upper and Lower Huayan Temples and the New Temple rebuilt outside. The main hall of the Upper Huayan Temple is magnificent, and the Lower Huayan Temple is exquisite. The Buddha and Bodhisattva statues are well preserved, and the Liao and Tang dynasties are in the same line. Looking at the Liao Dynasty Buddhist temples, Huayan Temple is indeed the best.

Don't just visit the Yungang Grottoes when you go to Datong. The Huayan Temple and Shanhua Temple in Datong are also worth a visit. If you haven't visited the ancient buildings in Wutai Mountain, these two temples can make up for it. The highlights of Huayan Temple are the Main Hall and the Bhagavad Gāthāna Hall. If you climb the Huayan Pagoda, you can see these two halls from the air.

There are many temples in Datong Ancient City, the largest and most famous one is Huayan Temple, which is named after the Mahayana doctrine in the Huayan Sutra that "the flower of compassion will surely bear solemn fruit". It is the oldest and best-preserved large temple of the Liao and Jin Dynasties in my country. It and Shanhua Temple to the south can be called the twin heroes of the Liao and Jin Buddhist Art Museum in my country.

The orientation of the temple is also different from what we usually know. It faces east and sits west. It is said that the buildings in the entire Liao and Jin dynasties were basically oriented in this direction. The entire temple is divided into the upper and lower Huayan Temples, which are arranged on the two main axes of the north and south, with a rigorous layout. The two most important cultural relics in the temple. One is the Main Hall. The glazed beast on the roof of the hall is the largest gargoyle in the existing ancient buildings. The other is the Huayan Pagoda, which is the second largest pure wooden pagoda in the country after the Yingxian Wooden Pagoda. In particular, the nearly 500-square-meter Thousand Buddha Underground Palace made of pure copper under the tower is magnificent and truly amazing.

The ticket to Huayan Temple is 50 yuan, and the ticket office only accepts cash. When we arrived at Huayan Temple at 12 noon, the online ticket window was closed, so we could only buy paper tickets. I didn’t have enough cash, so I ran to the street and found a girl to scan WeChat and borrow 20 yuan.

The main body of Huayan Temple in Datong is divided into three parts: the upper temple is centered on the Great Hall and is divided into two courtyards, with the mountain gate, the hall, the Guanyin Pavilion, the Ksitigarbha Pavilion and two side corridors, with a strict layout and staggered heights. The main hall of the lower temple is the Bhagavad Gyaltsen Hall, which means the Buddhist Sutra Hall. The Huayan Pagoda is the second largest square wooden pagoda with a pure wooden mortise and tenon structure in China after the Yingxian Wooden Pagoda. It is worth going together. If you have good physical strength, you must climb the Huayan Pagoda once.

Huayan Temple is one of the earliest and best-preserved Liao and Jin Dynasty temple complexes in China, and is also one of the three existing Liao Dynasty temples in China.

The underground palace of the Huayan Temple Pagoda is so beautiful. It is made of 100 tons of pure copper. The carvings are extremely delicate.

Located in the ancient city of Datong, it has a beautiful environment and grand architecture.

The only tourist attraction in Datong Ancient City that charges admission, it is grandly renovated and has exquisite Buddha statues inside.

There are many places to visit, such as the city wall, Nine Dragon Wall, and Huayan Temple, which are very close!

It is very large and beautiful. It is the largest temple I have ever seen, and also the cleanest and most comfortable one.

It was closed when we arrived in the evening, so we can only visit it next time.

Those who are interested in humanities or Buddhism can come here, the content is very rich.

Ancient buildings and new buildings are mixed together. Anyway, it is in the ancient city of Datong, so I went there on the way and it is okay to take a look. The well-preserved Main Hall is very good. The main body of the hall is majestic, and the sculptures and murals inside the hall are very exquisite.

I've bought so many tickets, but the ticket service here is the worst. It's just a small window, and they treat customers as human beings.

Huayan Temple is one of the oldest and best preserved temple complexes in China. It is divided into the Upper Huayan Temple and the Lower Huayan Temple. There is a temple called the Great Hall in the Upper Huayan Temple that has never been rebuilt and has been handed down from ancient times. It is well worth a visit.

It is recommended to find a tour guide to explain, or do a lot of homework in advance, otherwise you will not understand it at all when you go.

The square at the entrance of Huayan Temple gave a surprise

Those who are used to getting up early can go and see some people practicing Ba Duan Jin and some practicing handicrafts. The fact that religious temples can be so open is also a major feature.

It's great. There are many buildings from the Jin and Yuan dynasties. It's a pity that it was too late and I didn't have time to go in. I will go in and have a look when I have the chance.

Recommended temple, the building is from the Liao Dynasty, you can see the difference between Liao Dynasty architecture

I really like every attraction I've visited in Datong.

Worth seeing are the Main Hall and Huayan Pagoda. Huayan Pagoda has four floors above ground and one underground floor. The stairs are very steep and it is difficult to go up and down. Because the old wooden stairs need to be protected, I don't know which brainless leader came up with the idea of wrapping the wooden board with very smooth metal sheets. Since you have to wear the shoe covers prepared by the scenic area to enter, you can imagine how smooth the smooth shoe covers plus the smooth metal panels are, and you have to be ready to slip at any time. In addition, the stairs are very narrow, so it can only be a one-way street. When I went upstairs, I kept thinking that if it was a rainy holiday travel day, once someone slipped, it would be a disaster. After going up, you can see the panoramic view of Datong. The underground floor is a donation attraction tailored for tourists. There is a relic, which attracts a group of people to throw money into it inexplicably. There are really rich people who want to throw 100 yuan in. Tickets must be bought one hour in advance. There is a mosque around Huayan Temple, which is also quite old, but very small, and you can visit it. There is also a Chunyang Palace dedicated to Lü Dongbin. Lü Dongbin is guarded by Guan Erye, who holds a knife in his left hand.

It is a very distinctive temple with the second largest wooden tower in the country that can be climbed, an underground palace made entirely of copper, a statue known as the Oriental Venus, and exquisitely carved beams and painted buildings.

A highly recommended attraction! ! For those who like ancient architecture, this is a must-see! The Bhagavad Gaya is so beautiful, and it embodies the essence of Liao Dynasty art.

The Bodhisattva with clasped hands and bared teeth is lifelike and graceful; on both sides are Sutra Repository, with Buddha on top and Sutra on the bottom. The five-room celestial palace pavilion, praised by Liang Sicheng as "the only one in the country", is hidden behind the Buddha statue and cannot be seen. It's a pity. However, opposite the main gate of Huayan Temple today, a building imitating the celestial palace pavilion has been built, and its charm can be vaguely felt.

Except for the main hall and the Bhagavad Gyaltsen Hall, everything else is new, but it can be considered as newly renovated in its original state, which is still good.

You can get a tour guide here, but the chances are slim. It happened that the temple masters were chanting sutras at the time, and no one was allowed to get close, no one was allowed to enter, and no photography was allowed. We just listened quietly outside for a while. We continued to wander around and saw the relics, which were so small that we couldn't see them clearly even with our eyes wide open. Huayan Temple was first built in the Liao Dynasty, then destroyed by war, and rebuilt in the Yuan, Ming and Qing dynasties. It has a long history.

Huayan Temple in Datong Ancient City is my favorite temple. The reason is very simple. Unlike other temples, when I visited Huayan Temple, there were no hypocritical believers burning incense and worshipping Buddha, which made the temple full of smoke and fireworks. Only devout Buddhists led believers to chant scriptures and tour in the main hall of Huayan Temple. The breeze blew through the monks' robes, which was quite beautiful. The temple has beautiful buildings and a clean environment. It is located in a corner of Datong Ancient City, like a paradise on earth, suitable for getting rid of worldly troubles, truly cultivating oneself, eating vegetarian food, and chanting Buddha, which is very interesting.

Although the murals in the hall were repainted in 2008, they are really beautiful. They are golden and have a three-dimensional feel.

Very good scenic spot, very satisfied with the clean and formal!

The quiet Buddhist temple in the bustling city, the buildings from the Liao and Jin dynasties are still majestic and solemn, and there is also the world-famous statue of the toothy Bodhisattva.

There are two temples, Upper Huayan Temple and Lower Huayan Temple. Tickets are 65 yuan, only cash is allowed, no WeChat or Alipay. The scenery is nice and worth seeing, especially the underground palace.

Since it took me nearly two hours to visit Fenglin Pavilion and I had to catch a bus to Ying County in the afternoon, I left for Huayan Temple in a hurry. Compared with Yungang, I like Huayan Temple more because the architecture is very exquisite. I would like to visit it again when I have time. The square in front of Huayan Temple is also worth seeing.

The only paid attraction in the ancient city, recommended for visiting.

The first major difference of Huayan Temple is that it faces east and sits west, which reflects the sun worship of the Khitan nomadic people. There are two stone chiwen on the eaves of the main hall. The northern chiwen is original from the Jin Dynasty, and the southern chiwen was added in the Ming Dynasty. The murals on the walls around the main hall of Huayan Temple were repainted in the Qing Dynasty. The flat flag on the top of the hall was added in the Ming Dynasty and also repainted in the Qing Dynasty. Its architectural structure was moved to the building of Nanjing Museum by Liang Sicheng.

The Bodhisattva with hands clasped and teeth bared is called the Eastern Venus and is the treasure of the temple. It is indeed beautiful from a distance. In fact, it is 2.5 meters tall. The colors of the clothes and pants on its body are still very bright.

Huayan Temple faces east and is divided into the upper temple and the lower temple. The upper temple is the main hall, the Mahavira Hall, and the lower temple is the Bhagavata Hall, which has Buddha statues. The famous toothless Bodhisattva is in this hall, and there is a Sutra Pavilion in the hall. The underground palace of the Huayan Temple Pagoda contains Buddha's light relics, which are made of pure copper.

Be sure to bring enough cash when you go to Datong attractions, because they don't accept Alipay! Huayan Temple is relatively large, but the incense is not very popular. The incense next to it is much more popular. You can climb up the Huayan Tower, which is about three floors. The steps are relatively high. It is recommended that the elderly and those with inconvenience do not go up because the steps are made of copper! The next floor is the underground palace, where you can see the Buddha's relics

Many newlyweds will take wedding photos here, which is of great significance. The wooden roof is simple and exquisite, with each piece of wood perfectly connected together. The huge murals in the temple are amazing, meticulously carved and lifelike. Especially the gauze, it seems to be really floating. When visiting Huayan Temple, you can first visit the Upper Huayan Temple in the north, and then enter the Lower Huayan Temple in the south through the small door in the temple. Both places can be visited along the central axis. It should be noted that the two central axes of Huayan Temple are different from the "north-south direction" of most temples in the Central Plains Han area. The central axes of the upper and lower Huayan Temples are "east-west direction", and the main halls are facing the east. This is related to the belief and custom of the Khitan people of the Liao Dynasty to worship the sun and regard the east as the top. Standing in front of the main hall of the Upper Huayan Temple and looking up, you can see the glazed chiwen at both ends of the main ridge of the hall. It is one of the nine sons of the dragon in the legend, and it can spray water to extinguish fire. There are always swallows flying around Huayan Temple, giving people the feeling that this is a peaceful and peaceful place. Xia Huayan Temple can be said to be a cultural relic museum. The most worth appreciating is the "Bodhisattva with clasped hands and bare teeth". The Buddha statue with a smile on its face is extremely rare.

In the Bhagavad Gāthāna Hall, in addition to the exquisite Liao Dynasty statues, there is a double-story pavilion-style scripture cabinet behind the statues in the hall, which is also a national treasure. The other buildings and statues in the temple are also very precious cultural relics. The entire Huayan Temple is a treasure of Chinese ancient architecture and Buddhist culture.

Located inside the ancient city wall of Datong, the painted art of the Main Hall is truly unique.

After dinner at Fenglin Pavilion, I strolled into Huayan Temple. There were only a few tourists and the courtyard was quiet.

The last time I came to Huayan Temple, it was late autumn, the weather was also so good, and the hawthorn harvest was abundant. This time, the pagoda was already accessible. Sitting on the corridor at the top of the pagoda, looking at the pavilions and towers of Datong City in the distance, I felt like I was traveling through time. If I didn't sit, neither would you. I sat, and the next tourists sat down next to me, and we had a tea party...

Most of them have been restored now, with nice scenery and few tourists.

It is the closest temple in the ancient city. You can imagine how famous it is. It is worth visiting. Architecture lovers should not miss it.

Huayan Temple is a work of the Liao and Jin Dynasties, and is an east-west temple. The main hall of the Liao and Jin Dynasties is well preserved. You must go to the Bodhisattva Hall of the Lower Huayan Temple to see the national treasure-like Bodhisattva with clasped hands and bare teeth. She is graceful, standing on a lotus, with a well-proportioned body, slightly leaning to one side, and gentle in temperament, like a well-educated and graceful girl. She is extremely vivid and is a treasure of Liao Dynasty colored sculpture art, known as the "Oriental Venus". The pagoda of Huayan Temple is worth a visit. The pure copper underground palace was quite shocking when I first went down. The stupa is worth climbing. Climb to the top, lean on the railing and look far away, and you can see the surrounding scenery.

The flower of compassion will surely bear solemn fruit. Huayan Temple was first built in the Liao Dynasty and consists of the Upper and Lower Huayan Temples. Here we once again deeply felt the beauty of architecture. The Upper Temple is centered on the Great Hall of the Buddha. It is one of the largest Buddhist temples in the Liao and Jin Dynasties. It is simple and majestic. The glazed chiwen on the ridge is 4.5 meters high and is the largest glazed chiwen on ancient Chinese architecture. There are five Buddhas on the central altar in the hall, and twenty gods stand on both sides with different expressions and postures. The walls of the hall are covered with 21 giant murals painted during the Guangxu period of the Qing Dynasty, depicting more than 5,000 various characters. The main hall of the Lower Temple is the Bogaya Tibetan Hall. There are 29 Liao Dynasty colored sculptures on the altar. The most vivid one is a smiling "hands together and teeth exposed" Bodhisattva statue, which is given the elegant name of "Oriental Venus". Huayan Pagoda is the second largest square wooden pagoda with a wooden mortise and tenon structure in China after the Yingxian Wooden Pagoda. It has an amazing underground palace of 1,000 Buddhas made of 100 tons of pure copper. Climbing the pagoda and looking out, you can see the sky is high and the clouds are light, and you can see the scenery of Datong. The collision and integration of ancient and modern history, and the perfect combination of tradition and reality. The full-price ticket for Huayan Temple is 65 yuan, and the half-price ticket is 35 yuan. If you want to know more about Datong food and attractions, please follow my travel notes http://www.mafengwo.cn/note/create.php/modify/?id=334799177

The main hall and the Tibetan Buddhist temple are old buildings. The expensive tickets are probably related to the pagoda, which is a new one. It's a pity. The main hall is spectacular.

Huayan Temple covers a large area, but most of the buildings are newly built. There are not many ancient buildings left, but they have played an important role in the history of ancient Chinese architecture and art. The current Huayan Temple is a merger of the Upper Huayan Temple and the Lower Huayan Temple. There is a plaque above the mountain gate with three big characters "Huayan Temple" written on it, and the signature is Yan Zhenqing. I am confused. How can the name of a temple in the Liao and Jin Dynasties be written by Yan Zhenqing?

The ticket price for Huayan Temple is 65 yuan. Unlike other temples that face south, the halls of Huayan Temple face east. Standing on the 4-meter-high platform, you can feel the ancient and majestic hall, and the fierce spirit of the Liao and Jin Dynasties. The murals on the surrounding walls were repainted in the Qing Dynasty. The flat flag on the top of the hall was installed in the Ming Dynasty and was also repainted in the Qing Dynasty.

In addition to the main hall, there is another national treasure building in Huayan Temple, which is the main hall of the Lower Huayan Temple, the Bhagavad Gāthāna Hall. The most famous statue is the Bodhisattva with clasped hands and bared teeth. It is said that the sculpture was based on the daughter of a craftsman and became a Liao Dynasty cultural relic that Huayan Temple is proud of. Unfortunately, the cultural management staff was too strict to take photos. What needs to be complained is that if Chinese people take photos, the cultural management staff will stop them immediately, but foreigners take photos without being dissuaded. I really don’t know if it’s because of the language barrier or other reasons.

Huayan Temple is the only temple in Datong that has incense, monks and Buddhist activities.

I am not interested in temples, and I am even less interested in temples that charge admission fees. I just go there to check in.

As one of the earliest and best-preserved Liao and Jin temple complexes in China, it is worth a visit.

It was still early in the day when I went, so businesses had not yet opened and there were not many tourists.

The gloomy weather sets off this ancient and solemn building.

The most precious thing is a 700-year-old relic preserved in the temple. It is kept in the underground palace of the temple's wooden pagoda. At the same time, the underground palace also houses a large number of bronze Buddhas. The entire underground palace is made of copper, which is very precious.

I found a tour guide to explain. I learned that this is the Liao Dynasty site, Jin Dynasty architecture, Ming Dynasty clay sculptures, and Qing Dynasty murals. Huayan Temple is divided into two parts, the upper and lower courtyards. What impressed me most was the relic in the underground palace. It was a skin relic. It was very exquisite. Because the tower was under renovation that day, we couldn't climb the tower. There were very few people at this time. The tour guide's explanation was also lazy and made people feel sleepy. If you don't find a tour guide and just take a quick look at these places with historical backgrounds, you really can't see what's good about them, so it is still necessary to find a tour guide to explain, but the level of the tour guide is really...

Very good, exquisite ancient buildings, gorgeous murals, quiet temples

The architectural style of each temple and hall is very exquisite. The wind chimes blown by the wind make a tinkling sound. It feels great to be in such an environment.

It's really great and worth seeing. Even if you don't have time to see other things, you must go up to the temple to see it. I've climbed a similar one in Osaka before, and it was still shocking in my country, especially when I went to the underground floor, it really scared me. Shocking.

Huayan Temple ranks 27th among the 50 largest ancient buildings in my country. It was built in the seventh year of the reign of Emperor Chongxi of the Liao Dynasty and is divided into two courtyards. The most worthwhile thing to see in the Upper Huayan Temple is the Mahavira Hall, which is the largest Buddhist temple in the Liao and Jin Dynasties in my country. The hall has preserved the ancient relics in their original form and has not been repaired. The base of the Mahavira Hall is very high, and it is different from other halls. Only the plaque of the Mahavira Hall can be seen under the steps. The most worthwhile thing to see in the Lower Huayan Temple is the Bhagavad Gāthāna Hall.

The most important temple in Datong, the Buddha Hall, was built in the Liao Dynasty, and contains 31 Liao Dynasty statues. The Great Hall was built in the Jin Dynasty, and contains Ming Dynasty Buddha statues and Qing Dynasty murals. The Upper Huayan Temple Gate was built in the Qing Dynasty.

As one of the few remaining Liao Dynasty temples in China, Huayan Temple is of inestimable value. The architecture, sculptures, and historical stories are all enough to move people.

In general, the three scenic spots in Datong that we visited in two days were all worthwhile... I wanted to go to the Yingxian Wooden Pagoda, but we couldn't get a car, and the chartered car was over budget... It was a pity... Then I chose to go to Huayan Temple as an alternative, which was a bit of a loss... Huayan Pagoda is also the second square wooden pagoda with a pure wooden structure besides the Yingxian Wooden Pagoda... I stayed in it for about 3 hours, and in addition to strolling and worshiping Buddha... I also meditated... In addition to the Huayan Pagoda, the Main Hall in Huayan Temple is also of great historical significance... The 5-meter-high stairs outside the Main Hall... symbolize its grandeur... And most of the Buddha statues retain the cultural heritage of the Liao and Jin Dynasties... There are many murals, which feel like the opening words of Tianlongbabu, and I really benefited a lot...

Although Master Liang Sicheng also mentioned Huayan Temple and Shanhua Temple in his works, I feel that there are too many renovations and too few ancient things. So if you haven't seen them, you can just go and take a look.

A representative of China's ancient architectural culture, an ancient religious site, and a Buddhist holy place.

Huayan Temple is a Liao and Jin Dynasty temple with a majestic style, which is quite different from the Han temples in the south. The "palms clasped together and teeth bared" Bodhisattva statues in the Bhagavata Hall are vivid and beautiful. Although many buildings have been rebuilt in modern times, it is still worth a visit.

I don't know how to comment on it, it's one of the must-see attractions in Datong.

Huayan Temple was named after the Mahayana doctrine of the Buddhist classic Huayan Sutra, which states that "the flower of compassion will bear solemn fruit". Huayan Temple was first built in the seventh year of the reign of Emperor Chongxi of the Liao Dynasty. It is divided into two courtyards, the Upper Huayan and the Lower Huayan. The two courtyards are located in the same temple and connected by a moon gate. It is regarded as a representative of the temple complex of the Liao and Jin Dynasties.

The main buildings in the temple are the Mahavira Hall (upper temple) and the Bhagavad Gāthāna Hall (lower temple). The three treasures in the temple are: first, the numerous classics in the temple, which are of considerable value in terms of quantity and uniqueness, but you cannot see them; second, the arch-bridge-style heavenly palace pavilion behind the temple, which was called "the only one in the country" by the famous architect Liang Sicheng. It is now forbidden to visit the back of the temple, so you can only rely on your imagination; third, the 31 well-preserved Liao Dynasty statues, one of which is a Bodhisattva statue among the Buddha statues, with hands clasped and teeth bared, and a graceful figure. Over the years, the gold powder has weathered and merged with the clay sculpture, but it does not hinder the display of that peaceful demeanor. It was called the Oriental Venus by Guo Moruo, but there is no light inside, and you cannot take pictures, so you can only look at it.

Behind the Bhagavan Hall is the Huayan Pagoda, which is second only to the Yingxian Wooden Pagoda among wooden pagodas. The pagoda can be climbed to the upper floors, where there are many wooden Buddha statues. There are many plaques in famous calligraphy hanging around the pagoda, but they are probably modern replicas. However, the most spectacular is the underground palace under the pagoda, which is made of hundreds of tons of pure copper and a crystal pagoda enshrining the relics of eminent monks from the Yuan Dynasty. It is still worth seeing. Except for a few ancient buildings, the others are modern replicas, but the hawthorns hanging on the branches in the yard are worth the price of admission.