Huayan Temple Must-See Architecture Guide: Check in to the Oriental Venus, Stunning and Awe-Inspiring

First stop on the Datong Ancient Tour｜Experience the beauty of Liao and Jin architecture at the millennium-old Huayan Temple✨

Walking into Xiaci Po Street in Datong Ancient City, you can see the simple and elegant flying eaves of Huayan Temple from afar. This millennium-old temple, built during the Liao Dynasty, is one of the earliest wooden temple buildings in China!

The most breathtaking sight is the 4-meter-tall "Oriental Venus" Buddha statue in the Mahavira Hall of Huayan Temple. It is said that the statue’s slight forward tilt is why it has stood firm for a thousand years through earthquakes. The entire temple layout is symmetrical and neat, with dougong brackets supporting the eaves that stretch out like a bird spreading its wings, making you fall in love with the elegance of traditional architecture at first glance.

Tips for visiting the temple:
1. Huayan Temple stops admitting visitors at 5 PM daily, so it’s best to come in the morning when the light is most beautiful.
2. Remember to bring your ID to buy tickets; the 50 yuan ticket offers great value.
3. The stone paths inside the temple can be slippery, so it’s recommended to wear non-slip shoes.

After visiting, it’s recommended to walk 10 minutes to the time-honored Fenglin Pavilion Shaomai Restaurant, where the thin-skinned, generously filled three-flavor shaomai paired with Shanxi aged vinegar is so delicious you’ll want to take some home!

Post by VibrantPulse | Oct 20, 2025