Shanhua Temple

Although Datong Shanhua Temple is not as famous as Huayan Temple, it still has many highlights and is well worth a visit.

Shanhua Temple is the largest and most complete existing architectural complex from the Liao and Jin dynasties in China. It was originally built during the Tang dynasty and was called Kaiyuan Temple. The Jin Emperor Mingyong bestowed the name Shanhua Temple, which has been used ever since.

Highlight 1: The Four Heavenly Kings statues in the Hall of Heavenly Kings were built during the Ming Wanli period. Each statue is nearly 3 meters tall, with fierce brows and a majestic posture. Especially notable is the Western Broad-eyed Heavenly King, who holds a snake in his right hand and makes an "OK" gesture with his left hand, with a playful expression that has become an internet sensation.

Highlight 2: The lotus-shaped dougong brackets in the Hall of the Three Saints are an outstanding example of Jin dynasty architectural bracket art. The three layers of slanting brackets extend outward in tiers, with curves that spread like flower petals, forming a group of dougong resembling a blooming lotus. This type of dougong is not recorded in the Song dynasty's "Yingzao Fashi" and represents an innovation of Liao and Jin architecture.

Highlight 3: The polychrome sculptures in the Mahavira Hall include 34 Jin dynasty colored statues. The figures have natural postures and vivid expressions, each with a unique demeanor. The statue of the demon mother on the brick platform on the southeast side of the hall is especially lifelike.

Highlight 4: The stele inscriptions in the Hall of the Three Saints include the "Record of the Reconstruction of the Main Hall of the Great Pu'en Temple in the Western Capital of the Jin Dynasty," erected in the 16th year of the Jin Dading era (1176). It was written by Song dynasty calligrapher Zhu Bian in Yan style script, containing 1,076 characters. It holds both historical and cultural value as well as artistic value and is praised as the "treasure of Shanhua Temple."

Post by Zoey~Roberts-Penelope | Oct 26, 2025