Huayan Temple
» Datong, Shan Xi

华严寺,上华严寺,下华严寺

Huayan Street

Huayan Temple is the largest surviving building of the Liao and Jin Dynasties in China and is located in the southwest of Datong City, Shanxi Province. The temple is so named because it was built by the Huayan Buddhist sect (one of the seven important Buddhist sects of China), which reached its height of popularity at the imperial courts during the Liao Dynasty (916 - 1125). Originally, the buildings served as part as the imperial ancestral temples. In the middle of the Ming Dynasty (1368 - 1644), the temple was divided into two parts - the Upper Huayan Temple and the Lower Huayan Temple - and was renovated and enlarged several times to its present form. The two temples both have their own mountain gates and unique layout.

Unique east-west axis

Unlike other temple architecture in China, in which the main halls and buildings are north-south axis, with the facade facing towards the south, the temple constructions in the Huayan Temple are on an east-west axis with the main halls facing to the east. This was due to the Qidan, (a minority tribe living on the northern border of China who built the Liao Dynasty,) whose tradition of praying for the Divinity of the Sun to the east, thus taking East as superior to everything.

What to visit

Upper Huayan Temple

The upper temple is centered on the Great Hall and comprises of two yards, the temple gate, the passing hall, the Kwan-yin Pavilion, the Ksitigarbha Pavilion, and two wing-bays, etc. The buildings are compactly arranged.

Great Hall

The Great Hall stands on a 4-meter-high platform surrounded by handrails. In front of the platform, there are stone stairs. There is a 3-bay wide memorial archway of Qing style on the platform with hexangular clock and drum towers standing on both sides. These towers were added in the Ming Dynasty.

The Great Hall is 9-bay wide and 5-bay long, occupying an area of more than 1,550 square meters. It is by far the largest hall that was built in the Liao and Jin dynasties. Beneath the front eaves three plank shutters are installed. All the doors have a singe-eaved hip roof. They quietly and peacefully reach out to a length of 3.6 meters.

The big chiwen (bird's proboscis) on the right ridge is 4.5 meters high, and is made up of eight components of colored glaze. The north proboscis was originally made in the Jin Dynasty. Though more than eight hundred years passed, it shines just like a new one. The south proboscis, made in the Ming Dynasty, is the biggest proboscis in China's ancient buildings. The vault of the hall is huge and simple, making the hall more magnificent.

Statues of Buddha

The hall was built by way of reducing the pillars from inside. 12 pillars were removed so that the space was enlarged and the hall was more convenient for carrying out ritual activities. On the central altar inside, there are five statues of Buddha. The three statues in the middle were made in Beijing City in second year of the Xuande reign in the Ming Dynasty. The statues have a flat face, and their buns are decorated with pearls. 20 attendants stand leaning a bit forward, with different expressions and postures. Such special modeling is quite rare in China.

Frescoes

The wall around is covered with frescoes of the Qing Dynasty. The frescoes are 6.4 meters high, with an area of 88,700 square meters. It is extremely infrequent to have such a great painting on a single wall in China. The contents are about biography of Sakyamuni, expounding the texts of Buddhism, guardian warriors and Kwan-yin with thousands of hands and eyes, etc. The main colors are blue and green, gorgeous and bright. The ceiling was painted with complicated and colorful pictures like dragons and phoenixes, flowers and grass, incantation and so on.

Cabinets

There are 38 two-storeyed cabinets lining along the wall in the hall. The first storey of the cabinet is a corset pedestal. On the stand there are cabinets where more than 1,700 cases of sutras of the Ming Dynasty and Qing Dynasty are preserved, and the sutras amount to 18,000 volumes. The cabinets have a variety of 17 kinds of complicated designs. The corset balusters are carved with 37 hollow-out geometric figures that are exquisitely wrought with ingenuity. They are rare wood works of the Liao Dynasty. Between the cabinets and back windows, 5 heavenly rooms were built in light of the physical features. They were connected to cabinets by the circle-like bridge (arch bridge) on both sides, like they are integral. These exquisitely wrought cabinets were strictly made out of perfect craftsmanship. No wonder that they are unique all over the country.

Lower Huayan Temple

Contrary to the splendid upper temple, the lower temple, constructed in 1038, is simple and unsophisticated. Its main hall is the Bhaga Repository Hall in which Buddhist sutra is kept. The wooden library containing the Buddhist scriptures is exquisitely and elaborately designed. There are thirty-one sculptures in the hall among which the Bodhisattva with a pious prayer pose is the most famous; it possesses a lifelike human likeness rather than that of a god.

When to visit

  • Opening Hours: 9:10a.m. - 17:00p.m.
  • Recommended Time for a Visit: One and a half hours

Getting there

Bus Route: Take the direct tourist bus at Datong railway station

Attractions around » Datong, Shan Xi

Natural Scene

Natural Scene

Historical Site

Historical Site

  Weather

  1. Are there any tips about the weather in Taiyuan?

  Food

  1. What should I note when eating in Shanxi?

  Shopping

  1. What speciality products does Shanxi have?

  Travel

  1. Some tips on touring around temples on Mt. Wutaishan

  • Are there any tips about the weather in Taiyuan?

    Shanxi province is located on the Loess Plateau and is windy and dusty. So you had better not dress in light color. Besides, the air is dry and you should take good care of your skin, and drink more water, or else your lips will be chapped.


  • What should I note when eating in Shanxi?

    The soil in Shanxi province is alkaline, so we strongly recommend you to drink a spoon of local mature vinegar before your three meals a day because the local vinegar could reduce the alkalescence and prevent intestinal disease.

    Proper diet is important. Do not eat too much. Eat more vegetables, fruits and drink more water in order to adapt yourself to the plateau-climate. You had better not smoke or drink.


  • What speciality products does Shanxi have?

    Pingyao beef, Pingyao lacquerwork, Shanxi mature vinegar, Shanxi red date, "Fen jiu" (a kind of famous Chinese hard liquor), mushrooms and tropaeolum of Mount Wutaishan and so on.


  • Some tips on touring around temples on Mt. Wutaishan

    The mountain area is scattered with many famous temples which are the highlights of Mt. Wutaishan tour. There are several aspects tourists should pay attention to, such as:

    • Monk in these temples should be styled "Shifu" or "Fashi" while the abbot styled "Zhanglao," "Fangzhang," or "Shanshi (Chan master)." All the forms of address show the respect for the monks. Monk in lamasery should be addressed as "lama," meaning great master. Do not call them "Heshang" or "Chujiaren" or even other insulting name.

    • When meeting monks in these temples, you should salute them by putting the palms together and lowering your head slightly or you can put upright one of your hand before chest and lower your head. Never shake their hands, embrace them, touch their heads or other unsuitable action.

    • When talking with the monks, you should not speak of killing, marriage and eating meat in order to avoid arousing their antipathy. Don't speak loudly, discuss casually, lampoon, touch the Buddhist figures or leave any mark on statues. You may stand and look silently or leave quietly if you come across the Buddhist ceremony. Take care of your kids lest naive children behave impolitely.

    • No smoking in the temples. Do not leave litter. Taking photographs is not permitted.


Huayan Temple includes two parts - the Upper Huayan Temple and the Lower Huayan Temple. The upper temple featured a range of gorgeously decorated buildings among which the Great Hall is the most notable. Compared to the splendid Upper Huayan Temple, the lower one is simple and unsophisticated.



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