If I had known about the Huayan Temple in Datong, I wouldn't have gone to Kyoto and Nara
The principle of dependent origination, the ancient temple in the clouds, embodies the Huayan Sutra.
To get to the ancient city of Datong, navigate to Qingyuan Gate and walk 500 meters to arrive. The off-season ticket price is 40 yuan, and during peak season it's 50 yuan. Group ticket purchases require one person's ID card.
Huayan Temple is located in the southwest corner of the ancient city of Datong, founded in the seventh year of the Liao dynasty's Chongxi era (1038 AD). The temple faces east and is laid out along two main north-south axes, with over 30 individual buildings including the mountain gate, Puguangming Hall, Daxiong Treasure Hall, Baojiao Scripture Depository, and Huayan Pagoda. The temple complex covers an area of 66,000 square meters and is one of the earliest and best-preserved Liao and Jin dynasty temple complexes in China. It was declared a national key cultural relic protection unit by the State Council in 1961.
Historical records show that the Huayan school of Buddhism was prevalent during the Liao dynasty. Emperor Daozong personally wrote a ten-volume praise for the 'Avatamsaka Sutra' and had the entire 'Khitan Tripitaka' of 579 volumes carved and printed. These were placed in the Baojiao Scripture Depository of the Great Huayan Temple in the Western Capital, and stone and bronze statues of various emperors were 'reverently installed' within the temple, making the Great Huayan Temple a royal ancestral temple. By the end of the Liao dynasty, seven or eight out of ten temple buildings had been destroyed by war. The Jin dynasty rebuilt the temple on the same site, and by the early Yuan dynasty, it was still a grand temple in the clouds. During the Xuande and Jingtai years of the Ming dynasty, the temple was extensively renovated, Buddha statues were re-sculpted, and it flourished once again. From the mid-Ming dynasty onwards, the temple was divided into upper and lower sections, each with its own mountain gate and distinct layout, hence the terms 'Upper' and 'Lower' Huayan Temple. The temple suffered further damage in the early Qing dynasty, and although repairs were made in the early years of Emperor Kangxi's reign, its former glory was not restored. In 2008, Datong City launched a famous city revival project. Based on the records of the 'Golden Stele' in the temple, a huge investment was made to carry out large-scale renovations of Huayan Temple, restoring the grandeur of the Liao and Jin period.
This northern Buddhist temple, which flourished during the Liao and Jin dynasties in the Western Capital, houses buildings, statues, scripture depositories, murals, flat ceilings, and caisson ceilings. With its long history, vast scale, and exquisite craftsmanship, it is known as the Liao and Jin Art Museum.
The main hall, Daxiong Treasure Hall, was originally built in the eighth year of the Liao dynasty's Qingning era (1062 AD) and was rebuilt on the same site in the third year of the Jin dynasty's Tianjuan era (1140 AD). It is nine bays wide and covers an area of 1,559 square meters, making it the largest Buddhist hall from the Liao and Jin period still in existence in China.
The Baojiao Scripture Depository was built in the seventh year of the Liao dynasty's Chongxi era (1038 AD). It is five bays wide, and inside, along the walls, there are 38 small wooden scripture cabinets arranged in a multi-story style, as well as five 'Heavenly Palace' cabinets. The craftsmanship is ingenious and exquisite, and it was praised by the famous architect Liang Sicheng as a 'unique treasure in China'. The central Buddha altar in the hall is adorned with 31 clay sculptures from the Liao dynasty, which are considered masterpieces of Liao sculpture. The smiling, clasped-hands bodhisattva is particularly lifelike, and the historian Zheng Zhenduo praised it as the 'Venus of the East'.
The Huayan Pagoda is the second-largest pure wooden mortise-and-tenon structure pagoda in China after the Yingxian Wooden Pagoda. It stands 43 meters tall with a golden disc on top and a lotus pond below. Particularly notable is the Thousand Buddha Crypt beneath the pagoda, which spans nearly 500 square meters and is made of 100 tons of pure copper. It houses the relics of high monks and a thousand Buddha statues, shining with golden splendor. It is unique in the country and exemplifies the perfect combination of tradition and reality.
Yungang Meigao Hotel is very good, my father and I came to Datong to travel, booked the preferred bed room, we lived alone. The space is enough and the toilet is very spacious. The room also has windows. Stayed for 3 days and sent fruit and snacks every day. The room attendant on the 12th floor, Auntie Aimin, has a very good attitude, works seriously and quickly, and cleans the room very carefully. The staff at the front desk and lobby are also very good. The waiters in the breakfast buffet restaurant are very good and patient with the elderly. The breakfast is also delicious, the knife noodles are not worse than the famous shops outside. I ate 2 bowls in a row. I will stay in Datong next time, and I also sent a small gift when I checked out, which was very good.
It was so shocking, such a large wooden Buddha statue, the exquisite skills were unimaginable. The atmosphere of the temple building reflected the prosperity of the socio-economic economy at that time, and also showed the vastness and depth of Chinese culture.
Arrived at the attractions in advance, the tour guide began to explain in advance, and finally actually exceeded the service time limit. Every hall will be very detailed, including figure statues, plaques, scene story lights. There are more than one person on May Day, and they will find a suitable location to arrange viewing, which does not affect the quality of the visit. As soon as the scenic spot enters the door, there is a queue to explain, and it can be arranged for half an hour. I don't know how the price is. Tip: Go early on holidays, the surrounding parking lots are very good before 9 o'clock, we are full at 11:30.
Come to Datong, if you can only visit a temple, then it must be the first Huayan Temple, although there is no light at night, but during the day, he is particularly brilliant people two highlights: 1. The Grand Palace. Before entering the temple, look up at the two plaques hanging above: the Grand Palace and the Dr. Tuoyu. Tuoyu is one of the top ten titles of Buddha, that is, Buddha can adjust people's minds and convert people to positive results. Looking up again, the glass kiss on the ridge is as high as 4.5 meters, the north is the original object of the Jin Dynasty, the south is made for the Ming Dynasty and after entering the Daxiong Palace, there are five Buddhas, the middle three are relics of the Jin Dynasty, and the two on both sides are carved in Beijing in Xuande two years. If you look carefully, They will find that they stand on both sides of the different temples with 20 heavens. They have different faces and their bodies are leaning forward. From the color, everyone can see that it was done in the Ming Dynasty, but it was re-described during the Republic of China. When you come here in the morning, there will be light spilling in. Especially beautiful as for the 21 giant murals covered with four walls in the hall, it is a repainted during the Qing Guangxu period 2. The Bojia Tibetan Temple is on the left side of the Daxiong Palace. It is recommended that you first go to see the tower and then come here to visit. As for this tower, you need to wear slippers. If you are not physically strong, After visiting the negative 1 floor, you can return the same way. Now even if you climb high, you can't go out of the tower. Here, you can focus on it. A smiling palm, dew teeth, and backless bodhisattvas appear to be more humanistic. There are 38 rooms in the two-story pavilion-style cabinets. Unfortunately, they are now surrounded. Can not enter and exit the hall, you can see that there are more than three meters high glass kisses, but this is completely replica, as for the real product where, you can see the Datong Museum
Main landscape: the building in Shanghuayan Temple consists of two courtyards, covering an area of 9500 square meters, one is the mountain gate, the hall, the north and south wing, the other is the grand palace, the north and south pavilions and wing. The Grand Palace is the main building of Shanghuayan Temple, and according to the "Golden Monument", the temple is the site of the Golden Temple for three years (1140 AD). Xiahuayan Temple is located on the southeast side of Shangsi, not far from each other. Xiahuayan Temple is composed of two courtyards. The East Courtyard is mainly composed of wooden structure mountain gate, Tianwang Temple, two-story north and south wing houses. The West Courtyard is mainly built with Bojia Tibetan Temple, North and South Accessories, and brick carved mountain gates. It covers an area of 9100 square meters. The main building of the Bojia Tibetan Temple is the main building of the Xiahuayan Temple, built in the 7th year of Liaozhongxi (1038 AD). The bottom line of the Bojia Tibetan Temple is "the 7th year of Weizhongxi (1038 AD) - the 15th day of September - the 15th day of Shenzhen noon". The Bojia Tibetan Temple has been the Tibetan Jing Temple of Huayan Temple since the middle of the Liao Dynasty. Among them, there are Liao Dynasty Buddhist color plastic, stone Jing Building, pavilion-style Tibetan Jing cabinets. Of the 31 statues in the temple, 29 are Liao Plastic. According to the customized "product" shape layout method, Among them, there are 2 small sitting Buddhas that are supplementary sculptures in the afterlife. Huayan Pagoda is located in Xiahuayan Temple, located behind the Daxiong Pagoda. It is the second largest square wooden tower in the country after Yingxian wooden tower. It includes the total height of the tower brake, the upper Jingjin plate, and the lower Chenglianchi.
Huayan Temple is divided into two parts, the upper and lower parts of the upper Huayan Temple are centered on the Daxiong Pavilion, divided into two courtyards, with mountain gates, cross halls, Guanyin Pavilion, Dizang Pavilion and two corridors. The layout is strict and the height is scattered. The lower Huayan Temple is located on the southeast side of the upper temple, not far from each other. With Bojia Tibetan Temple as the center, there are statues of the Liao Dynasty, stone Jing Building, pavilion-style Tibetan Jing cabinet and Tiangong pavilion.