Huayan Temple

华严寺

An imperial temple of the Liao and Jin dynasties, laid out in Liao style and facing east. The “Bodhisattva with Palms Joined and Teeth Revealed” in the Bojia Jiaozang Hall and the Great Hero Hall represent the peak of Liao and Jin architecture and polychrome sculpture.

Huayan Temple sits in the southwest corner of Datong’s old city. It was founded in the 7th year of the Chongxi era of the Liao (1038 CE). Because the Khitan worshipped the sun, the temple faces east. It is the largest and best-preserved Liao–Jin temple complex in China, divided into an Upper Temple and a Lower Temple. The Great Hero Hall of the Upper Temple was completed in the 3rd year of the Tianjuan era of the Jin (1140 CE). It is nine bays wide and five deep, about 30 m tall, and is the largest surviving single-eaved timber building of the Liao and Jin periods. Its glazed chiwen ridge ornaments reach 4.5 m high. Inside, the five Dhyani Buddhas, the twenty devas and Qing dynasty murals cover all four walls. The Lower Temple’s Bojia Jiaozang Hall was built in the 7th year of the Chongxi era and is the most precious surviving Liao original in the complex. The hall preserves 31 Liao painted sculptures in excellent condition. Among them, the “Bodhisattva with Palms Joined and Teeth Revealed” has a graceful pose and a faint smile with teeth showing, and Liang Sicheng called it a singular treasure within China. The sutra cabinets along the walls, shaped like celestial palace pavilions, are masterpieces of Liao small-scale woodwork. The Huayan Pagoda, rebuilt in 2010 and 43 m tall, can be climbed for a panoramic view of the old city. Beneath it, a crypt enshrines Buddhist relics within a bronze wall of a thousand Buddhas. A visit takes about 1.5–2 hours; it is best to see the Lower Temple first, then the Upper Temple, then climb the pagoda. Tickets cost about 50 yuan, with the pagoda climb included. It is about a 15-minute walk from Shanhua Temple. Getting there: the temple lies inside the old city and is easily reached by bus or on foot. Notes: photography is prohibited inside the halls. The Liao painted sculptures are in dim light, so bring a small flashlight (no flash) to examine them closely.

Huayan Temple

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