Datong Huayan Temple - A breathtaking museum of Liao and Jin art

Every time Datong Huayan Temple is mentioned, one thinks of the "Smiling Bodhisattva," and the largest Mahavira Hall in the country is also located here. ⏰: 8:30～17:00 💰: 40 yuan 🏛: Xia Si Po Street, Datong Ancient City 📍: First batch of national protected units 🌟: Liao-Jin colored sculptures, celestial pavilions, and small woodwork Huayan Temple was founded in the seventh year of the Liao Dynasty's Chongxi era (1038 AD) and was named after the "Avatamsaka Sutra." It was destroyed in wars and rebuilt in the third year of the Jin Dynasty's Tianjuan era (1140 AD). During the mid-Ming Dynasty, it was divided into upper and lower temples. The temple faces west to east, with main structures including the mountain gate, Puguangming Hall, Mahavira Hall, Bojiao Scripture Hall, and Huayan Pagoda. Among them, the Mahavira Hall and Bojiao Scripture Hall are the essence of the temple and are the only remaining Liao-Jin structures. The Mahavira Hall, the main building in the upper temple, faces west to east and uses a reduced column method. It is nine bays wide and five bays deep, a Jin Dynasty structure, and is the largest existing Mahavira Hall in China. The hall is situated on a tall base, with a 4.5-meter-high chiwen (ornamental ridge beast) at each end of the roof. Inside, the Five Directional Buddhas are enshrined, re-decorated during the Ming Dynasty with Lamaist figures, and flanked by attendant Bodhisattvas. On both sides of the hall are twenty Devas, all Ming Dynasty colored sculptures, leaning forward about 15 degrees to show respect for the Buddha. This angle also effectively prevents dust accumulation. The twenty Devas have different expressions and postures, whether dignified, scholarly, gentle, fierce, or ferocious. Whether it's the wrathful eyes of a Vajra or the lowered brows of a Bodhisattva, they all have a vivid brilliance. There are also huge Qing Dynasty murals around the hall, mainly depicting Buddhist stories. ⭐️The Bojiao Scripture Hall, 'Bojiao' being an abbreviation for 'Buddha' and 'Scripture Hall' referring to Buddhist scriptures, has been Huayan Temple's scripture hall since the Liao Dynasty. The existing celestial pavilions used for storing scriptures are still present, exquisitely crafted and very precious. The hall faces west to east, is five bays wide and four bays deep, with chiwen on the roof from the Liao and Jin periods. The caisson ceilings and murals inside are original Liao artifacts, and apart from a few Ming and Qing restorations, twenty-nine Liao Dynasty statues are well-preserved. Enshrined inside are Buddhas of the Three Times, Bodhisattvas of the Ten Directions, Arhats, etc., with gold-plated faces and crowns, each with a different demeanor and vivid image, both solemn and imbued with the breath of human life. The most famous is the Smiling Bodhisattva, delicately carved, hands joined in a gentle smile, graceful and touching, known as the "Venus of the East." Also, don't miss the flat caisson ceiling at the top of the hall, with its lifelike flying apsaras. 📖The temple's orientation from west to east is a unique architectural custom of Liao Dynasty Buddhist temples, stemming from the Khitan people's practice of ghost worship and sun reverence, considering the east as supreme. Huayan Temple's unique style and exquisite architecture hold an important place in the history of Chinese architecture. When visiting Datong, one must come here to experience the thousand-year-old Liao-Jin art atmosphere and gaze into the eyes of the Smiling Bodhisattva, a thousand years in a glance!