Shanhua Temple

The Shanhua Temple is different from the upper and lower Huayan Temple, sitting on the west and facing the east, because the Liao people admire the East. The Shanhua Temple faces the south and inherits the architectural style of the Central Plains. The main buildings are Shanmen, Sansheng Temple and Daxiong Hall, which are arranged along the central axis and gradually rise. The predecessor of Shanhua Temple was Kaiyuan Temple, and the Ming Dynasty was renamed as a good one. "Goodness" means that the Buddha's method is like running water, everything is fresh and clean, and educating people to be good, has been used ever since. The temple is arranged along the central axis, with high and low staggered, distinct and dominant, and symmetrical. It is a typical indigo seven halls ancient building complex. The temple is not only a thousand-year-old temple, but also the Wenshu Pavilion (destroyed) in the east, and the Puxian Pavilion in the west. It is symmetrical and distinct, reflecting the style of the Tang Dynasty architectural layout. It is the most complete and largest Liao and Jin Temple in China.

Datong Shanhua Temple was built in the Tang Dynasty. It has a history of more than 1,000 years. This thousand-year-old temple was originally called Kaiyuan Temple. It has the same name as Kaiyuan Temple in Chaozhou, Guangdong Province, and Kaiyuan Temple in Quanzhou, Fujian. In the early period of the Five Dynasties, the Datong Kaiyuan Temple was renamed the Grand Puen Temple. The temple was destroyed in the Liao Dynasty and was extensively repaired in the early Jin Dynasty. It took more than ten years for the project to be completed. In the dynasties after the Jin Dynasty, this ancient temple has undergone trimming. In 1445 AD, which was the orthodox decade of the Ming Dynasty, the ancient temple was finally renamed the Shanhua Temple and used today. It is worth mentioning that the Shanhua Temple was also a place for the bureaucrats to study etiquette in the Ming Dynasty, and its status was detached! After the reconstruction, renovation and expansion of several dynasties, the artistic features of the Shanhua Temple are characterized by inclusiveness. Shenghua Temple inherits the symmetrical pattern of ancient Chinese temples. The main halls and the main halls are distinctly distinct. It is the most reasonable and most magnificent temple in the Liao and Jin Dynasties. The main hall in the temple preserves a large number of cultural relics such as clay sculptures, murals and inscriptions. It is worth mentioning that the Daxiong Hall in the Shanhua Temple is the only Liao Dynasty building that has not been destroyed by the war. The hall is decorated with five elegant Buddha statues, that is, five clay sculptures. In addition to the Huayan Temple, the Daxiong Hall of Datong Temples is the most magnificent of the temples! Transportation: Take Bus No. 17 in Datong City, get off at Hualin Commercial Building and walk about 300 meters.

1⃣️ Head to Renji Qizhong Knife-Cut Noodles 🍜 for a bowl of local breakfast knife-cut noodles. Although I, as an outsider, find the topping a bit salty, the noodles are quite chewy. Renji Qizhong Knife-Cut Noodles (Main Store) 2⃣️ The Avatamsaka Sutra says: 'The flower of compassion will bear the fruit of magnificence.' This is the origin of the name of Datong's ancient Huayan Temple. Visit Huayan Temple and take a photo 📷 with the nearly thousand-year-old murals inside the Mahavira Hall. Huayan Temple 3⃣️ Visit Shanhua Temple and gaze into the eyes of the Great Auspicious Merit Sky, feeling the ease and composure within its serene temperament; take a look at the four prominent Heavenly Kings statues at Shanhua Temple, the depiction of their eyes is quite on point. Shanhua Temple 4⃣️ Go to the Nine Dragon Wall scenic area to appreciate the treasure of ancient Chinese architectural art, a symbol of royal power. Datong's Nine Dragon Wall is known as 'the foremost among Nine Dragon Walls,' featuring centuries-old colored glaze and exquisite sculpting skills. Nine Dragon Wall 5⃣️ Stop by Zini 369 for a serving of yellow rice jelly cake with dried plum vegetable chicken wings. The sticky texture of the yellow rice jelly cake, paired with the sweet osmanthus sauce, is truly delightful!! Dried plum vegetable lovers should not miss the dried plum vegetable chicken wings, the unique aroma of the dried plum vegetable adds a novel combination to the chicken wings. Zini 369 Coarse Grain Season (Drum Tower Store) 6⃣️ Choose a day 🚗 to hire a car to Ying County and Hunyuan, standing in front of the Ying County Wooden Pagoda, the shock still lingers in my memory. As a nail-less mortise and tenon structure wooden pagoda, it has miraculously stood for nearly a thousand years despite being shot through by bullets and the ignorant act of window replacement; after viewing the wooden pagoda, walk to the Pure Land Temple to see the double dragon double-layer caisson. Ying County Wooden Pagoda Pure Land Temple 7⃣️ In Hunyuan, have a bowl of 'Little Wife's Cold Noodles' with stuffed pies and smoked eggs. Wife's Cold Noodles Little Wife's Cold Noodles (Hunyuan Store) 8⃣️ Visit Hunyuan to experience the visual shock of the murals at Yong'an Temple, especially the mural of the Ten Great Wrathful Kings in the Dharma Transmission Hall on the north wall, among which the image of the 'Great Mighty Virtue Immovable King' with blue face and red hair, and fierce expression, left the deepest impression on me. Yong'an Temple South Courtyard 9⃣️ Walk from Yong'an Temple to Yuanjue Temple to see the Shakyamuni Relic Brick Pagoda standing within the temple. Its pagoda spire is China's ancient famous wind-vane instrument - the wind-vane bird, a unique and unparalleled treasure. Remember to follow the sound of the pagoda bell and circle the pagoda three times with the time before leaving, and everything will go smoothly after completing the circles. Yuanjue Temple Brick Pagoda 1⃣️0⃣️ Visit the Datong Museum to see the prominent tomb-guarding creatures, the exaggerated expressions on their faces are somewhat adorable. Datong Museum 1⃣️1⃣️ Visit the Yungang Grottoes to see an important type of ancient Chinese architecture - the cave temple architecture, and take a look at Teacher Wang Nan's 'World Architecture Museum.' Yungang Grottoes 1⃣️2⃣️ Finally, end your trip in Datong with a bowl of Dongfang Shaved Noodles, which compared to Renji, has a lighter topping that better suits the general public's taste. Dongfang Shaved Noodles (Playground City Street Store)

Dear friends, today I am going to introduce you to a place with a super historical sense - the Datong City Wall! 🏰✨ Imagine standing on the city wall built in the fifth year of Hongwu in the Ming Dynasty (1372), feeling the weight of history, isn't it exciting? 👀🎉 The Datong City Wall was personally supervised by Xu Da, one of the six founding ministers of the country, this is a real relic! 👑💪 Although it has experienced the baptism of time, the comprehensive restoration project that began in 2009 has given this city wall a new life, and now it can be opened to the public for free again! 🙌💖 The circumference of the Datong City Wall is 7.24 kilometers, the area is 3.28 square kilometers, the height is 14 meters, the upper width is 12 meters, and the lower width is 18 meters, which is spectacular! 📏🌅 You can see four city gates here, each with its own story and characteristics. 🚪💭 The Yongtai Gate Tower of the South Gate, the spring scenery of the East City Wall, the tranquility of the West City Wall in winter, and the Yan Tower, are all beautiful scenes you can't miss! 🦆🏯🌸❄️ Don't forget to go to the City Wall Museum, where the rammed earth wall relics are preserved. You can see the rammed earth wall structure formed by the Northern Wei, Liao Jin, and Ming dynasties in different periods, and the city bricks with the words 'Hongwu Five Years Day and Moon', which are absolutely a witness to history! 🧱📜 Remember when visiting, the opening hours of the city wall are 9:00-22:30, the best time to climb is after 6 pm in the summer evening, when the sun is not very hot, the afterglow of the setting sun, the city tower lights up, the scenery is beautiful! 🌄💡 The best viewing position is of course the South City Gate, where you can overlook the Shanhuasi Temple, and the closest walking distance to the Yan Tower; the West City Gate is also good, you can overlook the Huayan Temple and look at the Bell Tower from a distance. 🕍🔔 So, dear friends, if you are interested in history, or want to experience the feeling of standing on the ancient city wall, the Datong City Wall is definitely your best choice! Come and feel this weight of history with me! ⏳🎒

1️⃣Datong Day 1: Shanhuasi, Yanhuasi 1 Bring your student ID for discounts 2 The accommodation is a youth hostel, cheap and clean Day 2: Morning: Datong Museum, there are two other museums nearby😭 but didn't have time to go Afternoon: Yungang Grottoes, very beautiful Day 3: Directly to Hengyuan Afternoon: Hanging Temple, Shanhuasi, another temple inside is beautiful Day 4: Ying County (went in the afternoon Afternoon: Wooden Pagoda, Pure Land Temple (another temple 2️⃣Day 5: Went to Taiyuan Taiyuan Ancient City, Jincheng, Botanical Garden Day 6: Taiyuan Museum 3️⃣Dining: Datong: Suggest dining at Kaige: because you can order half a portion, the fresh seabuckthorn juice is very good, any knife-cut noodles are very delicious Taiyuan: Yellow rice with red dates: soft and glutinous, very delicious 4️⃣Accommodation: Not expensive, recommended for students, youth hostels, basically all within 100 5️⃣Travel advice: Take the bus, there are coaches to any attraction. Need to plan time. Group tours are recommended. Also cheap.

🌸4:00 PM, Arrived at the ancient Shanhuaci Temple in Datong city area, the ancient temple is open for free. 🌸 The statues are exquisitely made, and no color painting repairs and physical fillings were made in modern times, full of the long-standing and profound religious art style. The expressions of the Four Heavenly Kings at the entrance are unique, very down-to-earth design, a bit playful. 🌸 Shanxi, is a place with profound cultural heritage and low-key tourist treasure: there are many temple statues from the Tang, Song, Liao and Jin dynasties, what is rare is that they are basically all preserved in their original state, each has a strong momentum that has traveled through thousands of years; Transportation is convenient; accommodation is convenient and cheap; the local customs are simple and enthusiastic; As for food, if you can keep your tongue, you are capable.

Shanxi, with every step you take, you can see ancient buildings, and with just a glance, you can see thousands of years. It can be described as a pilgrimage to ancient architecture. For underground relics, look to Shanxi; for above-ground relics, look to Shanxi. Here's a two-day, one-night itinerary for Datong: D1: Huayan Temple—Shanhua Temple—Qian Building—Yungang Grottoes D2: Earth Forest—Yong'an Zen Temple—Hanging Temple—Ying County Wooden Pagoda ✅Huayan Temple A well-preserved group of Liao and Jin Dynasty buildings, with exquisite murals comparable to those in the Mogao Caves in Dunhuang, and the largest main hall in the country. ✅Yungang Grottoes Even after studying the texts and watching documentaries, you will still be moved here. As the saying goes, 'After reading thousands of books, I respect the Northern Wei Dynasty, and I live only to worship Yungang.' ✅Shanhua Ancient Temple It's quieter than Huayan Temple but no less exquisite. The original Liao and Jin structures, the Rakshasa colored clay sculptures, and the Ming Dynasty temple murals are all worth seeing. ✅Datong Ancient City The picture shows one of the corner towers of the ancient city wall, Qian Building. Although it was rebuilt after being destroyed, it still retains its character. ✅Ying County Wooden Pagoda The oldest and tallest existing wooden pagoda from the Liao Dynasty in the world. Liang Sicheng was so obsessed with it that he wrote, 'It's so amazing that it takes my breath away.' ✅Hanging Temple A 1500-year-old building in the sky, rated as one of the top ten most dangerous buildings in the world. Drones are not allowed, and the best view is from the bottom of the mountain. ✅Yong'an Zen Temple A hidden gem of an ancient temple at the foot of Mount Heng, originally built during the Jin Dynasty and renovated several times. It retains the wooden structure of the Yuan Dynasty and features exquisite murals and calligraphy works. ✅Yuanjue Temple Brick Pagoda Just a street away from Yong'an Zen Temple, this octagonal nine-level eave-style brick pagoda was built during the Jin Dynasty. The pagoda body is simple and exquisite, exuding an ancient charm. ✅Datong Earth Forest A masterpiece of nature, especially beautiful at sunset

Shanhuasi Temple, commonly known as Nansi, is located at No. 6 Nansi Street, Pingcheng District, Datong City, Shanxi Province. According to the temple stele records: it was first built during the Kaiyuan period of the Tang Dynasty and was called Kaiyuan Temple. It was renamed Dapuen Temple during the Five Dynasties and Later Jin. It was rebuilt and reconstructed under the supervision of Monk Yuanman during the Jin Dynasty. The main buildings of Shanhuasi Temple are arranged along the central axis from north to south, gradually unfolding and layering up. The front is the mountain gate, and the middle is the Three Saints Hall, both built during the Jin Dynasty. The remaining Liao Dynasty structure, the Great Buddha Hall, is located on the high platform at the back, with the East and West Duo Halls on its left and right. The Shu Pavilion ruins are on the east side, and the west side is the second year of Jin Zhenyuan (11). Except for the Heavenly King Hall (Mountain Gate), Three Saints Hall, Great Buddha Hall and Puxian Pavilion, which are Liao and Jin buildings, the remaining side halls and bell and drum towers are Ming and Qing Dynasty buildings. There are 9 Ming Dynasty statues, 2 Jin steles, and 3 Ming and Qing Dynasty renovation steles. The buildings of Shanhuasi Temple are staggered in height, clear in primary and secondary, and symmetrical in left and right. It is the largest and most complete existing Liao and Jin period building in China. It is now the office of the Datong City Ancient Architecture Cultural Relics Management Office. In March 1961, Shanhuasi Temple was announced by the State Council of the People's Republic of China as the first batch of national key cultural relics protection units.

| An ancient temple not to be missed.🌟The status of Shanhuasi in the world: 1⃣Founded in the Kaiyuan period of the Tang Dynasty, rebuilt in the Jin Dynasty (at least nearly 900 years) 2⃣Called Kaiyuan Temple in the Tang Dynasty; renamed Dapuen Temple in the Later Jin Dynasty of the Five Dynasties, and renamed Shanhuasi in the Ming Dynasty 3⃣The first batch of national protection in 1961 4⃣Mr. Liang Sicheng praised Shanhuasi in the 'Datong Ancient Architecture Survey Report': 'Its main hall, Puxian Pavilion, Sansheng Hall, and Shanmen are all relics of the Liao and Jin Dynasties. Unexpectedly, there are so many precious cultural relics in a temple, which is not what I expected.' ⭐Main attractions of Shanhuasi: ♦Daxiong Baodian: Liao and Jin architecture, single-eave pavilion roof, inside are 34 original colored sculptures from the Jin Dynasty, the two most famous of the 24 celestial colored sculptures: Dajixiangtian and Guizimu (she has 500 children but likes to eat other people's children, later influenced by Buddha) ♦The Heavenly King Hall (Shanmen), Sansheng Hall, and Puxian Pavilion are also Liao and Jin architecture ♦The plaque written by Yan Zhenqing, a great calligrapher of the Tang Dynasty ♦If internet celebrity attractions also count: the statue of the Western Broad-eyed Heavenly King at the Shanmen 🕗Opening hours: 05.01-10.15 (8:00~18:00, stop admission at 17:39) 10.16-04.30 (8:30~17:00, stop admission at 17:00) ❤Tour time: 0.5-1 hour 🙋Reservation: Free, on-site registration is available ⛳Route: Wulong Wall→Shanmen/Heavenly King Hall→Sansheng Hall→Daxiong Baodian→Puxian Pavilion

The main building materials in ancient China were wood. After the wars of dynastic changes, and because they were prone to decay and fire, they were very difficult to preserve. The earliest known wooden buildings are from the Tang Dynasty, with a total of four in Shanxi. The wooden buildings from the Liao and Jin periods are also very precious. Huayansi only has two, but Shanhuasi has four, which is indeed not easy. 🍁Shanhuasi It was built in the Tang Dynasty, originally named Kaiyuan Temple, and was destroyed during the wars of the Liao and Jin Dynasties. It was rebuilt in the early Jin Dynasty and renamed Shanhuasi in the tenth year of Ming Zhengtong. Heavenly King Hall The mountain gate is also the Hall of Heavenly Kings, the largest existing mountain gate of the Jin Dynasty. The 'eye-catching bag' of Shanhuasi is also in the Hall of Heavenly Kings. It is one of the four great heavenly kings of the Ming Dynasty, the Guangmu Heavenly King, with a slightly silly and cute expression, as if he was scared. Three Saints Hall The architecture of the Liao and Jin Dynasties has a lot of Tang Dynasty style, so the bucket arches are larger, and the Three Saints Hall of Shanhuasi is the most gorgeous, with five layers of oblique arches. And the single-layered roof of the Three Saints Hall is also the most gorgeous curve in the temple. The murals of the Three Saints Hall are very exquisite, left over from the Ming Dynasty. The ancient steles and stone carvings in the hall are historical reference materials and calligraphy art for studying Shanhuasi. These can all be photographed outside the door. Great Buddha Hall The largest hall in Shanhuasi, the base is three meters high, and it is the only Liao Dynasty building in the temple. Like Huayansi, the three main doors of the Great Buddha Hall are all in the shape of lotus petals, representing nobility. Photography is not allowed in the Great Buddha Hall, but it is allowed at the entrance. The aunt in charge of the management kindly reminded us. The most exquisite Liao and Jin statues are all in the Great Buddha Hall. The Buddha of the Five Directions sits on a huge lotus seat, with twenty-four guardian deities on the east and west sides. The Buddha of the Five Directions is round and dignified, elegant and luxurious, and even the caisson is very exquisite. The most beautiful Buddha statue of the Great Merit Heavenly Deity on the west wall is a heavy color of the Ming Dynasty but not yet completed, it is like applying a foundation without makeup. Five Dragon Wall The Five Dragon Wall that was not found in the temple is actually in the square at the entrance. This Five Dragon Wall was built during the Ming Wanli period. It was originally the screen wall in front of Xingguo Temple. Because Xingguo Temple was destroyed in the war, it was moved to the front of Shanhuasi. 🍁Shanhuasi Address: No. 6 Nansi Street, Pingcheng District, Datong City Opening hours: 8:30-17:00 Tickets: Free! (Just make a reservation by scanning the code at the door)

1⃣️Huayan Temple 2⃣️Li Family Village 3⃣️Ma Family Courtyard 4⃣️Qikou Ancient Town 5⃣️Yungang Grottoes 6⃣️7⃣️8⃣️9⃣️Shanhua Ancient Temple 1⃣️0⃣️ 1⃣️1⃣️Yong'an Zen Temple 1⃣️2⃣️Zhenguo Temple 1⃣️3⃣️Shuanglin Temple 1⃣️4⃣️Shuanglin Temple 1⃣️5⃣️Shuanglin Temple 1⃣️6⃣️Shuanglin Temple . Shanxi! I·really·love Shanxi so much!!! I'm going to write 10 Shanxi travel guides! Let's start with a few phone pictures as a preview~🤪 .