Promise me, before you go to Huayan Temple, you must read this nanny-level guide

· One of the three great Liao structures in Shanxi, Datong has two of them, Huayan Temple's Baoji Teaching Hall and Shanhua Temple's Daxiong Treasure Hall, and there is also the Wooden Pagoda in Ying County, Shuozhou (Fogong Temple's Sakya Pagoda). Today, we have arrived at Huayan Temple located within the ancient city of Datong. · Ticket price: 40 yuan, free for those above 60 years old. (Very worthwhile) · Visitor Information: Huayan Temple faces west and opens to the east, so the best time to visit is on a clear morning (fewer people, quiet), when the sunlight hits the ground and reflects into the main hall, shining on the exquisite Buddha statues and murals (Picture 2). Besides the Daxiong Treasure Hall and Baoji Teaching Hall, there is also a Huayan Treasure Pagoda in the temple courtyard. Although it was built later, it ranks second after the Wooden Pagoda in Ying County as the largest pure wooden structure square pagoda, with an excellent view from the top. Below the wooden pagoda is a copper Thousand Buddha Underground Palace. · Visiting time: About four hours, it is recommended to go early in the morning, and when you get hungry, go for lunch at noon. · Visiting highlights: 1⃣️ Daxiong Treasure Hall: This is the largest existing wooden Buddhist hall in China and the largest Buddhist hall from the Liao and Jin periods. The roof's chiwen (ornamental ridge beasts) reach 4.5 meters high, one of which looks worn and is the original from the Jin dynasty, a treasure of Huayan Temple, while the other brightly colored one was rebuilt during the Ming dynasty. The murals inside the hall are exquisite, painted by teachers and students from the Central Academy of Fine Arts, and many people come here to take photos (Picture 2). 2⃣️ Baoji Teaching Hall: It is one of the eight great Liao dynasty buildings still existing in China and the earliest Liao dynasty wooden structure in Huayan Temple. The clasped-hands, tooth-exposing Bodhisattva inside is known as the 'Eastern Venus'. It's a magical feeling to see a Bodhisattva with exposed teeth for the first time. 3⃣️ Huayan Pagoda Following the Wooden Pagoda in Ying County, it is the second-largest pure wooden mortise and tenon structure pagoda in the country, with an awe-inspiring scale (rebuilt according to the architectural style of the Liao and Jin periods). It's quite tall, and climbing it is quite steep and tiring. There is a pure copper underground palace at the base of the pagoda, displaying many copper Buddha statues and high monks' relics. Climbing the pagoda offers a bird's-eye view of the entire ancient city of Datong and another chance to appreciate the Daxiong Treasure Hall in detail. · The entire Huayan Temple scenic area has been rebuilt and expanded very well. Although only two halls remain after the wars, Mayor Geng's reconstruction of the buildings complements the old and new, with all aesthetics on point, very beautiful! It's a great place to stroll around for a whole day (bring your own dry food). Some people always talk about the beauty of Japanese architecture and how photogenic it is, but I think if our ancient architectural sites were all planned with the same aesthetic and design standards as Huayan Temple (with accompanying buildings and greenery around), there would be no need to go to Japan... The money saved on airfare could buy so many bowls of knife-cut noodles Huayan Temple