Geographical Location: There are usually several Huayan Temples. For example, the Huayan Temple in Datong is located at No. 459, Xiasi Po Street, Pingcheng District, Datong City, Shanxi Province.
Opening Hours: Generally, from March 1st to November 30th (peak season), it is open from 8:30 to 18:00; from December 1st to the end of February of the following year (off-season), it is open from 8:30 to 17:00. Subject to the actual situation.
Ticket Price: The full-price ticket is usually about 50 yuan. It may be adjusted according to the peak and off seasons or the scenic area policies. Students and others can buy half-price tickets with valid certificates.
Main Attractions
Main Hall
The murals in the hall are unique. They cover a large area, with still vivid colors and rich content, including Buddhist stories, preaching scenes, etc. The lines are smooth, and the figures are vivid, with extremely high artistic value.
Bojiaojiaozang Hall
The “Heavenly Palace Pavilion” inside is even more amazing. It is the only existing model of a Liao Dynasty architectural model in China. It is exquisitely carved and looks like a miniature Buddhist world. There is also a statue of the Bodhisattva with Palms Joined and Showing Teeth, known as the “Venus of the East” in the hall. Its shape is beautiful, the posture is graceful, and the expression is lifelike.
Huayan Pagoda
It is a square wooden pagoda with a pure wooden mortise and tenon structure. There is also a mysterious copper underground palace built underground. Visitors can go down to the underground palace along the stairs. Inside, there are Buddha statues enshrined, and the atmosphere is solemn and sacred.
Surrounding Food Guide
Shanxi Special Noodles
Datong Knife-Shaved Noodles
Recommended Restaurant: Dongfang Shaved Noodles.
Features: The noodles are thick in the middle and thin on the sides, with distinct edges and corners, resembling willow leaves. When eaten, they are smooth outside and chewy inside, soft but not sticky, and the more you chew, the more fragrant they are. The sauce usually has various choices such as pork and beef. There are also special side dishes like marinated eggs and dried tofu that can be paired with it.
Datong Yangza (Sheep Offal Soup)
Recommended Restaurant: He Laoren Yangza.
Features: It is made from raw materials such as the head, hooves, heart, liver, intestines, lungs, and blood of a sheep. It is carefully prepared, with a taste that is both sour and spicy, without any fishy smell or greasiness. The soup is delicious and rich in nutrition. It can be eaten with local specialty oil cakes.
Traditional Shanxi Cuisine
Guoyourou (Sliced Pork in Sauce)
Recommended Restaurant: Fenglinge.
Features: It is a traditional famous dish in Shanxi Province. The ingredients are carefully selected, using lean pork, winter bamboo shoots, agaric, etc. as raw materials and cooked through multiple processes. The finished dish has a bright golden color, a salty and fresh taste with a hint of vinegar flavor, a texture that is tender inside and soft outside, and an appropriate amount of transparent sauce, neither too thin nor too thick, with a little oil on the surface.
Assorted Hot Pot
Recommended Restaurant: Hongya Restaurant.
Features: The ingredients are rich and diverse, including roasted pork, meatballs, vermicelli, Chinese cabbage, kelp, etc., which are placed in a copper pot in order and stewed with high soup. It is steaming hot and has a mellow taste, suitable for sharing among multiple people and has the characteristics of northern cuisine.
