Datong · Visitor Guide
Huayan Temple (华严寺, Huáyán Sì)
Huayan Temple (华严寺) is one of the best-preserved Liao-dynasty Buddhist complexes in China, split into an Upper Temple and a Lower Temple in the southwest of Datong's old walled city. The Upper Temple's Mahavira Hall is among the largest surviving wooden halls from the Liao–Jin period, while the Lower Temple's Bhagavan Sutra Repository (built 1038) holds 31 Liao clay statues including the famous 'smiling bodhisattva.' It is a first-batch national protected heritage site (1961) — though, unlike the Yungang Grottoes, it is not UNESCO.
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Quick Answer
Is Huayan Temple worth visiting?
A pair of Liao-dynasty (907–1125) wooden temples holding one of China's largest surviving ancient halls and a celebrated 1,000-year-old smiling bodhisattva. ¥65. 1.5–2 hours.
Quick facts
| Ticket | ¥65 (as of 2026). |
|---|---|
| Hours | 8:00–17:30 (Apr–Oct), 8:30–17:00 (Nov–Mar). Last entry 30 min before close. |
| Recommended duration | 1.5–2 hours for both the Upper and Lower temples. 1 hour if you only do the Lower Temple's sculpture hall. |
| Best time to visit | April–May and September–October for comfortable weather. Mornings (8:00–10:00 AM) for the best interior light on the clay statues. Winter (Nov–Mar) is cold but nearly empty. Avoid the October 1–7 National Day holiday. |
| How to get there | In the southwest of Datong's old walled city. No metro in Datong. DiDi ¥10–25 from anywhere in the old city; ¥20–30 (15 min) from Datong South HSR station. City bus ¥1–2. Walkable from the Nine-Dragon Wall (~10 min) and Drum Tower (~8 min). |
| English signage | partial |
| Wheelchair accessible | partial |
| Founded | Liao dynasty (Bhagavan Sutra Repository dated 1038) |
| Layout | Upper Temple (Mahavira Hall) + Lower Temple (Bhagavan Sutra Repository) |
| Largest hall | Mahavira Hall — one of China's largest surviving Liao wooden halls |
| Star sculpture | Smiling bodhisattva (合掌露齿菩萨), ~1,000-year-old Liao clay |
| Protected status | National-level heritage site, first batch (1961) — not UNESCO |
| Visit time | 1.5–2 hours |
What to expect
Huayan Temple is two temple complexes sharing one site: the Upper Temple (上寺), built around the vast Mahavira Hall (大雄宝殿), and the Lower Temple (下寺), built around the Bhagavan Sutra Repository (薄伽教藏殿). The Mahavira Hall is the room that stops you — one of the three largest surviving wooden halls from the Liao–Jin period, with a hipped roof, enormous bracket sets, and a dim, hushed interior holding five seated Buddhas and attendant figures. The Lower Temple's repository, built in 1038, is where the real art lives: 31 Liao-dynasty painted clay statues arranged in a dense sculptural group, including the famous 'smiling bodhisattva' (合掌露齿菩萨), a figure with palms pressed together and teeth showing in a relaxed, almost mischievous grin — unusually human for formal Buddhist iconography, and the single image most visitors remember. Along the repository's walls run the 'Heavenly Palace Pavilions' (天宫楼阁), miniature wooden architectural models built into the sutra cabinets, among the earliest surviving examples of the craft.
Datong was the 'Western Capital' (西京) of the Khitan-led Liao dynasty (907–1125), and Huayan was built to serve that imperial Buddhist establishment — the kind of patronage that produced both the colossal halls and the refined sculpture. The Bhagavan Sutra Repository once held the Liao Tripitaka, one of the earliest printed Buddhist canons, and the cabinet architecture was designed to house and honor it. The complex survived the Mongol conquest, the Ming, the Qing, and the 20th century largely because wooden halls of this scale were rare enough to be worth rebuilding rather than replacing, and because Datong's dry northern climate is kind to timber. It was listed in the very first batch of national-level protected heritage sites in 1961 — a recognition reserved for the most historically significant buildings in the country. The 2000s urban renewal that rebuilt much of Datong's old city left the genuine Liao–Jin halls intact, which is why walking into Huayan feels different from walking through the reconstructed lanes around it.
A visit takes 90 minutes to two hours and pairs naturally with the Nine-Dragon Wall (a 10-minute walk) and Shanhua Temple (20 minutes), making Huayan the anchor of a half-day old-city loop. The most common mistake is treating the Upper Temple's Mahavira Hall as the main event — it is grand but comparatively sparse — and skipping past the Lower Temple, where the sculpture group and the smiling bodhisattva are the actual reason to come. Tour groups do the opposite, funneling through the big hall and out. Go to the Lower Temple first, spend the bulk of your time there, then walk up to the Mahavira Hall. English signage is partial, so a Wikipedia read beforehand or a translation app helps; the halls are dim and photography is allowed without flash, though the best statue light comes in late morning. Note that Huayan is not a UNESCO site — that designation belongs to the Yungang Grottoes 16 km west — but the wooden architecture here is, if anything, better preserved than the grottoes' weathered sandstone.
How to get there
Huayan Temple sits in the southwest corner of Datong's old walled city, inside the reconstructed Ming-era wall. Datong has no metro, so your options are DiDi, taxi, or city bus. From Datong South HSR station (大同南站): DiDi ¥20–30, about 15 minutes. From anywhere inside the old city: ¥10–15 by DiDi, or just walk — the Nine-Dragon Wall is 10 minutes east and the Drum Tower 8 minutes northeast. Taxis start at ¥7 flag fall (first 3 km) plus ¥1.6/km. City buses cost ¥1–2 but signage is Chinese-only. If you're doing a Datong day trip from Beijing, the morning HSR (Beijing North or Qinghe to Datong South, ~2 hours, ~¥160) lands you close enough to reach Huayan by lunchtime.
Best photo spots
- The Mahavira Hall exterior from the Upper Temple courtyard — the massive hipped roof and oversized bracket sets against the sky
- The smiling bodhisattva (合掌露齿菩萨) in the Bhagavan Sutra Repository — the signature sculpture, best in late-morning interior light
- The Heavenly Palace Pavilions (天宫楼阁) — miniature wooden architecture built into the sutra cabinets along the repository walls
- The full sculptural group in the Bhagavan Sutra Repository — 31 Liao clay figures arranged around the central Buddhas
Tips
- Visit the Lower Temple's Bhagavan Sutra Repository first and spend most of your time there — the smiling bodhisattva and the 31 Liao statues are the real highlight, not the Upper Temple's grander but sparser Mahavira Hall
- Pair Huayan with the Nine-Dragon Wall (10-min walk) and Shanhua Temple (20-min walk) for a complete Liao–Jin temple morning — all three are within the old wall and walkable
- Read up on the Liao dynasty and the Khitan beforehand — English signage inside is partial, and the sculpture makes much more sense when you know the temple was built for a non-Han imperial court
- The halls are dim and the clay statues photograph best in late morning (10:30 AM–noon) when side light reaches the figures; raise ISO rather than using flash
- Huayan is walkable from most old-city hotels — skip the DiDi and walk the lanes to the Drum Tower area, which gives you the restored-city atmosphere for free
Scams to avoid
- Touts near the entrance offering 'English guide ¥150–200' — Huayan is small and a Wikipedia read beforehand covers everything a guide would say; the temple does not require a guide
- 'Combined old-city ticket' sellers claiming you need a package for Huayan + Nine-Dragon Wall + Shanhua — these are separate sites with separate cheap entry; buy each ticket individually at the gate
Frequently asked questions
Is Huayan Temple a UNESCO World Heritage site?
No. Huayan is a first-batch national-level protected cultural heritage site (listed 1961), but the UNESCO designation in Datong belongs to the Yungang Grottoes (inscribed 2001), 16 km west of the city. The confusion is understandable — both are major Buddhist sites — but Huayan's wooden halls and clay statues are protected at the national level, not by UNESCO.
What is the difference between the Upper Temple and the Lower Temple?
The Upper Temple (上寺) centers on the Mahavira Hall (大雄宝殿), one of the largest surviving Liao wooden halls in China — grand, dim, with five seated Buddhas. The Lower Temple (下寺) centers on the Bhagavan Sutra Repository (薄伽教藏殿, built 1038), which holds the 31 Liao clay statues including the famous smiling bodhisattva. The Lower Temple is the art highlight; the Upper Temple is the architectural highlight. Do both, but spend more time in the Lower.
How long should I spend at Huayan Temple?
1.5–2 hours covers both the Upper and Lower temples at a relaxed pace. If you only have an hour, go straight to the Lower Temple's Bhagavan Sutra Repository for the sculptures — that is where the visit earns its ¥65.
What is the famous 'smiling bodhisattva'?
A Liao-dynasty painted clay figure (合掌露齿菩萨, 'palms-together, teeth-showing bodhisattva') in the Bhagavan Sutra Repository. She stands with hands pressed together in a slight S-curve, mouth parted in a relaxed, almost smiling expression — strikingly naturalistic for 11th-century formal Buddhist sculpture. Chinese guides sometimes call her the 'Eastern Venus.' The figure is one of the most reproduced images of Liao Buddhist art.
How do I get to Huayan Temple from Datong South HSR station?
DiDi ¥20–30, about 15 minutes. A city bus runs ¥1–2 but takes 30–40 minutes and signage is Chinese-only. The temple is in the southwest corner of the old walled city. From Beijing, the morning HSR (Beijing North or Qinghe to Datong South, ~2 hours, ~¥160) gets you there by lunchtime.
Can I walk from Huayan Temple to the Nine-Dragon Wall?
Yes — about a 10-minute walk through the old city lanes. The Drum Tower and the south gate of the city wall are also within 15 minutes on foot. The three sights (Huayan, Nine-Dragon Wall, Drum Tower) form a natural half-day walking loop inside the wall.
When was Huayan Temple built?
During the Liao dynasty (907–1125), when Datong served as the dynasty's 'Western Capital' (西京). The Bhagavan Sutra Repository in the Lower Temple is dated specifically to 1038. The complex was damaged and restored across the Jin, Ming, and Qing dynasties, and underwent a major restoration in the 2000s as part of Datong's urban renewal — though the Liao–Jin wooden halls themselves are original.
Is Huayan Temple worth visiting if I'm short on time in Datong?
Yes, if you care about Buddhist sculpture or wooden architecture. The Yungang Grottoes are the headline sight, but Huayan's Liao clay statues and the Mahavira Hall are a different category of art — carved stone vs. modeled clay and timber. If you can only fit one city-center temple, choose between Huayan (bigger, famous bodhisattva) and Shanhua Temple (smaller, more intimate, fine Jin sculptures) — both are 20 minutes apart on foot.
Are the statues and halls original or reproductions?
The 31 clay statues in the Bhagavan Sutra Repository are original Liao-dynasty work, roughly 1,000 years old. The Mahavira Hall and the repository hall are original Liao–Jin wooden structures, restored but not rebuilt from scratch. This is what makes Huayan unusual in Datong's old city, much of which is a 2000s reconstruction — the temple's timber and clay are the genuine pre-Mongol article.
Is there a metro in Datong?
No — Datong has no subway system. Use DiDi (ride-hailing, works in English via Alipay), taxis (¥7 flag fall), or city buses (¥1–2, Chinese signage only). The old walled city is compact and walkable, so once you're inside the wall you can reach Huayan, the Nine-Dragon Wall, and the Drum Tower on foot.
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Other things to do in Datong
Yungang Grottoes
51,000 Buddhist statues carved into 252 caves across a 1 km sandstone cliff — the largest 5th-century rock-cut temple complex in the world. UNESCO. ¥120. 3–4 hours.
Hanging Temple (Xuankong Temple)
A 1,500-year-old temple fused into a sheer cliff face 75 meters above the ground — the only temple in China combining Buddhist, Taoist, and Confucian halls. ¥130. 1–1.5 hours.
Mount Wutai
Holiest Buddhist mountain — 53 temples, Manjusri bodhisattva's seat. UNESCO site. ¥135 entry. Cool summer retreat at 3,058 m. From Datong or Taiyuan.
Yungang Grottoes
A ~1-km sandstone cliff holding some 51,000 Buddhist carvings begun in 460 AD under the Northern Wei — allow 3–4 hours, and arrive before 10:00 to beat the tour-bus waves.
Yingxian Wooden Pagoda (Sakyamuni Pagoda of Fogong Temple)
A 67-meter all-timber pagoda built in 1056 without a single nail — the oldest and tallest surviving wooden pagoda in the world, 70 km south of Datong. ¥60. 60–90 minutes, but only the ground floor is climbable today.
Nine-Dragon Wall
China's oldest and largest Nine-Dragon Wall — 45.5 m of Ming glazed tile built in 1392 for a prince's mansion, viewable in about 30 minutes. Pair it with Huayan Monastery around the corner.