Huayan Temple, located in the southwest of Datong City, is one of the
biggest temples in China built in Liao Dynasty. It got its name because it was
and remains a major temple of the Huayan sect, a sub-category of the Buddhism
popular in north China.
Unlike other temple architecture in China, of which the main halls and
buildings are north-south axis, with the façade facing towards the south, Huayan
temple is on an east-west axis with the main halls facing the east. It was the
result of the custom in Qidan, (a minority tribe living on the northern border
of China who set up the Liao Dynasty). Their tradition of praying for the
Divinity of the Sun to the east, thus taking East as superior to
everything.
The Huayan Temple is divided into two parts: the Upper Huayan Temple and
Lower Huayan Temple. In 1963, the two separated temples combined a whole
temple.
The Upper Huayan Temple features with a range of gorgeously decorated
buildings, the biggest and most illustrious of which is the Grand Hall (Da Xiong
Bao Dian), the main hall of the temple. Five Buddha sit up on the frontal of the
hall, which are named Five-Direction Buddha civilized the five directions, east,
west, south, north and center of the world. The wall was covered by large
frescos. The ceiling of the hall, intricately decorated with a variety of
color-murals of dragons and phoenix, floras, Sanskrit Buddhist symbols and other
geometric patterns, creates a rich visual feast for eyes.
The Lower temple is in the southeast of the Upper temple. Over 18,000
Buddhist Sutra volumes and scripts are preserved there. Compared to the splendid
Upper Huayan, the Lower one is of a far more solemn appearance. Three Buddha sit
on the Lotus Seat, two sides of them standing comely disciples. Five finely
carved wood-structured pavilions in the latter part of the hall are connected by
arched bridges. These exquisite wood carved structures are the only remaining
examples of their kind in China.