Shanhua Temple

Shanhua Temple, located at No. 6 Nansi Street, Pingcheng District, Datong City, Shanxi Province, is a Buddhist temple with a long history and rich culture. It was originally built during the Kaiyuan period of the Tang Dynasty and was called Kaiyuan Temple at that time. Later, it was renamed Dapuen Temple during the Later Jin period of the Five Dynasties. During the Jin Dynasty, it was renovated and rebuilt under the supervision of the monk Yuanman. In the tenth year of the Zhengtong period of the Ming Dynasty (1445), Emperor Yingzong of the Ming Dynasty bestowed the name Shanhua Temple, which has been used ever since. The architectural style of Shanhua Temple is unique, and it is one of the largest and best-preserved Liao and Jin period buildings in China. The main buildings of the temple are located along the central axis, facing south, and include the Shanmen (Heavenly King Hall), the Three Saints Hall, and the Mahavira Hall. These halls all have hipped roofs, with the size increasing from small to large, and the roofs are staggered in height, showcasing the layout of the "Seven Halls of the Monastery" from the Tang Dynasty. Among them, the Shanmen is the largest existing Jin Dynasty Buddhist temple, with a relatively rare single-eave hipped roof. The temple also preserves Jin Dynasty statues and Qing Dynasty murals, which have high artistic and historical value. The Shanmen (Heavenly King Hall) of Shanhua Temple is a large official-style building built in the early Jin Dynasty and is one of the oldest existing Jin Dynasty buildings. Inside the Shanmen are statues of the Four Heavenly Kings, completed in the Ming Dynasty, so it is also called the Heavenly King Hall. The Shanmen has undergone multiple repairs over the years, and some plaques and statues were added during the Ming Dynasty. Shanhua Temple is not only an important cultural heritage site but also a valuable place for studying Liao and Jin period architecture and art. In March 1961, Shanhua Temple was announced as one of the first batch of national key cultural relics protection units by the State Council of the People's Republic of China.