Shanhua Temple

Shanhua temple, commonly known as the South Temple, is a large-scale Temple group. Its overall structure is relatively complete. The temple buildings are scattered in height, distinct in primary and secondary, and symmetrical in left and right. It is the most complete and largest temple building in China in the Liao and Jin Dynasties. It has a history of nearly a thousand years. The main buildings of the whole temple face south along the central axis. In the south is the mountain gate, in the middle is the three holy halls, and in the north is the main hall, which is stacked high. In addition, Shanhua temple also has exquisite and beautiful Puxian Pavilion, Manjusri Pavilion, corridor and auxiliary hall, etc. The four great vajras and the eighteen Arhats in the temple are relics of the Liao Dynasty. Although the five dragon walls in the temple are not the same size as the nine dragon walls in Datong, they are still beautiful and worth seeing.

Shanhua Temple

Shanhua temple, commonly known as Nansi, is located at No. 6, Nansi street, Pingcheng District, Datong City, Shanxi Province. It was first built in Kaiyuan period of Tang Dynasty and repaired in Ming Dynasty. It was renamed Shanhua temple in 1445.

The main buildings of Shanhua Temple face south along the central axis, gradually unfolding, layer upon layer. The front is the mountain gate, and the middle is the three holy halls, all built by Jin Shi. The main hall of Liao Dynasty heritage structure is located on the rear high platform, with the East and West Flower hall on the left and right. On the east side is the shuge site, and on the west side is the Puxian pavilion built in 1154. Shanhua temple is the largest and most complete architecture of Liao and Jin Dynasties in China.

In March 1961, Shanhua temple was announced by the State Council of the people's Republic of China as the first batch of national key cultural relics protection units.

In February 2020, in order to pay tribute to the medical workers fighting in the front line of anti epidemic, the Shanhua Temple scenic spot will be free of admission to medical workers from the date of resumption of operation to December 31, 2020.

Historical evolution

According to Shanhua temple jindading 16 years (1176) "Dajin Xijing dapuen Temple rebuilt hall" stele records: the temple was built in Tang Kaiyuan years, formerly known as Kaiyuan Temple, for the national temple.

It was renamed "dapuen Temple" in the later Jin Dynasty of the Five Dynasties. The Baoda rebellion in the late Liao Dynasty was destroyed and rebuilt in 1128.

Ming Zhengtong ten years (1445) began to change its name to Shanhua temple, the temple as an official "ritual place", the establishment of "monk Gang Si" management of the city monks.

Architectural features

Shanhua Temple faces south, covering an area of about 20000 square meters. The main buildings are Tianwang hall, Sansheng hall and Daxiong hall, which are stacked high in layers according to the central axis. There is Manjusri Pavilion (destroyed) in the East and Puxian Pavilion in the West. Tianwang hall, Sansheng hall, Daxiong hall and Puxian pavilion are all original structures in Liao and Jin Dynasties.

Shanhua temple is in line with the traditional Confucianism, with the north as the top, the building facing south, symmetrical left and right, and distinct primary and secondary. The Tang Dynasty is a heyday of the development of Buddhism, and the architecture of Shanhua Temple retains the characteristics of the early Tang Dynasty. Shanhua Temple makes use of high platform to raise the building step by step, which makes the courtyard well arranged.

Cultural relics

overview

The clay sculptures, murals, inscriptions and other precious cultural relics are preserved in Shanhua temple. Among them, the clay sculptures of Jin Dynasty are beautiful in shape and outstanding in personality, especially the twenty-four heavenly kings, men and women, old and young, beautiful and ugly, civil and military, or the emperor's clothes, or the minister's clothes, or the barefoot and gauze clothes, which seem to come from the land of India, or wear armor and fur to resist the cold wind of northern China.

main hall

The main hall is the largest one in Shanhua temple. There is a platform in front of it and the second floor of bells and drums on the left and right. The hall is 40.7 meters wide with 7 rooms and 25.5 meters deep with 5 rooms. As a Liao Dynasty building, it ranks the third in China with a single area of more than 1200 square meters.

There are five Buddha statues in the center of the main hall, which are arranged from east to West: Ashan Buddha in the East, Baosheng Buddha in the south, piluzana in the center, Amitabha Buddha in the west, and subtle Wen Buddha in the north. There are 24 statues of heaven on the brick platforms on the East and west sides of the hall. They have different looks and distinct personalities. On the West and south walls of the hall, there are murals painted from 1686 to 1708, which are all Buddhist stories.

There are 34 statues in the main hall. On the huge lotus seat of the Buddhist altar, there are five Buddhas of the Tathagata. The Dharma is solemn, dignified and elegant, and the clothes are smooth. Under the lotus seat, there are disciples and Bodhisattvas, which are the original works of Liao and Jin Dynasties. On both sides of the hall, there are 24 statues of Dharma protectors with different expressions and distinct personalities. There are more than 190 square meters of murals painted during the reign of Emperor Kangxi on the West and south walls of the hall.

Three temples

The three holy halls are located in the middle of the temple, built on a brick platform about 1.5 meters high. The hall is five rooms wide and four rooms deep, with a single eaves on the top of the hall. Under the eaves, Dou Liu is spread out, and the single copy and double copy are carried out. The method of reducing columns is adopted in the hall.

The three saints of Huayan on the Buddhist altar of the three saints hall were the original sculptures of the Jin Dynasty, which were rebuilt by later generations. There are two gold steles on both sides of the hall. In 1176, the record of rebuilding the hall of Da pu'en temple in Da Jin Xi Jing was written by Zhu Bian, deputy envoy to Jin Tong of the Southern Song Dynasty.

Tianwang Hall

The Tianwang hall is now the largest Mountain Gate in the Jin Dynasty in China, with five rooms wide and two rooms deep. There are four statues of heavenly kings in Ming Dynasty. They are glaring and dignified.

Puxian Pavilion

Located on the west side between the main hall and Sansheng hall, Puxian Pavilion is a pavilion style building with square plane, three rooms in width and depth, double eaves and nine ridges. It was rebuilt in the second year of Jin Zhenyuan (1154).

Cultural relic value

Shanhua temple is the most complete and largest temple building in Liao and Jin Dynasties. Among them, the main hall and the three saints Hall of the Liao Dynasty, the Tianwang hall and the Puxian Pavilion of the Jin Dynasty, the top of the three verandahs and the four buildings of the Liao and Jin Dynasties are preserved in one temple, which is unique to Shanhua temple in China, and reflects the vigorous spirit of the prosperous Tang Dynasty.

Shanhua Temple reflects the evolution and development of architecture in Tang, song, Liao and Jin Dynasties, and reflects the great transition and transformation of ancient Chinese architecture from Tang Dynasty to Song Dynasty.

The architecture of Shanhua temple in the Liao and Jin Dynasties reflects the architectural characteristics of that time, which is of great significance to understand the inheritance of the northern minorities to the wooden architecture of the Tang Dynasty. The combination of supporting components of inclined arch and traditional bucket arch also reflects the integration and development of Architectural Technology in different regions.

The mud layer of a plain wall in the three holy halls is covered with a large number of Ming Dynasty temple murals, which has high artistic and cultural value.

protective measures

On March 4, 1961, Shanhua temple was announced as the first batch of national key cultural relics protection units by the State Council of the people's Republic of China.

Due to the long history of Shanhua temple, as well as the war, natural invasion and man-made damage, the painted sculptures have shown a variety of diseases, including the mud layer crisp alkali, powdering, painted layer nail, cracking, pigment peeling, fading, discoloration, dust deposition on the surface of the statue, etc. Effective removal of pollutants and reinforcement of deteriorated painted layer and mud layer are two important contents of colored plastic protection. Fish bladder adhesive has good aging resistance, film-forming property, moderate curing speed and low curing shrinkage. It has been used in restoration of gold foil layer on statue surface.

Tourism information

geographical position

Shanhua temple is located at No. 6, Nansi street, Pingcheng District, Datong City, Shanxi Province.

Opening Hours

From February 16, 2018: peak season (may 1-October 15): 8:00-18:00; off season (October 16-april 30): 8:30-17:30

Ticket Price

In order to ensure the safety and order of sightseeing activities, during the opening period of the scenic spot, tourists need to hold their own valid certificates (resident ID card, driver's book, passport, officer's card, soldier's card, armed police officer's card, people's police card, student's card, senior citizen's card, disabled person's card, war (test) retiree's card, tourism card, etc.) to get free tickets at the entrance of the scenic spot and enter the scenic spot with the tickets District.

Free policy

In February 2020, to pay tribute to the medical workers fighting in the front line of anti epidemic, the scenic spot will be free of admission to medical workers from the date of its resumption of operation to December 31, 2020. During the activity, medical workers in the whole country (including Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan) can present relevant certificates (with their ID card + medical personnel qualification certificate, subject to the doctor qualification certificate and nurse qualification certificate issued by the national health department or provincial health department).

Address: No.6, Nansi street, Datong City

Longitude: 113.29897346974

Latitude: 40.086583868793

Tel: 0352-2053768

Tour time: 40 minutes - 1 hour

Traffic information: take bus No.17 and get off at Hualin commercial building station

Ticket information: adult ticket 50 yuan;

Children under 1.2 meters in height and the elderly over 60 years old (certificate) are free of charge

Opening hours: 8:00-18:30 in summer, 8:30-17:30 in winter

Chinese PinYin : Shan Hua Si