The Complex of Huayan Monastery

Located on the southwestern side of Datong City, the complex of Huayan Monastery is another must-see attraction in Datong. It was named after the Huayan sect of Buddhism. There is no historical record about the year in which the monastery was originally built. Some people says it was built in Tang Dynasty, some says in Northern Wei Dynasty. Currently the most accepted construction age of it is the Liao Dynasty. After several repairs in the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), the temple formed today's scale. Now, the Huayan Monastery is the largest and best preserved monastery of the Liao Dynasty in existence in China. The monastery is divided into two parts, Upper Monastery and Lower Monastery. Compared with Upper Monastery, Lower Monastery receives much attention for sculpture art, worthwhile your appreciation. The visiting time is suggested to be 1-2 hours.