Plan at a glance
Location, tickets and opening
Huayan Temple is inside Datong's old city, around Xia Si Po Street 459 and Qingyuan Street 89. Navigate to Huayan Temple. Tickets are about CNY 50 in the high season and CNY 40 in the low season; you can reserve through the official WeChat account or mini-program, or buy a ticket on site. Typical high-season hours are 08:30–17:30.
How much time to allow
Allow 2–3 hours to see both the Upper and Lower Temples, or about 1 hour for the two representative halls and Huayan Pagoda. Visit the Upper Temple first and the Lower Temple second, following the central axis and courtyards to reduce backtracking.
Tickets and visit details
View visit options for this attraction and confirm the visit date and current arrangements before you go.
View Visit Optionsvia Trip.comChoose your visit
Upper Temple buildings and pagoda
The Upper Temple's Mahavira Hall is imposing, and its roof has glazed chiwen ornaments about 4.5 metres high. Huayan Pagoda is a square pagoda built entirely with wooden mortise-and-tenon joints, with a Thousand-Buddha Underground Palace below it. Visitors interested in Liao–Jin architecture, historic pagodas or the scale of traditional spaces can make the Upper Temple their main stop.
Painted sculptures in the Lower Temple
The Bojia Jiaocang Hall in the Lower Temple is a key stop, preserving 31 Liao-period painted sculptures. The smiling Bodhisattva with exposed teeth is the image many visitors come to find. It suits visitors interested in Buddhist art, architectural details or introducing children to Liao-period temples; viewing and photography inside follow the site's cultural-relic rules.
A slow or quick visit
The Upper Temple's Mahavira Hall stands on a high platform and is best approached through the scale of its courtyard and roof details. The Lower Temple's Bojia Jiaocang Hall rewards a closer look at the sculptures. First-time visitors or families can listen to a guide in one hall and make the other their main detailed stop.
For a nearby compact temple visit, see Shanhua Temple.
Build your day
A complete 2–3-hour route
Enter through the main gate and visit Puguangming Hall and the Upper Temple's Mahavira Hall first, then continue to Huayan Pagoda and the Thousand-Buddha Underground Palace before following the passage to the Lower Temple's Bojia Jiaocang Hall. Over 2–3 hours, look separately at the murals in Puguangming Hall, the roof chiwen, the pagoda and the Liao painted sculptures, leaving photography and close viewing for different stops.
A short route of about 1 hour
With limited time, go first to the Upper Temple's Mahavira Hall for the large glazed chiwen, then visit the Lower Temple's Bojia Jiaocang Hall for the smiling Bodhisattva with exposed teeth. If access is available, finish by climbing Huayan Pagoda for views over the old city. The stairs are narrow and steep, so use the outside of the pagoda courtyard as the endpoint when queuing or climbing is inconvenient.
Get there
Bus and walking
Take buses 38 or 61 and get off at Huayan Temple or Qingyuan Street, then walk to the entrance. Huayan Temple is in the old city's central area, about 1 kilometre from Shanhua Temple. The two attractions are easy to connect on foot, but their tickets, opening hours and on-site routes are separate.
Taxi and entry
A taxi from central Datong can go directly to Huayan Temple. On arrival, follow the main-entrance signs to the Upper or Lower Temple. If you need to store luggage, use the smart lockers; the deposit must be withdrawn manually through the relevant mini-program.
Know before you go
Photography and visitor conduct
Portrait photography, including selfies and commercial shoots, is currently prohibited inside the Mahavira Hall and the Bojia Jiaocang Hall. Whether empty architectural or mural shots are allowed depends on the signs inside the halls and the staff's instructions that day. The halls are dim, flash photography is prohibited, and photos should not block worshippers or the visitor route.
Guides
For a first look at the Liao painted sculptures or hall structures, hire a guide at the entrance or rent an audio guide. Follow the building-focused and sculpture-focused lines to make the details easier to read.
Timing, shoes and nearby food
Morning light is usually better for architectural details, while groups may begin arriving after 09:00 in the high season. The stairs up and down Huayan Pagoda are narrow, so shoes with good grip are useful. After leaving, walk or continue to Drum Tower West Street for food; Fenglin Pavilion, Longjuxiang and Xijindao (喜晋道) may have queues, so allow separate time for queueing or dining.