Huayan Monastery in Datong

        Located in the north of Shanxi Province, Datong nestles between the inner and outer Great Wall and the junction of the provinces of Shanxi , Hebei and Inner Mongolian Autonomous Region. It is one of the 24 famous historical and cultural cities in China which were promulgated by the State Council in 1982.The city came into existence 2,400 years ago. The Northern Wei Dynasty made Datong its capital for 96 years in the fifth century. In liao and Jin dynasties in the eleventh century, it served as secondary capital.

　　

　　Huayan Monastery is located in the south-west of the ancient city of Datong and was first built in 1038 during the Liao Dynasty. It got its name according to the “Flower Adornment Sutra”. Facing east, the splendid and solemn monastery covers 66,000 square meters, including the Pordego, Puguangming Hall, the Grand Hall, the Bhagavat Storage Hall, the Huayan Pogoda and 30 other single buildings are arranged in the north-south two main axis. As an early and relatively well-preserved temple from early years of Liao and Jin Dynasties (A.D.907—A.D.1234), it became the historical site designated for state protection in 1961.