Huafasi Temple in Datong

Huafasi Temple in Datong

Huafasi Temple is a cultural tourism attraction.

Huafasi Temple in Datong City is located on the north side of Heyang Street within the city, with the temple facing south. It has formed a new cultural landscape integrating religious, folk, and historical elements, complementing the exquisite Nine-Dragon Wall and the majestic eastern city wall to create a perfect historical ensemble. The temple’s architecture features varied heights and symmetrical layouts, with lifelike and richly detailed statues. The murals boast vibrant colors and numerous figures, strongly reflecting the fusion of multiple ethnicities and exotic influences.

The brick and stone carvings in the scenic area are exquisitely composed and meticulously crafted. The roof designs are also distinctive—the bell and drum towers feature circular pyramidal roofs, the main hall has a hip-and-gable roof, the side halls have gable-and-hip roofs, the auxiliary halls of the Mahavira Hall have flush-gable roofs, and the storefronts have curved-eave roofs, showcasing the structural and aesthetic beauty of ancient Chinese architecture. The most striking elements are the glazed archway at the mountain gate, the three-color circular glazed eaves at the top of the white pagoda, and the glazed spire of the scripture depository (currently under construction). These three features echo each other from afar, forming a harmonious and picturesque scene.

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The Fahua Pagoda was built in the late Yuan and early Ming dynasties and is the only surviving stupa-style Lamaist pagoda in Datong City. It is named after housing a copy of the *Lotus Sutra*. The pagoda is bottle-shaped, standing 18 meters tall, with its base set on a 2-meter-high square brick-and-stone platform surrounded by a floral railing wall. The western part of the base houses a cave, with the cave entrance engraved with the three large stone characters “Xiao Dong Tian” (Little Heavenly Cave). Doorways on the north and south sides of the cave allow access via steps leading directly to the exterior of the pagoda. The base consists of two tiers, each octagonal with 1.7-meter sides and a perimeter of 13.6 meters, standing 0.8 meters and 0.9 meters high respectively. Above the base are two tiers of waist eaves, each 0.45 meters high. Above the waist eaves is the whitewashed pagoda body, slender at the bottom and thicker in the middle, resembling a bottle. Each of the four sides of the pagoda body has an arched small window, with a pair of brick-carved glazed Vajra figures atop each window, adorned with “cloud rolls.” The upper part of the pagoda features yellow, green, and purple circular glazed eaves, while the spire resembles a bright peach-colored bottle cap, topped with a finial wheel and precious bead. The entire structure is elegant, with harmonious and graceful color tones. Currently, Huafasi Temple has been completely reconstructed in the layout and architectural style of Ciyun Temple in Tianzhen County, Shanxi Province, with the uniquely distinctive yurt-style bell and drum towers being particularly unforgettable.

The Hall of Heavenly Kings houses six Buddha statues: Maitreya, Skanda, and the Four Heavenly Kings representing favorable weather and prosperity. The murals, themed around auspicious clouds, lotus flowers, peonies, and bluestone, effectively enhance the divine ambiance of the Four Heavenly Kings. The six statues are vivid, creative, and imaginative, beautifully blending traditional Chinese Confucian and Taoist cultures with Buddhist culture. They are both lively and culturally meaningful, with Chinese and foreign influences complementing each other.

The Three Sages Hall enshrines the Three Great Bodhisattvas: Guanyin, Manjushri, and Samantabhadra. The statues are flexible, lifelike, and serene-faced. The east and west walls depict the Eight Great Bodhisattvas and the Ten Directions Buddhas, while the rear wall illustrates the scene of the Lotus Sutra Assembly.

The Mahavira Hall enshrines the Three Bodies of the Buddha. The Buddha statues sit solemnly, with kind and gentle expressions, exuding elegance and grace. The backlights are created using suspended sculptures painted in colors such as stone green and deep blue, enhancing the three-dimensional effect and emphasizing the solemnity and dignity of the Buddhas. The gable walls feature water-and-land murals, also known as the Procession of Humans and Deities. These murals include numerous figures in diverse forms, representing people from Confucian, Buddhist, and Taoist backgrounds.

Suggested Visit Duration

1–2 hours

Transportation

Self-Drive Route:

1. Datong City – Xingguo Temple Street – Loufang Alley – Roundabout – Dadong Street – Destination;

2. Shuozhou City – Shuozhou Ring Expressway – Daxin Expressway – Dayun Expressway – Yuhe West Road/Weidu Avenue – Yuhe West Road – Destination;

3. Xinzhou City – Wutai Mountain South Road – G55 Direction – Heping West Street – Yuantai Expressway – Dayun Expressway – Yuhe West Road/Weidu Avenue – Yuhe West Road – Destination

Admission Fee

40 RMB (includes one adult admission ticket to Huafasi Temple); 20 RMB (includes one child admission ticket to Huafasi Temple)

Opening Hours

Summer: 8:00–18:00; Winter: 8:00–17:30

Location

No. 137, Dadong Street, Cheng District, Datong City, Shanxi Province