善化寺

Shanhua Temple (Shanhua Si) is one of the most important surviving Liao and Jin dynasty Buddhist temple complexes in China, located in the southwestern part of the Datong Ancient City. Together with Huayan Temple, it represents the pinnacle of medieval wooden religious architecture in northern China, and offers a quieter, more intimate counterpart to the larger and better-known Huayan complex. For travelers with an interest in Chinese architectural history, Shanhua Temple is one of the most rewarding single stops in Datong.

The temple's history reaches back to the Tang dynasty, but the original buildings were destroyed in the wars of the Five Dynasties period. The structures that visitors see today date primarily from the Liao and Jin dynasties — the eleventh and twelfth centuries — when the complex was comprehensively rebuilt under the patronage of the Khitan and Jurchen courts. The result is a remarkably coherent and well-preserved example of a medieval north Chinese Buddhist monastery, with the major halls arranged along a central north-south axis.

The three most important buildings — the San Sheng (Three Sages) Hall, the Mahavira Hall, and the pavilion that completes the axis — are each masterpieces of Liao and Jin wooden construction. The Mahavira Hall, in particular, is one of the largest surviving Liao halls in China, distinguished by its enormous bracket system, deep-eaved roof, and the spacious, column-light interior characteristic of medieval north Chinese architecture. The hall houses a remarkable set of Liao and Jin Buddhist statues, whose refined modeling and slightly non-Han features reflect the cosmopolitan culture of the conquest dynasties.

An unusual feature of Shanhua Temple is the absence of a formal "shanmen" — the main gate building that typically fronts a Chinese Buddhist temple. The reasons are tangled in the temple's history, but the effect is to give the complex a more open, integrated feel with its surroundings. For visitors, Shanhua Temple is best visited as part of a walking circuit of the Datong Ancient City, paired with Huayan Temple, the Nine-Dragon Wall, and the city wall itself. Allow an hour or two for a slow visit; the absence of major tourist crowds at Shanhua, relative to Huayan, makes it a favorite of architecture enthusiasts and photographers.