Thousand-year-old temple…Shanhua Temple

Shanhua Temple in Datong, commonly known as Nan Temple, was first built in the Tang Dynasty. It was called Kaiyuan Temple during the reign of Emperor Xuanzong. It was renamed Da Pu'en Temple in the early Later Jin Dynasty of the Five Dynasties. It was destroyed by war in the second year of Baoda in the Liao Dynasty. It was rebuilt during the Tianhui and Huangtong periods of the Jin Dynasty. It was renamed Shanhua Temple after renovation in the tenth year of Zhengtong in the Ming Dynasty. The temple faces south and has a mountain gate in front, the Three Saints Hall in the middle, and the Main Hall in the back. In front of the Main Hall is the ruins of Manjusri Pavilion on the left and Samantabhadra Pavilion on the right. The buildings are staggered in height, with clear primary and secondary buildings and symmetrical left and right. It is the most complete layout of the existing temples from the Liao and Jin dynasties in the country.