View along the Road from the Main South Gate - the Blue Signboard advertises the Ticket Office, the plaquette declares Lower HuaYan Monastery a high level Governement Protected Site.
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View from the South Gate at the Lower HuaYan Monastery - the southern courtyard and halls are rather simple and modest .
A faded Guarding Lion at the unrestored and somewhat bleak looking south gate.
A convenient drawn map of the Lower Monastery Grounds inside the south gate.
Iron doorway to the Monastery Housing and Offices east of the south entrance. Personel only !
Overview of the Southern Courtyard inside the Lower Huayan Monastery in December 2005 . Left in the fard istance nehind the main halls, the central telecom and post office building, a great landmark to navigate on is clearly visible.
Overview of the displays inside the Eastern Hall, some old cannons, ceramic pots and vases in different colors and glazing, from various era's .
Overview of the displays inside the Western Hall dedicated to the earliest history of Datong and this area of North Shanxi. Exhibition of Mammoth tusks teeth, a petrified tree trunk and smaller stone age items.
The Main Northern Hall of the South Court in front of which the Guardian (mythical) Dragon of the Lower Monastery.
A peak past the Northern Hall exposing the Entrance to the Northern Court and Main Bhagavan Hall.
The "Middle Road" , passage to the Eastern Court where some broken but ancient statues are on display. This is also a shortcut to the Upper Monastery.
View of a part of the Eastern Court and the Upper HuaYan Monastery Main Shrine Hall, the largest wooden hall in China, in the background.
The peculiar Tang Dynasty styled Ceramics on the Bhagavan Stack Hall roof seen from the Southern Courtyard.
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Named after the HuaYan Sect of Buddhism, which existed during the Liao and Jin Dynasties, the first structures of the Huayan Monastery was originally constructed in 1062 AD. Not very much after construction of the first three Halls of the HuaYan Monastery, war broke out and the weakened Liao Dynasty was overthrown by the succeeding Jin. In the ensuing battles most of the Monastery structures were destroyed, leaving only the sacred Bhagavan Stack Hall with its Holy Scriptures standing. The Jin however restored the important Huayan Monastery to its former Glory in and around the year of 1140 AD.
the Lower Huayan Monastery, constructed in 1038 AD is the location where Buddhist scriptures of the Monastery are stored.
