Datong - Shanhua Si (Nan Si)

In the Hall of the Three Holy Ones, a typical example of the architecture of the Jin dynasty (1127-1234), visitors can see the statues of the Three Holy Ones, Shakyamuni, Wenshu and Puxian.

The Sumptuous Hall of the Great Hero (Daixong Baodian) contains five statues of Tathagata (one of the ten titles afforded to Shakyamuni) seated on a throne of lotus leaves; each is surrounded by several followers and Bodhisattvas. On each side of the temple stand 24 statues of gods all with different faces. Apart from two guardian statues from the Jin period (1115-1234) all these figures can be attributed to the Liao era (916-1125). Although the wall-paintings are of the Qing period (1644-1911) they are based on the style of the Yuan dynasty (1271-1368).

The Wall of the Nine Dragons, in Dongjie Street in the town center, is 45.5m/149ft long, 8m/26ft high and 2.02m/6.5ft) thick. It was built in 1392 to embellish the residence of Zhu Gui, the thirteenth son of the first Ming Emperor Zhu Yuanzhang. In 1644 the palace burned down, and the only part saved from the flames was the wall, built of colored ceramic bricks and decorated with bas- and high-relief. The decorations portray nine dragons, beneficent beings, numbering nine for luck, that are dancing in the clouds, grabbing for dragon pearls.