Shanhua Temple, popularly called the South Temple, lies in the south of old Datong. It was founded in the Tang, and its main buildings are Liao and Jin work. The Mahavira Hall is very large, and the caissons above its Buddha images are filled with tiers of tiny bracket sets; the Sanshengdian and the gate are Jin, and the roof of the Sanshengdian is steeper than Liao ones. The temple is an important example of Liao and Jin temple layout and timber construction, and Liang Sicheng often set it beside the Huayan Temple.
