Tanzhe Temple 潭柘寺Tánzhè Sì

Why go to Tanzhe Temple

In the hills of Mentougou District, about 30 km west of central Beijing, Tanzhe Temple is an active Buddhist temple whose Ming- and Qing-era halls rise up the slope in terraced courtyards. Follow the central axis up through the Hall of Heavenly Kings and the Mahavira Hall to the Vairocana Pavilion, then explore the side courtyards and the pagoda forest of monks' tombs outside the gate.

The story

Tanzhe was first built under the Western Jin dynasty, traditionally in AD 307, which makes it one of the oldest Buddhist temples in the Beijing area and explains the local saying 'first came Tanzhe Temple, then came Beijing'. Its popular name comes from the dragon pool (tan) behind it and the zhe, a kind of mulberry tree, on the hillside.

What to see at Tanzhe Temple

• Mahavira Hall 大雄宝殿: The temple's central hall, roofed with yellow glazed tiles under double eaves and crowned with large Yuan-era glazed ridge ornaments shaped like chiwen, a dragon-headed creature.
• Emperor Tree and Companion Tree 帝王树·配王树: A pair of ancient ginkgos in the central courtyards, said to be more than a thousand years old, which carpet the courtyards gold in early November.
• Yigan Pavilion 猗玕亭: A pavilion on the east side with a winding channel cut into its marble floor in a dragon-and-tiger pattern, where visitors once floated wine cups in the 'floating cup' custom.
• Vairocana Pavilion 毗卢阁: The rearmost hall on the central axis, with a view back down over the whole temple.
• Guanyin Hall 观音殿: The highest hall on the west route, tied to a legend of a Yuan princess who became a nun here and whose kneeling marks are shown on a stone.
• Pagoda forests 塔林: The upper and lower pagoda forests on the slope outside the gate, holding 75 tomb pagodas of eminent monks from the Jin to the Qing, in many styles.

How to visit Tanzhe Temple

Enter through the mountain gate and climb the central axis through the Hall of Heavenly Kings and the Mahavira Hall to Vairocana Pavilion, then drop to the east and west courtyards. The east route holds Yigan Pavilion, a former Qing resting palace, while the west route climbs scattered courtyards to Guanyin Hall. Leave time for the pagoda forests outside the gate, which are quieter than the temple and now open in both the upper and lower sections. The temple is active, so dress and behave quietly; half a day covers the central axis, one side route and the pagoda forests.

How to get to Tanzhe Temple

Take Metro Line 1, 6 or S1 to Pingguoyuan and change to bus 931, which ends at the temple; a taxi from central Beijing takes about an hour.

Where to stay

Tanzhe is a half-day trip from central Beijing, so most visitors base themselves in the city and head out early, using Pingguoyuan on Line 1 as the gateway.

What to eat

• Jingbai pear 京白梨: A pear variety grown in Mentougou, sold at village attractions there as pear soup, dried pear and pear syrup.
• Jiangshui tofu 浆水豆腐: Tofu made by a traditional local method and shown to visitors at village sites in the Mentougou hills.

Tips for visiting Tanzhe Temple

• Come in late October or early November, when the ginkgos turn gold, among them the Emperor Tree, said to be more than a thousand years old.
• Leave time for the pagoda forest on the slope outside the gate: around 75 tomb pagodas of eminent monks, built over many centuries in several different styles.
• In the Dragon King Hall, look for the Stone Fish, a carving said to give five different sounds when struck.

Nearby

• Fragrant Hills Park 香山公园 20 km
  Wooded former imperial hills that turn red with smoke-tree leaves each autumn
• Marco Polo Bridge 卢沟桥 20 km
  An 800-year-old stone bridge lined with hundreds of carved lions, by a walled Ming fort
• Summer Palace 颐和园 20 km
  An imperial lakeside garden of painted corridors, temple-topped hills and a marble boat
• Zhoukoudian Peking Man Site 周口店北京人遗址 30 km
  Limestone caves on Dragon Bone Hill where the fossils of Peking Man were found
• Old Summer Palace 圆明园 30 km
  Broken marble arches of Qing European-style palaces beside lakes of summer lotus
• Prince Gong's Mansion 恭王府 30 km
  A Qing courtyard mansion and rock garden, home first to a corrupt minister, then a prince

Also within 30 km: Baqi Cave 八奇洞 (under 10 km), Jietai Temple 戒台寺 (under 10 km), Beigong National Forest Park 北宫国家森林公园 (under 10 km), Gushan Village 谷山村 (under 10 km), Yao Guangxiao's Tomb Pagoda 姚广孝墓塔 (10 km), Fahai Temple 法海寺 (10 km).

On the map

Open Tanzhe Temple on the illustrated map to see the terrain around it, what else is close, and to add it to a trip and plan the days.

Learn more

• Wikipedia
• Wikipedia (Chinese)