There are many English explanations in this temple, often differing wildly from the accompanying Chinese ones, but at ¥10 this is a bargain given the number and variety…

Peter Neville-Hadley in A Better Guide to Beijing

Oct 25, 2016

Línglóng Gōngyuán 玲珑公园

蓝靛厂南路
Part of A Better Guide to Běijīng’s coverage of West of the Imperial City

Peter Neville-Hadley in A Better Guide to Beijing

Oct 24, 2016

Stupa, Dagoba, Chorten, or Pagoda?

The original purpose of a stupa (the Sanskrit name) was to house the mortal remains of the historical Buddha, and later of other key Buddhist saints. Stupas also served the purpose of commemorating key events in his life, being built at the place of his birth, death…

Peter Neville-Hadley in A Better Guide to Beijing

Oct 24, 2016

Temple of Ancient Monarchs 历代帝王庙

阜成门内大街131号
Part of A Better Guide to Běijīng’s coverage of West of the Imperial City

Another product of the Míng Jiājìng emperor’s revision and expansion of religious observance, the Lìdài Dìwáng Miào, its main hall long…

Peter Neville-Hadley in A Better Guide to Beijing

Oct 21, 2016

Ancestral Temple of Wén Tiānxiáng 于谦祠

交道口南大街府学胡同63号
Part of A Better Guide to Běijīng’s coverage of North and East of the Imperial City

This is an ancient counterpart to the hagiographic museums of communism’s saints. Versions vary, but Wén Tiānxiáng…

Peter Neville-Hadley in A Better Guide to Beijing

Oct 19, 2016

Dōng Yuè Miào 东岳庙

朝阳门外大街141号
Part of A Better Guide to Běijīng’s coverage of North and East of the Imperial City

This daoist temple (see Daoism) is also the Běijīng Folk Arts Museum (北京民俗博物馆, Běijīng Mínsú Bówùguǎn). Cháoyáng Mén Wài Dàjiē passes right through the…

Peter Neville-Hadley in A Better Guide to Beijing

Oct 18, 2016

Tōngjiào Sì 通教寺

东直门北小街针线胡同19号
Part of A Better Guide to Běijīng’s coverage of North and East of the Imperial City

This is a small, functioning three-hall temple rather than a tourist destination, where the attendants who allow you in are obviously devout. There’s…