Tanzhe Temple

An entrance into the Tanzhe Temple

The Tanzhe Temple (Chinese: 潭柘寺; pinyin: Tán Zhè Sì; literally: "Temple of Pool and Zhe Tree") is a Buddhist temple situated in the Western Hills, a mountainous area in western Beijing. It is one of the most well-known temples in Beijing. At one time, it was one of the most important temples in the nation. The temple is located near China National Highway 108 in the Mentougou District of Beijing.

Built in the Jin Dynasty (265–420), it has an age of around 1,700 years. The area of the entire temple is 100 mu (6.8 hectares), and its arrangement of halls is akin to that found in the Ming and Qing dynasties. Tanzhe Temple is one of the oldest temples in Beijing.

Most of the existing buildings in the temple are from the Ming and Qing dynasties, and there are pagodas from various historical periods such as the Jin, Yuan, Ming and Qing dynasties. The two "Emperor trees" by the Hall of Three Sages were planted during the Liao Dynasty about 1,000 years ago.

The spacious and imposing buildings are arranged in three main northsouth axes. Along the central axis are the Archway, the Front Gate, Deveraja Hall, Mahavira Hall and Vairochana Pavilion.

One of the main halls inside the temple

The temple's central hall is its Mahavira Hall. 24 metres in length, 33 metres wide. Buddhist monks regularly perform religious ceremony here.

The temple is divided between the Hall of Abstinence, the Ordination Altar and the Hall to Guanyin. The latter has received fame because of its association with Princess Miaoyan, daughter of Kublai Khan. The princess is said to have entered nunnery here in the 13th century. The indentations can be found on the stone on which she always knelt and prayed within the hall. Supposedly she was also buried within the temple compound.

To the right of the main courtyard lies a separate yard containing stone monuments built in different styles over a period of several centuries and housing the remains of eminent monks.

External links

Tanzhe Temple official site

Notable Buddhist temples in Beijing

Badachu Bailin Temple Big Bell Temple Changchun Temple Cheng'en Temple Dahui Temple Dajue Temple Fahai Temple Fayuan Temple Guanghua Temple Guangji Temple Hongluo Temple Jietai Temple Miaoying Temple Tanzhe Temple Temple of Azure Clouds Tianning Temple Wanshou Temple Wofo Temple Xifeng Temple Yonghe Temple Yunju Temple Zhenjue Temple Zhihua Temple

Old city of Beijing

Subdivisions	Inner City Outer City Imperial City Forbidden City

Fortifications and towers	Yongdingmen Gate Zhengyangmen Gate Zhonghuamen Tiananmen Gate Deshengmen Gate Bell and Drum towers

Forbidden City	Meridian Gate Gate of Supreme Harmony Hall of Mental Cultivation Hall of Supreme Harmony Hall of Central Harmony Hall of Preserving Harmony Palace of Heavenly Purity Hall of Union Palace of Earthly Tranquility Gate of Divine Might

Imperial gardens, temples and offices	Jingshan Park Beihai Park Zhongnanhai Taimiao (Imperial Ancestral Temple) Zhongshan Park Confucius Temple Guozijian Beijing Ancient Observatory Beijing Zoo Old Summer Palace Summer Palace Fragrant Hills Jade Spring Hill Temple of Heaven Temple of Earth Temple of the Sun Temple of the Moon Xiannongtan (Temple of Agriculture)

Temples and gardens	Shichahai Yonghe Temple Fayuan Temple White Cloud Temple Zhenjue Temple Miaoying Temple Wanshou Temple Temple of Azure Clouds Badachu Dongyue Temple Guanghua Temple Tanzhe Temple Wofo Temple Big Bell Temple Bailin Temple Guangji Temple Fahai Temple Changchun Temple Zhihua Temple Yunju Temple Tianning Temple

Mosques and churches	Xuanwumen Cathedral Xishiku Cathedral Xizhimen Cathedral Wangfujing Cathedral St. Michael's Church Niujie Mosque

Coordinates: 39°54′14″N 116°01′27″E / 39.904016°N 116.024133°E / 39.904016; 116.024133

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