CHINA - MAY 16: Guardian lion statue, Fayuan Si temple, Beijing. China, 15th century. Detail. (Photo by DeAgostini/Getty Images)

De Agostini/Getty Images

Fayuan Temple

Beijing


Infused with an air of sleepy reverence, this working Buddhist temple is one of Beijing's most evocative. Perhaps it's the ancient Song dynasty pines, interspersed with thickets of lilacs, gingkos and crabapple trees from the time of Emperor Qianlong, or the way monks and local retirees outnumber tourists, but bustling Beijing feels aeons away. Originally built in the 7th century to honour soldiers killed in battle with Korean tribes, the current halls are 20th-century renovations.

That being said, the courtyards contain several ancient stelae and the halls dozens of handsome Buddhist relics in glass cases. Beijing's longest reclining Buddha at 7.4m lies supine in the rearmost hall (closed for renovations at time of research). And do seek out the Pilu Hall for its enormous stone lotus bulb engraved with '1000 leaves' of Buddha images and crowned with the Five Dhyani Buddhas.

You can be certain of seeing monks here, because Dayuan Temple also serves as as a Buddhist teaching academy, well furnished with precious religious texts stored within the Pavilion of Buddhist Sutras.

Transportation

  • subway: Lines 4, 7 to Caishikou, exit D

Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Beijing attractions

1. Niu Jie Mosque

0.32 MILES

Dating from around the 10th century when Chinese first began converting to Islam, Beijing's oldest mosque appears more like a Chinese temple with Islamic…

2. Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception

1.13 MILES

Central Beijing's earliest church dates back to a chapel beside the house of Jesuit missionary Matteo Ricci, who brought Catholicism to China in the early…

3. Southwest Gate City Wall Remains

1.24 MILES

The lesser sibling to the Ming City Wall Ruins Park, this restored chunk of Beijing's dearly departed ramparts is stranded in a phalanx of traffic. You…

4. Beijing Ancient Architecture Museum

1.28 MILES

On the site of the old Temple of Agriculture (先农坛, Xiānnóng Tán), you'll find this museum exploring traditional Chinese building techniques. Brush up on…

5. Tianning Temple

1.46 MILES

Dating back to the Liao dynasty (around 1120), the pagoda in this little-visited temple is reputedly the oldest structure in Beijing. The octagonal tower…

6. Beijing Natural History Museum

1.58 MILES

New York and London needn't fret: Beijing's Natural History Museum isn't going to rival their august institutions any time soon. Not with exhibits that…

7. Dashilar Commercial Street

1.62 MILES

This centuries-old shopping street, although tarted up for tourists, retains several timeworn emporia selling silk, cloth shoes and traditional Chinese…

8. Beijing Red Star

1.62 MILES

Fans of Communist ephemera or esoteric booze brands might get a kick out this place set up by Red Star, a popular brand of Beijing báijiǔ, China's famous…

  • placement: superzone
  • path: Destinations/POIs/superzone
  • possible size: [970, 250], [970, 90], [728, 90], [1, 1],
  • targeting:
    {
      "url": "china/beijing/dashilar-and-xicheng-south/attractions/fayuan-temple/a/poi-sig/368873/1333768",
      "destination": "Beijing",
      "continent": "Asia",
      "country": "China",
      "city": "Beijing",
      "position": "superzone"
    }