Dajue Temple

Dajue Temple is located at the foot of Yantai Hill in the western suburbs of Beijing. With a long history of nearly 950 years, it has many precious historical features. Standing at the foot of mountains, the scenery here is perfectly charming with ancient trees, ceaseless water, and a tranquil and serene environment. The temple itself is appealing to those who are interested in Buddhism. A set of Buddhist buildings are featured, including a gate, a bell tower, a drum tower, the Hall of Heavenly King, the Grand Hall and other subsidiary halls.

Features: The principal structures in the temple are the Maitreya (Future Buddha) Hall, the main hall, the rear hall, the northern and southern courtyards and, at the very rear of the complex, a peaceful courtyard. The roof brackets and columns of the halls date from the early Ming Dynasty (1368-1644). A mountain spring flows by the Qiyun (Restful Clouds) Pavilion’s rear courtyard. Near the spring there is a stupa which stands at the highest point in the temple complex. Inside the temple is a Liao Dynasty (916-1125) stela on which it is recorded that, more than 1,000 years ago, the temple was named ‘Clear Stream Court’ after the nearby springs. Although the carving is blurred and the stela itself broken into two pieces, most of the inscription remains legible.

There are a number of interesting sights in the immediate vicinity. They include Vulture Peak; the tomb of a Qing prince; Yang Family Garden and Lotus Temple and the Temple of Universal Grace. All are accessible by mountain roads. Minghui Tea House is located in the temple and offers a tea service with Taoist features. Dajue Temple is best known for its Yulan trees, planted almost 300 years ago. The finest being the magnolias. It is said that a monk brought two of the specimens found in the southern courtyard from Sichuan during the Qianlong era, and one of them survives today. Another magnolia in the northern courtyard was transplanted about 100 years ago, and grows alongside a ginkgo tree. The ancient tree usually blossoms around the April 5 every year, during the traditional Chinese Everbright Festival.

Take Bus No. 346 at Beigongmen to Zhoujiaxiang and walk for 15 minutes or take Bus No. 633 at Qinghe Xiaoying to Dajue Temple.