White Tower TempleⅠ

Go along a short walk east from Fuchengmen (Fucheng Gate) Subway Station. You will see a towering dagoba on your left, the north side of Fuchengmen Nei Street. It is one of two famous white dagobas in Beijing, which is 15 meters (49 feet) taller than the White Dagoba in Beihai Park. The White Tower (Baita) Temple built around the dagoba has a history of over 700 years, featuring the largest Tibetan dagoba in China.

Originally, the temple was first built in 1096 during the Liao Dynasty (916 - 1125). In the year 1271, the Mongolian leader Kublai Khan united the country and founded the Yuan Dynasty (1271 - 1368). To enhance the relationship between his empire and the religious power in Tibet, Kublai Khan granted imperial permission to build the Lamaist White Dagoba. In 1271 the original pagoda was knocked down and a new Lamaist dagoba, on a larger scale, was erected. The construction project was directed by the Nepali architect Aniko and it was completed in 1279. That is the dagoba we see today. The White Tower Temple functioned as an imperial temple during the Yuan Dynasty when Beijing was named Dadu. A ceremony for Kublai Khan was held here when he died.