Millennial Fragrance, Lilacs in Full Bloom at Beijing's Fayuan Temple
"The most ancient temple in Yanjing, known for its compassion and loyalty," nestled near Caishikou in Beijing's Xicheng District, there lies a temple immersed in the fragrance of lilacs come spring. The temple grounds are adorned with purple clouds and white snow, offering tranquility and peace of mind, and even the temple cats seem to be leisurely enjoying themselves. This is one of Beijing's oldest temples—Fayuan Temple.
Fayuan Temple was originally built during the Tang Dynasty's Zhenguan era, initially named Minzhong Temple. It was renovated during the Yongzheng reign of the Qing Dynasty, and Emperor Yongzheng bestowed upon it the name "Fayuan Temple." The temple layout is neat, facing south with a north-south central axis symmetry. From south to north, it sequentially includes a screen wall, the main gate, bell and drum towers, the Hall of Heavenly Kings, the Mahavira Hall, the Avalokitesvara Hall, the Vairocana Hall, the Hall of Great Compassion, and the Sutra Tower.
The lilacs of Fayuan Temple, which make it a top destination for spring flower viewing in Beijing, also have a long history. It is said that as early as the Jin, Yuan, Ming, and Qing dynasties, there were poetry gatherings themed around lilacs. In modern times, the lilacs of Fayuan Temple have attracted many famous visitors. When the renowned Indian poet Tagore visited Beijing, Xu Zhimo and Lin Huiyin once accompanied him to enjoy the flowers at Fayuan Temple.
Through a millennium of time, amidst the changing seas and fields, as the world and its affairs shift with the years, the white and purple lilacs of Fayuan Temple continue to spread their delicate fragrance, and the Buddhist pagodas nestled in the sea of flowers stand quietly. While strolling through the temple, I found the "five-petaled lilac" (Picture 5).
Address: No. 7, Fayuan Temple Front Street, Xicheng District, Beijing
Admission: Free, no reservation required
Fayuan Temple is very close to Niu Street, located in the alley, the door is not big, very quiet, after entering, I found that I entered and entered, there were actually several into the yard, here is a lot of green plants, it seems that there are volunteers sweeping the yard, there is a free incense place at the door, not many people are very quiet, The cats in the yard are happy too.
Fayuan Temple, the first name of "Mingzhong Temple", is located at No. 7 Fayuan Temple Front Street, Xicheng District, Beijing, founded in Tang Zhenguan 19 years (645), Qinghui Zheng 11 years (1735) renamed Fayuan Temple, covering an area of 6700 square meters, is one of the oldest famous temples in Beijing.
The spring of Fayuan Temple is so beautiful, tourists are like weaving, cloves are in full bloom, strolling in the temple, the aroma is fragrant, and the enjoyment is beautiful. It's just that parking is not good nearby, the parking lot is full of cars, and it is still a one-way line in a small alley.
Next to Niu Street, the Tang Dynasty ancient temple Fayuan Temple Fayuan Temple is on the east side of the south exit of Jiaozi Hutong, which is next to Niu Street. There is a green space outside the mountain gate. This location is very interesting. It is next to the "big green bag", which is the Islamic School of Economics. This Fayuan Temple is also the seat of the Chinese Buddhist Academy. The two religions are so close together and live in harmony. Fayuan Temple is a real millennium ancient temple, such as built in the Tang Dynasty, the Zhenguan period Tang Taizong Li Shimin began planning, until the first year of Tongtian did not complete, Wu Ze Tian Gift name "Mingzhong Temple", the original intention is to mourn the soldiers who died in battle in the north of Liaodong. In the Liao Dynasty, the temple was destroyed in the earthquake, and it took more than ten years to repair it. It was renamed "Damunzhong Temple". The scale and layout of today are formed during this reconstruction. During the orthodox period of the Ming Dynasty, the monks of the temple repaired the temple and changed the name to "Chongfu Temple". During the Qing Dynasty and the Zheng Dynasty, it was designated as the Lizong Temple, and the name of today was officially used. "Fayuan Temple". There are many history and stories in Fayuan Temple, such as Song Qinzong Zhao Yu, who was captured by the Jin soldiers to the north, and was once imprisoned here; Song's widow, Yuan Yu, was captured by the Yuan Army in the defeat of resistance to the Yuan. He went to the capital, refused to descend the yuan, and died here on hunger strike; there were also the transformation of the new Fawei figure, Tong Tong, who had visited Fayuan Temple before the punishment; in addition, Qi Baishi also lived in Fayuan Temple twice, and now still retains the former residence at that time. The historical Fayuan Temple has experienced some disasters in the past thousand years. It is not easy to retain it so far. There are many precious cultural relics in the temple, such as the Buddha statues cast in the Ming and Qing dynasties. It is still well preserved and can be visited in various temples. Today, I also occasionally passed by and found that Fayuan Temple was re-corrected. It was opened outside, and I rushed to the temple to see it. This is a large-scale monastery, with six or seven inches, and there are countless halls. It is a blessing to retain such a large green space and ancient buildings in such a close place to the city center. It is definitely worth cherishing. Admission to the hospital is free, and you can receive three incenses for free at the mountain gate. There are a lot of devout pilgrims in such a thousand-year-old temple. The temple is full of believers who kneel on the incense one by one. And because this is also the location of the Chinese Buddhist Academy, there are many monks in the temple. The temple is built on both sides of the monk house. There are several cats in the temple, who are not small in size, not afraid of people at all, leisurely play and bask in the sun, some people bent over to caress them and do not hide. Today, I saw a big monk feeding them water. Obviously, their relationship with the monks in the temple is very harmonious. I feel that the elements of history, culture, religion, ancient construction and other aspects of the temple are very worth slowly understanding the taste, but the introduction of the above content feels too little, it is recommended to pass the plaque, Online explanations and other ways to introduce more relevant knowledge to tourists, which is more convenient for the spread of history and culture. Now many cultural neighborhoods have also been formed around Fayuan Temple. For example, the "rotten alley" of the Internet celebrity has been built, and many Internet celebrity neighborhoods with cultural and creative elements have been built. It is hoped that the promotion of the ancient temple scenic spot can drive the benign development of the surrounding neighborhoods.
Fayuan Temple in Beijing, founded over 1,300 years ago, is a historic Buddhist temple. Renowned for its ancient architecture, serene courtyards, and a vast collection of Buddhist scriptures, it stands as a spiritual and cultural landmark.
Fayuan Temple, located on the east side of the southern end of Jiaozi Hutong in Xicheng District, Beijing, was built in Tang Zhenguan 19 years (645 AD), and is one of the oldest famous temples in Beijing. Fayuan Temple, Tang Dynasty is the Mingzhong Temple, Qing Dynasty was renovated and changed to the current name, in 1956 in the temple was established in China Buddhist College, 1980 in the temple to establish the Chinese Buddhist Library. On June 25, 2001, Fayuan Temple was approved by the State Council as a key cultural relics protection unit in the country.