The White Cloud Taoist Temple

The White Cloud Taoist Temple is the chief temple of the Quanzhen Taoist sect and the center of the Longmen sub-sect. Emperor Xuanzong (7l2-756) of the Tang Dynasty built the temple to enshrine a stone statue of Laozi in order to respect the Taoism.

After Jin Dynasty, it was renamed first Taiji Palace and afterwards Changchun Palace, called White Cloud Taoist Temple at the beginning of Ming Dynasty. The existing hall of White Cloud Taoist Temple was rebuilt in the Ming and Qing Dynasties.

The White Cloud Taoist Temple locates in Guang’anmen Binhe Road, Xicheng District. Now it opens 2 rooms to exhibit the relics such as Laozi statue. Beside, there are 3 stone-carved monkeys with a popular custom to touch them for good luck.

Route: bus 19,44,114,330,332.
Admission fee: RMB8 (RMB10 during the temple fair )

Yonghe Lamasery

Yonghe Lamasery, located in the cross of Andingmen East Street and Yonghegong Street, is the largest, best-known and well-preserved lamasery in Beijing. The Lama Temple was built in Qing Dynasty, originally the residence of prince Yongzheng, who later became Emperor. During Qianlong reign,

it was converted into a lamasery, a monastery for monks of Tibetan Buddhism., and became the center in charge of the national lama Buddhism issues. The whole lamasery has a feature of combining Han, Man and Tibet structure styles, so that in the lamasery there are not only splendid buildings, but also the solemn temple atmosphere.

In Yonghe Lamasery, there are three superb relics: a huge, 23-meter-tall Maitreya Buddha, which was carved from the trunk of a white sandalwood tree; the Five-Hundred-Arhat-Hill, a carving made of red sandalwood with statues of the arhats made from five different metals; the niche for the statue of the Buddha made of nanmu(a kind tree in China).

Address: No.12 Yonghegong Street, Dongcheng District
Open hours: 9:00a.m - 16:00p.m, closed on Mondays
Route: to take bus No,12, 44, 62, 116, 406, or to take the subway
Admission fee: RMB15

The Temple of Heaven (Tian Tan)

Tian Tan, built in 1420 (the 18th year of the reign of Emperor Yongle of the Ming Dynasty), is the place where the emperors of the Ming and Qing dynasties made offerings to the heaven and a bumper grain harvest. Tian Tan covers an area of 273 hectares, and is famous for the well lay-out, fantastic buildings and magnificent decorations. Tian Tan is divided into 2 parts: the inner enclosure and the outer enclosure. In the inner enclosure, there are the main structures:

Circular Mound Altar, Imperial Heavenly Vault in the south, and the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests, Huangqian Palace in the north, which are connected by the Danbi Bridge. The Echo Wall, Triple Echo Stones, built according to the phonics theory, show the advanced skills of Chinese ancients in architecture. Now Tian Tan is the largest building group for praying, and is opened to the public as Tian Tan Park.

Address: Inner Yongnei Street, Chongwen District
Route: bus No.17, 20, 54, 106, 120, 35, 39, 122, 803, Te3
Admission fee: RMB30 for 1st November---31st March, RMB35 for 1st April---31st October