Jietai Temple in Beijing
Chinese Name: 戒台寺
English Name: Jietai Temple
Type: Temple, Buddhism culture & National key cultural relics protection unit
Best Time: All year around, Each season has its own characteristics.
Recommended Visiting Hours: over 3 hour
Opening Hours: 08:00-17:30 (summer), 08:00-17:00 (winter)
Ticket: 45for ticket
Location: Mentougou District, Beijing
Why is Jietai Temple so special?
Jietai Temple is a national key cultural relic protection unit. It is the temple in northern China with most complete cultural relics in Liao Dynasty. The most special thing is that it has preserved rare treasures in Liao Buddhism such as stupas and sutras.
History of Jietai Temple
The temple was founded in 622 and became a place for people to worship in the following dynasties. After 1949, Jietai Temple stopped Buddhist activities and became a park. Most of the Buddha statues in the temple were also destroyed during the cultural revolution. Since the 1980s, the temple has been restored and reopened.
Main Attractions in Jietai Temple
Peony Garden
In the late Qing Dynasty, Prince Gong Yixin, the sixth son of Emperor Daoguang, stayed in Jietai Temple for ten years. During this period, Yixin built his own residence. As peony flowers are widely planted in the courtyard, it is commonly known as “peony courtyard”. During the peony flower season, the peony courtyard has also become the most beautiful scenery in Jietai temple.
Maitreya Buddha
This Maitreya Buddha is made of camphor wood, which is hard and fragrant, and is one of the three main materials used in court wood in Ming and Qing dynasties. The longer the camphor tree year is, the more precious it becomes, and the thousand-year camphor tree naturally becomes a priceless treasure that can never be found.
Thousand Buddhas Pavilion
The Thousand Buddhas Pavilion was built in the Liao Dynasty and renovated in the Ming and Qing Dynasties. The pavilion is full of alcoves. Each niche contains a small 10 cm high carved wooden Buddha, totaling 1,680 statues.
Architectural Composition
The temple is built on the mountain and has a unique architectural pattern, with its central axis pointing directly to the city of Beijing 70 kilometers away. The peony courtyard has a unique architectural style, which ingeniously integrates the traditional quadrangle form of Beijing with the garden art in the south of the Yangtze River. Despite all the vicissitudes of life, it is still well preserved.
How to Get There
Take Subway Line 1 to Pingguoyuan Station. Then transfer to bus 948 and get off at Jietaisi (Jietai Temple) Station. Bus 948 departs from Pingguoyuan Station regularly at 07:00, 10:00, 13:00, and 16:10.
