Five Summit Temples

Five Summit Temples

The Five Summit Temples is a cultural tourism attraction.

The Five Summit Temples are the five most famous temples in Beijing dedicated to the Goddess of Mount Tai, also known as the Bixia Yuanjun Temples. They are respectively known as the East Summit, West Summit, South Summit, North Summit, and Central Summit. The East Summit is located outside Dongzhimen and commonly referred to as the East Summit. Due to an ancient elm tree hundreds of years old near the temple, people from Shunyi and Tongzhou areas also called it the Lone Elm Tree Temple, but it no longer exists. The South Summit is located in Nandingshuicun, outside Dahongmen in Fengtai District, built during the Ming Dynasty and renovated in the 38th year of the Qianlong reign in the Qing Dynasty. It was destroyed during the Republican era and no longer exists. The West Summit, also known as the Guangren Palace Bixia Yuanjun Temple or commonly as the Goddess Temple, is located in Landianchang, Haidian District. Built in the 36th year of the Wanli reign in the Ming Dynasty, it was originally called the Huguo Hongrui Palace. In the 51st year of the Kangxi reign in the Qing Dynasty, it was renamed the Guangren Palace Bixia Yuanjun Temple. It features a main hall with five sections, flanked by seventy-two subordinate halls, as well as an imperial stele inscribed by Emperor Shengzu, couplets and plaques handwritten by Emperor Qianlong, and a poetry stele also commissioned by him. During the Republican period, it was used as a porridge distribution center, and after 1949, it served as a sanatorium. In the 1970s, it was repurposed as the Beijing Rubber & Hardware Factory. Today, the site retains the mountain gate, main hall, side halls, and ancient cypress trees. The North Summit is located in Beidingshuicun, Datun, Chaoyang District. It was renovated during the Qianlong reign in the Qing Dynasty, and the rear hall collapsed due to an earthquake after 1976, later being rebuilt as Beidingshuixiao School. Currently, only the mountain gate and front hall remain. The Central Summit is located at Shicaiqiao, ten li outside You’anmen. It was renovated in the 35th year of the Qianlong reign in the Qing Dynasty and again during the Republican era. Existing structures include the mountain gate, main hall, stone lions, a stone plaque with a seal script inscription by Zhang Yushu, and a stone stele with text authored by Shi Kui.