Shangfang Temple Ruins

Shangfang Temple Ruins

Shangfang Temple Ruins is a cultural tourism attraction.

Destination Introduction

Shangfang Temple Ruins are located at the foot of Fenghuang Ridge in Niegezhuang Township, Haidian District. They lie about 5 kilometers east of Taitou Village. The ruins are situated in a depression on the mountaintop, covering an area of approximately 5,000 square meters. This ancient temple dates back to the Liao and Jin dynasties and was once known as Miaofeng.

Location: Located at the foot of Fenghuang Ridge in Niegezhuang Township, Haidian District

The temple faces east and was built along the mountain slope. It originally had three main halls, and behind the main hall stood a stone stupa with an inverted-bowl design made of granite. Beneath the cliff behind the temple are two stone wells, where the water level reaches the brim, known as "Manjing" or "Full Well," and it is one of the local famous springs. Within the ruins, there are still two Ming Dynasty stone steles with illegible inscriptions, a Ming Dynasty carved bluestone slab with the "Sutra of Perfect Enlightenment," and a Qing Dynasty stele commemorating the temple’s renovation. In the valley in front of the ruins stands a Ming Dynasty stone stupa, which is a bowl-shaped memorial stupa for monks. The stupa faces east and leans against a high cliff, overlooking a deep ravine. It is entirely built from granite, standing 6.1 meters tall, with a sub-square base. On the north side of the ruins is a Yuan Dynasty brick pagoda, commonly known as the "Exquisite Pagoda." It served as the memorial pagoda for a local Zen master from the late Jin to early Yuan period, built around the Zhongtong era of the Yuan Dynasty (1260–1264). The pagoda faces east, is a hexagonal, five-eave dense-eave brick pagoda, approximately 9 meters tall. Each corner of the pagoda is adorned with a small hexagonal, five-eave dense-eave brick-carved mini pagoda.

Beijing Haidian District