Baipu Shoufeng Chan Temple

Baipu Shoufeng Chan Temple

Baipu Shoufeng Chan Temple is a cultural tourism attraction.

Baipu Temple (Baipu Shoufeng Chan Temple) is a cultural relic protection unit of Mentougou District, Beijing. It is located at the foot of Jincheng Mountain, north of Yubai Village, Tianzhuang Office, Mentougou District. In the early years of the Qian Tong era of the Liao Dynasty, devotees from four counties—Changping, Yuhé, Fanshan, and Huailai—pooled funds to build a Buddhist temple on the site. Initially named Baipu Yuan, it was later renamed “Baipu Shoufeng Chan Temple,” commonly known as Baipu Temple. In the late Liao Dynasty, the renowned Huayan Sect monk Master Yuancheng traveled to the Yanjing region and preached Buddhism on Jincheng Mountain in Wanping County. The temple was renovated during the Jin, Yuan, Ming dynasties, and the Republican period.

At its peak, Baipu Temple housed over a hundred monks. The main hall enshrined one of only two existing Thousand Buddha Circumambulating Vairocana Buddha statues in China. The bronze bell in the bell tower had a diameter of about 1.5 meters. There was also a Water-Subduing Pagoda, a Medicine Buddha Pagoda, and a Covered-Bowl Stacked Eaves Pagoda. The temple had eleven branch monasteries. However, in the early years of the Republic of China, a warlord who coveted the temple’s auspicious location for relocating his ancestral tomb led troops to destroy Baipu Temple. Villagers from nearby Yubai Village, the closest settlement to the temple, were determined to rebuild it, but the new structure was far less grand than the original—a simple three-courtyard monastery. This version of Baipu Temple was eventually destroyed during the Cultural Revolution. The Thousand Buddha Circumambulating Vairocana Buddha statue, which the warlord had not dared to destroy, was demolished, the large bronze bell was sold to make propaganda “loudspeakers,” and only an ancient Liao Dynasty Covered-Bowl Pagoda remained.

Master Huineng was born in Yubai Village, the settlement closest to Baipu Temple. As a child, he was different from other children, seemingly destined to carry on the Buddhist tradition. After enduring many hardships, he became a monk and, starting in 1998, led lay followers to build a road and reconstruct Baipu Temple.

The current Baipu Temple begins with a mountain gate, followed by terraced structures along the mountainside: the Heavenly King Hall, monk quarters, bell tower, drum tower, guest hall, Dharma goods distribution area, Mahavira Hall, and the ancient Liao Dynasty pagoda located to the right of the Mahavira Hall. To the left of the Mahavira Hall is the newly built Medicine Buddha Pagoda, flanked by the Sangharama Hall, Medicine Buddha Hall, Amitabha Hall, Patriarch Hall, and monk quarters. Corridors wrap around the halls, extending to the Dharma Hall and Scripture Depository. On the left side of the corridor is the Abbot’s Quarters, and on the right is a small stone bridge leading to the Liberation Pond. Other facilities include a dining hall and a four-story building. All temple buildings are interconnected. In the southwestern valley of the temple grounds is the Kṣitigarbha Hall, a white marble Guanyin statue, the Guide Hall, a ten-meter-tall bronze statue of Kṣitigarbha Bodhisattva, and a seven-story stupa in front of the bodhisattva that houses relics. There is also a God of Wealth Hall, Liberation Pond, water well house, and boiler room. On the eastern side of the temple is a two-monk residence, behind which lies the Amitabha Village Retirement Home. In front of the two-monk residence is a Guanyin Pavilion, housing a six-meter-tall Guanyin statue sculpted from fossilized camphorwood from the seabed. A winding stone stairway from the pavilion leads to the Medicine Guanyin Cave.

Scenic Area Address: At the foot of Jincheng Mountain, north of Yubai Village, Mentougou District, Beijing

Transportation by Bus: Take bus 892 in Mentougou and get off at Gaotai Station, then walk up the mountain to reach the temple.

Self-Drive Route: From Beijing — Take National Highway G109 — Pass through Mentougou District — Enter Provincial Road S219 (Nanyan Road) at Qinyukou — Arrive at Yubai Village — Then to Baipu Temple