Lingyue Temple

Lingyue Temple

Lingyue Temple is a National Key Cultural Relics Protection Unit.

Lingyue Temple is located on Baitian Mountain, about 5 kilometers north of Zhaitang Town in Mentougou District. It was originally built during the Zhenguan era of the Tang Dynasty, rebuilt in the Liao Dynasty when it was known as "Baitian Mountain Monastery," and renamed Lingyue Temple in the Jin Dynasty, which is its current name. The temple complex sits on a platform in front of the main peak of Baitian Mountain, facing south. Along the central axis are the mountain gate, the Heavenly King Hall, and the Sakyamuni Hall. At the southern end of the temple, on both sides of the mountain gate, are the ruins of the bell and drum towers. The Heavenly King Hall features a hanging mountain-style architecture with extremely ingenious design. Inside the hall are statues of the Four Heavenly Kings, Skanda, and the Buddha of Welcome. The Sakyamuni Hall is a single-eave hip-and-gable roof building with an adjusted large ridge, covering an area of over 100 square meters. Under the eaves are double-ang five-step bracket sets, with painted Buddha images on the spandrel panels. Originally, the hall enshrined a one-Buddha-two-Bodhisattva set carved from willow wood, nearly 4 meters high. Unfortunately, the statues were demolished in 1954.

Location

Baitian Mountain, Zhaitang Town, Mentougou District, Beijing

Zhaitang Town: Zhaitang Town is a township under the jurisdiction of Mentougou District, located in the deep mountainous area of western Mentougou District, Beijing. The town government is based in Dongzhaitang Village. It is over 30 kilometers southeast of the district government seat, borders Yanchi Town to the northeast, adjoins Huailai County of Hebei Province to the north, faces Qingshui Town to the west, connects to Da'anshan Township of Fangshan District to the south, and links to Datai Office to the southeast. It governs 29 administrative villages, three neighborhood committees, and covers a total area of 392.4 square kilometers, roughly rectangular in shape. The town has 7,786 households and a population of 17,089, including 7,708 non-agricultural residents.

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Further reading:

· Seventh Batch of Municipal-Level Cultural Relics Protection Units in Beijing

· Seventh Batch of National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units