Badaling Stone Buddha Temple

Badaling Stone Buddha Temple

The ancient name of Stone Buddha Temple was Foyan Temple. According to Records of Xiguan: “Foyan Temple is located twenty-five li northwest of Juyong Pass. Its rise and fall are unrecorded, but within the temple stands a single stone Buddha inscribed with the characters ‘Kaipai Fourth Year of Liao’ (the reign title of Emperor Shengzong, 1015 AD), and on the walls is written ‘Made in Eleventh Year of Dade of Yuan’ (the reign title of Emperor Chengzong, 1307 AD). It is estimated that the temple was established during the Liao or Jin dynasties, making it an ancient temple, beyond doubt.” The stone Buddha inside the Stone Buddha Cave is a county-level cultural relic, situated about one meter north of the remnants of the Great Wall. Surrounded by rolling mountains, there is a natural slabstone cave with an entrance two meters high, 4.7 meters wide, and five meters deep. Inside sits a stone Buddha, 2.85 meters tall, intricately carved, with a robust form and unique style—rare among stone Buddhist statues in the Beijing area, and remarkably well-preserved. A mountain path through the woods leads to this cave.

When the “Shuiguan Great Wall” has been so heavily “renovated” that its original appearance is entirely lost, fortunately, other historical relics have managed to “survive” with difficulty—such as the “Stone Buddha Temple.” In order to minimize damage to historical sites, the current “Stone Buddha Temple” that visitors see is divided into two parts: the “Temple Courtyard” and the “Buddha Terrace.”

Driving down the “Badaling Expressway,” just after leaving the toll gate, you can immediately spot a historical site by the roadside: the Buddha Terrace. This place is so unremarkable that if it weren’t for a fairly eye-catching stone tablet labeled “Stone Buddha Temple” standing nearby, I might never have associated it with a “temple.”

If I remember correctly, the “Buddha Terrace” enshrines thirteen deities. There is one “main deity” facing south, flanked by one “attendant” on each side, and another five deities on each of the eastern and western wings. These are all Yuan Dynasty stone statues, over 700 years old, featuring simple carving techniques, unique attire, and vivid depictions.

The main structure of the “Stone Buddha Temple” is located within the “Shuiguan Great Wall” scenic area, very close to the resort where we stayed. The existing temple is only the ruins of the original building, which was burned down by the Eight-Nation Alliance in 1901. Due to the construction of the “Badaling Expressway,” the temple was relocated here, and more than ten scattered stone statues were gathered and enshrined at this site.

The temple complex is very small, less than one-third the size of the resort where we stayed, with only two courtyards. The main hall, the Mahavira Hall, is in the second courtyard, adjacent to the back wall of the temple. From the faded plaque at the entrance, one can tell that this place sees little foot traffic—it probably doesn’t attract many visitors.

The “Stone Buddha Temple” does not have a separate admission fee and can be visited free of charge with a ticket to the “Shuiguan Great Wall.”

Transportation Information

Address: Shifosi, Badaling Town, Yanqing County, Beijing

Transportation Route: Take bus 919 from Deshengmen to Badaling, then transfer to a minibus to Shifosi.