Dongcheng Temple of Peace

Dongcheng Temple of Peace

Temple of Peace in Dongcheng is a National Key Cultural Relics Protection Unit.

Destination Introduction

Temple of Peace is located east of Yonghe Temple in Dongcheng District and is one of the Eight Great Temples of the capital. It was first built in the seventh year of the Zhi Zheng era of the Yuan Dynasty (1347) and rebuilt in the twelfth year of the Zheng Tong era of the Ming Dynasty (1447). The largest renovation took place in the fifty-second year of the Kangxi era (1713) to celebrate the 60th birthday of Emperor Kangxi, under the supervision of Prince Yinzhen; in the twenty-third year of the Qianlong era (1758), another large sum of money was allocated for further restoration.

The temple faces south and its main structures are all aligned along a central north-south axis. From south to north, these include the Mountain Gate, the Hall of Heavenly Kings, the Hall of Perfect Enlightenment, the Mahavira Hall, and the Vimalakirti Pavilion, spanning five courtyards. On both the eastern and western sides of the central axis are auxiliary halls. The entire temple complex is neatly and rigorously laid out, with all buildings constructed on tall brick-and-stone platforms.

The temple once housed the only surviving Dragon Canon woodblocks in China. Buddhist scriptures have been referred to as a "canon" since the Tang Dynasty. The Dragon Canon refers to the grand series of Buddhist texts commissioned and engraved by the Qing imperial court. Its contents collect writings by eminent monks and Buddhist research from the Yuan, Ming, and Qing dynasties, including many historical materials not recorded elsewhere, which can often be traced back to their sources here. This Dragon Canon was engraved in the eleventh year of the Yongzheng era (1733) of the Qing Dynasty and completed in the third year of the Qianlong era (1738). There were 78,230 woodblocks and 7,240 volumes of scriptures. The woodblocks were carved from high-quality pear wood, featuring refined knife work and dignified, elegant fonts. Due to the extremely limited number of prints produced, the woodblocks remain sharp and intact, as good as new. In 1982, the woodblocks were moved to Zhihua Temple for preservation.

Address: No. 1 Xilou Hutong, Dongcheng District, Beijing

Location: Located east of Yonghe Temple in Dongcheng District

In front of the Mountain Gate Hall stands a tall brick screen wall with exquisitely carved patterns. The Mahavira Hall is the main structure of the temple, with a large horizontal plaque hanging centrally under the eaves, inscribed with “Ten Thousand Autumns of the Temple of Peace,” personally written by Emperor Kangxi for his 60th birthday. Inside the hall are three Buddhas of the Past, Present, and Future sculpted during the Ming Dynasty, as well as seven wooden gilded Buddha statues. The East Auxiliary Hall houses a large bronze bell with intertwined dragon knobs, cast in the forty-sixth year of the Kangxi era (1707), standing 2.6 meters tall, with the entire body of the bell covered in inscriptions. The Vimalakirti Pavilion forms its own courtyard as a two-story structure, with wing rooms on the eastern and western sides. Accommodation Information

Temple accommodation is available at two rates: 10 and 20 yuan, both including three vegetarian meals.

Address: No. 1 Xilou Hutong, Dongcheng District, Beijing (east side of Yonghe Temple)

Opening Hours:

Open all day

Further Reading:

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

· Sixth Batch of National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units