Long’an Temple

Long’an Temple

Long’an Temple is a cultural relic protection unit of Beijing.

Destination Introduction

Long’an Temple is located at No. 1 Baiqiaonanli, in the northeastern part of Chongwen District. It is a renowned Buddhist temple in the outer city of Beijing. In 1984, it was designated as a cultural relic protection unit of Beijing.

Long’an Temple was first built in the fifth year of the Jingtai era of the Ming Dynasty (1454). In the thirty-seventh year of the Wanli era (1609), the eminent Sichuan monk Cuilin renovated the three-bay rear hall of the Buddha hall. Although the current structure was reconstructed in the forty-seventh year of the Kangxi era of the Qing Dynasty (1708), the architectural style of the Ming Dynasty temple can still be observed.

During the Daoguang and Xianfeng eras of the Qing Dynasty, incense offerings ceased, and the temple was repurposed as a workshop for making Buddhist incense and a place for storing coffins of high-ranking officials and wealthy merchants. The surrounding area also became a “burial ground.”

In 1952, the temple was converted into Chongwen District Long’an Temple Primary School, later renamed Baiqiaonanli Primary School and Donghuashi Youth Center. In 1983, the government renovated the temple again, and in 1984, it was turned into the Chongwen District Youth Science and Technology Museum.

Location: No. 1 Baiqiaonanli, northeastern Chongwen District

Long’an Temple faces south and covers an area of 10,000 square meters, stretching over 160 meters from north to south and more than 60 meters from east to west. The overall layout of the buildings is largely well-preserved. At the front is a mountain gate with a hip-and-gable roof, built with brick and stone in imitation of wooden structure. A single-arch gate is inscribed with the stone plaque “Imperially Commissioned Long’an Temple.” Inside the gate, there were once bell and drum towers on both sides (now destroyed). The main halls, in sequence, are the Heavenly King Hall, Front Hall, Mahavira Hall, and Rear Hall—Pure Land Society. All major halls feature flush-gable roofs covered with green glazed tiles, exuding a majestic aura that distinguishes them from ordinary temples. On the east and west sides of each major hall are auxiliary halls. Behind the Front Hall, there is a north-facing stage, built for monks to perform operas and worship the Buddha during the “Thousand Dishes Assembly.”

Existing relics include four stone steles, the earliest dating back to the fifth year of the Jingtai era of the Ming Dynasty, documenting the construction of Long’an Temple. The other steles are commemorative inscriptions from various renovation projects. In the courtyard behind the Heavenly King Hall, there are also two ancient cypresses over 500 years old and two rare Chinese catalpa trees in Beijing. These are key protected cultural relics of Beijing.

Beijing Chongwen District

Further Reading:

· Third Batch of Municipal Cultural Relic Protection Units in Beijing