Beijing Baoguo Temple

Beijing Baoguo Temple

Beijing Baoguo Temple is a National Key Cultural Relics Protection Unit.

Baoguo Temple is located at No. 1 Baoguo Temple Front Street, Xicheng District, Beijing. It lies within the urban area of the Beijing Ming City Wall Ruins Park, which stretches from the Southeast Corner Tower in the east to Chongwenmen in the west, covering a total area of approximately 15.5 hectares. Of this, the city wall ruins and the Southeast Corner Tower occupy 3.3 hectares, while green space accounts for 12.2 hectares. The temple originally had seven courtyards, with the Pīlú Pavilion behind, accessible by 36 steps. Beneath the pavilion stood a porcelain Guanyin statue over a foot tall, adorned with a precious crown and a green cape, holding a Sanskrit wheel. This statue was a tribute from the Jingdezhen kilns during the reign of Emperor Shenzong and was considered one of the Eight Treasures of Old Beijing, known as the "Kiln-Transformed Guanyin." A scroll painting titled "Victorious Fruit and Wonderful Cause" once hung among the beams. The temple also houses a scroll from the sixth year of the Jiaqing era (1801) depicting the "Five-Colored Heavenly Maidens." Today, the temple still preserves an imperial stele from the second year of the Chenghua era (1466) and a poetic stele from the 21st year of the Qianlong era (1756) commemorating the temple’s renovation. It is a key cultural relic protected by Beijing Municipality.

Further Reading:

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