Berlin Temple

　　Destination Introduction

　　Berlin Temple is situated east of Yonghe Temple in Dongcheng District and is one of the Eight Great Temples of Beijing. It was first built in the seventh year of the Zhiyuan era of the Yuan Dynasty (1347) and rebuilt in the twelfth year of the Zhengtong era of the Ming Dynasty (1447). The largest renovation took place in the fifty-second year of the Kangxi era (1713) to celebrate Kangxi’s 60th birthday, overseen by Yinzhen; in the twenty-third year of the Qianlong era (1758), another major restoration was funded with substantial imperial resources.

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

　　The temple once housed China’s only surviving Longzang Sutra printing blocks. Buddhist scriptures have been referred to as a “Zang” (collection) since the Tang Dynasty; the Longzang refers to the grand series of Buddhist texts engraved under imperial decree during the Qing Dynasty. Its contents include works by eminent monks from the Yuan, Ming, and Qing dynasties as well as Buddhist scholarly writings—many historical materials not recorded elsewhere can be traced back to their origins here. This Longzang edition was carved in the eleventh year of the Yongzheng era (1733) and completed in the third year of the Qianlong era (1738), consisting of 78,230 blocks and 7,240 volumes. The blocks were made from high-quality pear wood, with fine carving and dignified, elegant fonts. Due to the extremely limited number of printings, the characters on the blocks remain sharp and intact as if new. The blocks were moved to Zhizhu Temple in 1982 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 exquisite carvings. The Mahavira Hall is the main structure of the temple; hanging centrally under its eaves is a large horizontal plaque inscribed with “Ten Thousand Autumns of Berlin,” personally written by Kangxi on the occasion of his 60th birthday. Inside the hall are three Buddhist statues from the Ming Dynasty representing the past, present, and future, as well as seven gilded wooden Buddha statues. The East Side Hall houses a large bronze bell cast in the forty-sixth year of the Kangxi era (1707), standing 2.6 meters tall, with inscriptions covering its body. The Vimalakirti Pavilion forms its own courtyard as a two-story building, with wing rooms on the east and west sides. Accommodation Information

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

　　Beijing Dongcheng District

Berlin Temple is a National Key Cultural Relics Protection Unit.