Beijing Folklore Museum

　　The Beijing Folklore Museum (Beijing Dongyue Temple Management Office) is the only state-run folklore-themed museum in Beijing, located at No. 141, Chaoyangmen Outer Street, Chaoyang District, Beijing. The museum is housed within the Beijing Dongyue Temple, a nationally designated key cultural relics protection unit.

　　The Beijing Dongyue Temple was first built in the sixth year of the Yanyou era during the Yuan Dynasty (1319), funded by Zhang Liuzun and Wu Quanjie, both prominent leaders of the Quanzhen School of Taoism at the time. It primarily enshrines the deity of Mount Tai, the Eastern Peak Emperor. Over the Ming and Qing dynasties, the temple underwent continuous expansions, gradually forming an architectural layout consisting of a central axis courtyard and east and west side courtyards. Covering an area of approximately 47,400 square meters, the temple complex includes over 300 ancient structures, showcasing the architectural styles of the Yuan, Ming, and Qing dynasties, and is regarded as a treasured gem of ancient architecture. Historically, the Dongyue Temple served as a site for state-sponsored sacrificial ceremonies, while folk worship activities were even more grand, establishing it as a center rich in traditional folklore culture. In 1996, the Beijing Dongyue Temple was designated by the State Council as a national key cultural relics protection unit. In 1997, the Beijing Dongyue Temple Management Office and the Beijing Folklore Museum were established. In 1999, the Beijing Folklore Museum officially opened to the public.

　　The mission of the Beijing Folklore Museum is to become a research, exhibition, and activity center for Beijing’s folklore. The museum has hosted dozens of academic seminars, including “The Calendar of the Nation: Traditional Festivals and Public Holidays,” and has published books such as "Essays on Beijing Folklore" and "Traditional Festival Culture of Old Beijing." The museum regularly holds folklore exhibitions, featuring major displays such as the "Exhibition of Cultural Artifacts Related to Life Rituals" and the "Exhibition of Commercial Folklore Artifacts of Old Beijing," among more than ten others. The Dongyue Temple Fair held during the Spring Festival has been included in the National Intangible Cultural Heritage list. In addition, colorful folklore park activities are organized during traditional festivals such as the Dragon Boat Festival, Mid-Autumn Festival, and Double Ninth Festival. The Dongyue Academy, established within the eastern corridor courtyard of the museum, offers the public lectures on traditional culture. The museum has gradually become an important window for both local residents and visitors from across the country to learn about Beijing’s traditional folklore culture.

　　Source: Beijing Municipal Commission of Tourism Development