Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Yongan Temple
永安寺
永安寺
The principal site on the Jade Islet is this impressive temple. The stand-out hall is the Hall
of the Wheel of the Law (Falun Dian)
,
with its central effigy of Sakyamuni. At the rear of
the temple you will find a bamboo grove and a steep flight of steps leading onto more
halls, before the final flight of steps brings you to the
White Dagoba
itself.
Xitian Fanjing
西天梵境
西天梵境
This is one of the most interesting temples in all Beijing. The
Dacizhenru Hall
(Da-
cizhenru Dian) dates back to the Ming dynasty and is supported by huge wooden pillars. It
contains three huge statues of Sakyamuni, the Amithaba Buddha and Yaoshi Fo (Medicine
Buddha). Make sure to see the nearby
Nine Dragon Screen
(Jiulong Bi), a glimmering
5m-high and 27m-long stretch of coloured glazed tiles. Xitian Fanjing is to the west of the
north entrance to the park.
Top Tips
›
You can enter the park by its southern gate on Wenjin Jie, or the northern gate on Di'anmen Xidajie. But if
you're planning to move onto the Houhai lakes later, it makes sense to enter from the south and exit by the north
gate.
›
This is one of the best spots in the city to see the locals practising taichi; they gather on the northern shore out-
side the Xitian Fanjing temple (
Click here
)
.
›
Make sure to buy the 'through ticket' (park and sights) to get you into all the park sights.
Take a Break
Beihai Park is a great spot for a picnic, while neighbouring Houhai Lake is surrounded by cafes and restaurants.
Try
4Corners
(
Click here
)
for meals and/or coffee breaks, or
Yuelu Shanwu
(
Click here
)
for spicy Hunan
cuisine with a view over the lake.
