Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Lama and the Panchen Lama. Eight golden effigies on either flank include tantric statues
and the goddess Heinümu, adorned with a necklace of skulls. The final flight of steep
steps brings you to the
White Dagoba
.
Xītiān Fànjìng
Located on the lake's northern shore, this is one of the most interesting temples in all
Běijīng (admission is included in the through ticket). The first hall, the Hall of the
Heavenly Kings, takes you past Mílèfó, Weituo and the four Heavenly Kings.
The
Dàcízhēnrú Hall
(Dàcízhēnrú Diàn) dates back to the Ming dynasty and contains
three huge statues of Sakyamuni, the Amithaba Buddha and Yaoshi Fo (Medicine
Buddha). Sadly, the golden statue of Guanyin at the rear is not accessible. The hall is sup-
ported by huge wooden pillars (which are called
nánmù
), and you can still make out
where the original stone pillars once existed. At the very rear of the temple are a glazed
pavilion and a huge hall that are both unfortunately out of bounds.
The nearby
Nine Dragon Screen
(Jiǔlóng Bì; admission is included in the through tick-
et), a 5m-high and 27m-long spirit wall, is a glimmering stretch of coloured glazed tiles.
THE PALACE OF THE GREAT KHAN
The grandson of the even more dominant Genghis Khan, Kublai Khan conquered China and established the Yuán dyn-
asty in 1271. He chose what is now Běihǎi Park as the site of his palace. All that remains of his former home is a large
jar made of green jade dating from 1265 in the
Round City
(Tuán Chéng) near the park's southern entrance. Sadly, the
Round City, which also houses the
Chéngguāng Hall
(Chéngguāng Diàn), where a white jade statue of Sakyamuni
from Myanmar can be found, was closed at the time of writing. The park, though, has been associated with the centre of
power of China since the 10th century, when it was laid out as an imperial garden. Even now, it remains as close to the
nerve centre of the country as you are likely to get.
Less than a mile to the south is Zhōngnánhǎi, the closely guarded compound where China's president and the
other most senior Chinese Communist Party (CCP) officials reside in cosy proximity to each other.
