Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
either Shamanists or followers of Tibetan Buddhism. The Shamanist shrines have disap-
peared, but Běijīng is full of temples and stupas connected with Tibetan Buddhism. The
Emperor Qianlong considered himself the incarnation of the Bodhisattva Manjusri and
cultivated strong links with various Dalai Lamas and Panchen Lamas. Many visited - a
round trip usually lasted three years - and special palaces were built for them. The Man-
chus deliberately fostered the spread of Tibetan Buddhism among the warlike Mongols in
the hope of pacifying them. Běijīng therefore developed into a holy city attracting pil-
grims of all kinds.
The Jesuits
The arrival of the first Jesuits and other Christians made Běijīng an important centre of
Christianity in China. Emperor Qianlong employed many Jesuits who built for him the
baroque palaces that can still be seen in the ruins of the Old Summer Palace, which was
burnt down by a combined force of British and French troops in 1860 during the Second
Opium War.
The Dalai Lama's former Běijīng palace is now rented out by the government of the Tibet
Autonomous Region.
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