The Tanzhe Temple stands close to the China National Highway 108 in a mountainous area, 45 km to the west of the Beijing. It dates back to the time of Jin dynasty and is around 1600 years old. The temple is believed to have a history which is older than that of the city of Beijing itself. There is also a sign that authenticate its history "First there was TanZhe, and after there was YuZhou." YuZhou was the ancient name for Beijing.

The temple's name has been changed for a number of times. Its current name means 'Dragon Pool and Mulberry Tree Temple' . The name is because of the dragon pool that lies closeby and the mulberry trees that grow in abundance in the surrounding hills. The greenery around is absolutely delightful, specially in spring when the fruit trees bloom. Lush bamboo gardens add to the refreshing beauty.



The Temple Architecture & Structures
The temple covers a huge area of 41,600 sqm and most of the buildings are in the Ming and the Qing style.

In the main courtyard there is a pair of towering and majestic 30m high ginkgo trees, the 'Emperor and Empress'. These trees were supposedly planted in the Tang dynasty (618-907) or perhaps Liao Dynasty (916 - 1125). The 'Emperor Tree' was so named by Emperor QianLong. "The Emperor's Wife" is believed to produce a new branch every time a new emperor comes into this world. Also to be seen in the main courtyard are several apricot trees, cypresses, peonies and purple jade orchids.

The major structures in the temple include the Hall of Abstinence, the Ordination Altar and the Hall to GuanYin. There is a Mahavira Hall or the Hall of the Supreme Power which is the main building in the complex. Five grand Buddhas are worshipped here in accordance of their position Central, East, South, West and North. Flanked on the sides of Buddha are idols of the 12 Bodhisattvas and 24 celestial gods. This hall os made use of by the monks on regular basis for their chantings, which is done in accompaniment of woodblocks, cup gongs, and bells.

The Hall to GuanYin or the Goddess of Mercy at the top of the western axis, is connected to princess MiaoYan, daughter of Kublai Khan. As per a legend, the princess entered the nunnery here in the 13th century. Within the hall you can see indentations in the stone on which she always knelt to worship GuanYin. It is said that when she expired, she was buried within the temple compound. A statue of her is exhibited here.

To the right of the main courtyard on an elevation lies a rare stupa yard (TaYuan), with stone monuments built in different styles over a period of several centuries. These stupas house the mortal remains of well known monks.


Beijing
One of the four municipalities of China directly under the control of the central government is Beijing, The capital city of China is known worldwide for its long history and splendid culture. A number of tourist attractions in the city include the Great Wall, splendid palaces, beautiful gardens, old temples, a considerable variety of exhibitions and museums and former residences of celebrities

Beijing is also home to more than two hundred star hotels which quiet obviously means that there is little possibility of you facing any accommodation problem during your trip.

The best time to pay a visit to Beijing is during autumn


Other Attractions

• JieTai Temple (JieTai Si) : This temple is just 10 east of Tanzhe temple and 35 km west of Beijing. The name of the temple means
  
  
  'Temple of the Ordination Altar' and is derived from the popular Ming Marble ordination altar which was constructed some 1,300 years ago. The temple itself was first constructed in the year 622 when the Tang dynasty was in power. However, most of the building that stand today were constructed during Qing dynasty.
  
  The highlight of the temple is the white marble ordination platform which is beautifully carved with figures - monks, monsters (beaked and winged) and saints. Also the main courtyard surrounded by rock formations and ancient twisted pine and cypress trees is worthseeing. The Chinese Scholar Tree and the Nine Dragon Tree are most important in these.
  
  
• Yonghe Lamasery : Situated in the northeast part of the Beijing city, Yonghe Lamasery was originally built in 1694 and served as the residence of the Qing Emperor, Yongzheng. Post Yongzheng's death, his successor placed his coffin in the temple and elevated it to the status of an imperial palace. Finally, in 1744, it became a lamasery. A number of monks from Mongolia and Tibet resided in this lamasery at that point of time. Now, there are only 70 monks residing in this temple. Worthseeing in the lamasery are the Gate of Peace Declaration (Zhaotaimen), Devaraja Hall (Tianwangdian), Hall of Harmony and Peace (Yonghegong), Hall of Everlasting Protection (Yongyoudian), Hall of the Wheel of the Law (Falundian) and Pavilion of Eternal Happiness (Wanfuge).