Lingering of Buddhist Sutra (picture)Tracing the Ancient Rhyme in the Ancient Temples

The temple provides a space where you can place you heart in tranquility. Sit down quietly and read a book in the sunshine in a relaxed and comfortable way. Lingering around the ears is the Buddhists chanting and the bell s ringing. Neither that we can hardly stand loneliness, nor we can t bear emptiness or boringness, what we are looking for is such a patch of serene and peace.

Jietai Temple

Jietai Temple, not far from TanzheTemple, is much smaller in the scope, but more peaceful. Its construction was begun in the Reign of Kaihuang, Sui Dynasty. It has the biggest Precept Altar in China and can grant the highest precept-Buddha Precept to Buddhists, so it owns the reputation of No.1 Altar in the World and Place for Selecting Buddha . In history, JietaiTemple has been playing a very important role in Chinese Buddhism. Through the ages, all the dynasties pay much attention to this temple, especially since Ming Dynasty, the imperial edicts must be kept before opening the altar to grant precepts. Emperor Yingzong of Ming Dynasty gave the name of WanshouTemple, generally called JietanTemple or JietaiTemple in folklore.

The whole temple owns not only the lofty majesty featured by the temples in the north, but also the serene and elegant savor of JiangnanGarden. TanzheTemple is famous for its springs, while JietaiTemple is known for its old pine trees with different ages from 300 years or 500 years to more than 1000 years. Green and luxuriant, they are showing distinct majestic forms. However, in spring season, the best thing that worth seeing is still the lilacs and peony. JietaiTemple has 1000 lilacs trees among which 20 ones have an age over 200 years, really a remarkable scene in Beijing. The oldest one is at the north side of Qianfo Pavilion and its main branch has been more than 300 years old. In mid and late April every year, the temple is impregnated with the perfume of lilacs. Turning to the north side from Qianfo Pavilion ruins, you can see a two-entrance yard named Peony Yard which combines the form of traditional courtyard in Beijing and the art of JiangnanGarden together. In the yard, it is quiet and elegant. Prince Gong, Yixin, had ever led a secluded life here for 10 years, and until now his stele inscribed with Huijutang as a genuine is still kept here. There are various rare peonies in the yard, some of them bestowed by the Emperor Qianlong and some from the mansion of Prince Gong with the age of 200 years now. What s more, there are many other precious species such as black peony and thousand-layer peony. Now it is one of the most beautiful places in JietaiTemple.

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Price: total admission: RMB 45 Yuan, half price: RMB 22 Yuan.

Appreciating the flowers: Ribbon flower, also called five-color crabapple, blooms in April every year. At end of November, the old flowers begin to fade and new flowers bloom again. It has a much longer florescence than China rose and is the flower with the longest florescence in Beijing. The most distinct feature of ribbon flower is that one branch can bloom flowers with different colors. Local folks friendly call it Ten Sceneries . It is said that two old ribbon trees is very precious and this species hardly appears in folk. The place with most flowers and trees is the back garden which was a yard Buddist abbot at the beginning and opened up to be a garden after Ming Dynasty. Various flowers and trees are here, such as peony, lilacs, lonicera maackii, sorbaria sorbifolia, prunus triloba, weeping forsythiae capsule, lagerstroemia, flowering peach, sakura, etc., beautiful and luxuriant in blossom-time.

Activities: Delivering Good News , Ringing Auspicious Bell , Savoring Tea in Peony Yard , Appreciating the Old Trees , Making Wishes and Praying for Blessings . Moreover, there is a Yufei Festival on April 8 of Chinese calendar year.

Route: Driving by yourself along Lianshi Road (turn west at the West Railway Station)- Wolonggang; get off the subway at the Apple Orchard, change to No. 931 or No. 948 bus until you get to Jietai Temple.