Tanzhe Temple
潭柘寺
'Tanzhe Temple came before Beijing.' One of Beijing's oldest monasteries, famous for its emperor tree ginkgo and ancient magnolia.
Tanzhe Temple is in the Tanzhe Mountains of Mentougou. It was founded in the Western Jin dynasty and is one of Beijing's earliest Buddhist temples. The temple is built into the mountain, and its glazed chiwen ridge ornaments on the Great Hero Hall, the Vairocana Pavilion and the Guanyin Hall rise successively higher. The 'Emperor Tree,' a ginkgo in front of the Vairocana Pavilion, is more than a thousand years old. It turns golden and covers the ground in autumn, and the Erqiao magnolia in spring is also famous. Tickets cost about 55 yuan. The temple is about 40 kilometers from the city center. Take Metro Line S1 or the Fangshan Line, then transfer to a bus, or hire a car to combine it with Jietai Temple in one day.
Opening hours
08:00–16:30 (until 16:00 in winter)
Nearby sights
- Jietai Temple
- Shougang Park
- Badachu Park
- Fragrant Hills Park
- Marco Polo Bridge & Wanping Fortress
- China National Botanical Garden (North) & Wofo Temple
- Zhoukoudian Peking Man Site
- Summer Palace