Western Paradise

Western Paradise, also known as the Great Western Heaven, is located on the north shore of Beihai Park, east of Jingxin Zhai, west adjacent to the Dairen Jingzhi Treasure Hall, and south across the sea from Qionghua Island, forming a straight line. It is one of the most famous scenic spots in Beihai Park. During the Ming Dynasty, it was a scripture factory and also a Lama Temple of the Western Zen Forest. In the 24th year of Qianlong's reign (1759), it was renovated and expanded westward, and renamed Western Paradise. It was reopened to the public in 1980 after being refurbished. Western Paradise features a glazed tile archway with four pillars and seven towers, facing south with the plaque titled 'Huazang Realm', and facing north with the plaque 'Sumeru Spring'. Passing through the Huazang Realm archway signifies entering the Buddhist gate; the implied meaning behind the 'Sumeru Realm' on the reverse side is that one has reached the most sacred mirror realm of Mount Sumeru in Buddhism. The mountain gate is a resting mountain top with a yellow-edged glazed tile roof in an imitation wood structure archway, consisting of three gates with glazed walls between them, and the middle gate is titled 'Western Paradise'. Inside the gate, to the east and west are the bell and drum towers, with towering flagpoles to the south of the bell and drum towers. The architecture of the bell and drum towers features a double-eaved resting mountain top with a large ridge, grey tube tiles, and green glazed tile-edged roofs. Behind are the Hall of Heavenly Kings with five bays, resting mountain top with green glazed tile and yellow-edged roofs, and inside stand the Four Heavenly Kings. Outside the hall, to the east and west, there is a stone stele, with the 'Diamond Sutra' inscribed on the east side and the 'Sutra of the Medicine Buddha' on the west side. Behind the Hall of Heavenly Kings is the Hall of Great Compassion and True Suchness, built during the Ming Dynasty's Wanli era. The hall has five bays, with a double-eaved Wu roof top, black glazed tiles, and yellow edges. The entire wooden structure of the building is made of Phoebe zhennan wood, which is a masterpiece among the existing Ming Dynasty buildings in China. The hall enshrines the Three World Buddhas and the Eighteen Arhats. In 2008, according to the records of the Qing palace archives, two seven-layered octagonal Buddha pagodas were restored inside the hall, each 6.5 meters high, with the bodies of the pagodas inlaid with 712 copper womb Buddhas.