Beijing Baipu Temple: A Zen Time Tunnel in an Ancient Liao Dynasty Temple

#MarchGoodPlaces2025 Baipu Temple, hidden among the mountains of Mentougou, is the most mysterious ancient temple from the Liao Dynasty in Beijing. First built in 1101, the temple was named after the silvery white water curtain of the waterfall on the back mountain. With more than 900 years of history, it is like a three-dimensional history book of Buddhist art. As you enter the mountain gate, the first thing that catches your eye is the Yunlei Pavilion, which has a golden statue of a child surrounded by five dragons and two phoenixes, and a bronze lotus bell hanging on the top floor. Between the interweaving of light and shadow, you can seem to hear the echo of thousands of years of Buddhist chants. The most stunning sight in the temple is the 9.9-meter-high statue of the God of Chariots. Its green-faced and fang-like appearance breaks the traditional Buddhist rituals, and its majestic posture holding a pestle to subdue demons demonstrates the unique charm of Tantric Buddhism. Even more amazing is the Yuanzheng Master Pagoda on the open-air cliff, a perfect fusion of the dense eaves of the Jin Dynasty and the covered bowl-like structure, like a treasure box suspended in the sky. As you climb the Bodhi Steps, the mottled murals of the ancient Buddha cave and the modern light and shadow installations dialogue with each other, as if you were traveling through a corridor of time and space. What is most fascinating is the ecological landscape around the temple. Centennial trees and terraced cherry blossoms form a Zen garden. In late summer and early autumn, golden ginkgo and red leaves are everywhere in the mountains, covering this thousand-year-old temple with a magical color like a time capsule.