The Stone Lion of Dajue Temple (Continued)

The Dajue Temple houses many treasures, and this Liao Dynasty stone lion is one of them. In front of the Lingyao Pavilion of Dajue Temple, there stands a stone lion facing north. Carved from granite, half of its face is missing. Judging from its features, it is a relic of the Liao Dynasty's Qingshui Court. This simple stone lion has witnessed the rise and fall of the temple, seemingly narrating the stories that have unfolded here over the millennia.

The Zen spirit reaches far, and the ancient temple is deep in the spring

You really had a great time at Dajue Temple! Located on the southern foot of Yangtai Mountain in the western suburbs of Beijing, Dajue Temple is a thousand-year-old ancient temple that was founded during the Liao Dynasty. Unlike most temples we usually visit, which have a north-to-south architectural layout, this temple's structure faces from west to east, with the main gate facing the direction of the rising sun. This reflects the Khitan people's sun-worshipping beliefs. To this day, the temple still retains stone steles from the Liao Dynasty, which are considered the treasures of the temple. What's more attractive to modern people are the numerous ancient trees within the temple grounds. Many of the 'Eight Great Sights of Dajue' are also related to these ancient trees, particularly noteworthy is the thousand-year-old Ginkgo King from the Liao Dynasty, a single tree that resembles a forest, astonishing all who see it. There is also the three-hundred-year-old ancient magnolia that blooms every spring, whose shape, color, and fragrance are said to be the best in Beijing. Many literati and scholars, including Bing Xin, Zhu Ziqing, and Mr. Ji Xianlin, have written poems about it. Visiting Dajue Temple to enjoy the spring is always an elegant affair, no matter when.

Beijing Dajue Temple Sanfeng Grand Loop Hiking | With Detailed Guide

Beijing's Sanfeng is probably familiar to many, with quite a few trail running enthusiasts leaving their vigorous strides along the Sanfeng trails. They are brave, persistent, and full of passion! Hi, I'm Xiaolan. I've walked the 22km Sanfeng loop, and today I want to share with you how to walk and enjoy the Sanfeng Grand Loop. 👣Route: Dajue Temple Store - Beijian - Tea Shed - Yangtai Mountain - Miaofeng Mountain - Jianguo Village - Nanjian - Dajue Temple Store The total distance is 22km, with a cumulative elevation gain of 1989m. The climb in the first few kilometers is quite steep, which will make you ascend nearly a kilometer within a few kilometers, so it's a tough challenge for those with less physical strength. However, the view of Beijing city is still quite nice. ⚠️Be sure to start early, start early, it is recommended to start before 8 am! ⛰️How to get there? Navigation: Dajue Temple No. 1 Parking Lot 🅿️Parking 20/day After parking, you can see the Dajue Temple Store next to it, where you can replenish supplies. You can also replenish at the 5.6km Tea Shed and at Jianguo Village at 13.5km, so there's no need to carry too much water and increase your load. 🌳How to play? ❤️Little tips: 1 Bring a headlamp The route takes a long time, and to avoid special circumstances, such as getting lost and delaying time, remember to prepare a headlamp. 2 Road meals + energy supplements Bring enough road meals for lunch and energy supplements for any time, as the climb is significant. It's recommended to bring energy gels and energy bars, and if possible, salt pills to replenish electrolytes, though bringing electrolyte water is also an option. 3 Bring a power bank Due to the long route and duration, and the fact that tracking or checking the route consumes a lot of battery, it's recommended to bring a power bank and check its battery level. 4 Download multiple routes in advance There are relatively many Sanfeng routes, and sometimes there's no signal on the mountain, so it's important to download the routes in advance. It's recommended to download multiple routes, so if you can't keep up with the physical demands, you'll know where to descend in time. 5 The road has many loose stones, so it's advised to wear anti-slip hiking shoes, and avoid shoes with too hard soles, which can be tiring for the feet. Besides, the route is relatively mature, and there are many runners and hikers on the road. 6 Bring trekking poles and knee protectors With a significant climb, it's recommended to bring two trekking poles. Xiaolan also suggests wearing knee protectors when starting to descend, as the descent is quite long, to protect your knees! 💙Personal summary: Regarding the road conditions of the Sanfeng loop, aside from the significant ascents and descents, the difficulty is not that great, and there are no cliffs to worry about for those who fear heights, so there's no need for extra concern. The loose stone roads are manageable with proper equipment, but the climb is more of a test of physical strength and endurance, which should be decided based on personal circumstances. I'm Xiaolan, I'm on the road, and I hope this note can be helpful to you. The process of challenging oneself is arduous yet wonderful, and I hope everyone can find joy in it and gain a brave self. Keep going!

Discover the beauty of Beijing's four seasons·Autumn in Dajue Temple

🌟Highlights: Dajue Temple, also known as Dajue Zen Temple, is located at No. 9 Dajue Temple Road, Sujiatuo Town, Haidian District, Beijing. It was first built in the fourth year of Xianyong of the Liao Dynasty (1068), known as Qingshui Courtyard, one of the eight major water courtyards of the Western Hills during the Jin Zhangzong period, rebuilt during the Yuan Dynasty and renamed Lingquan Temple, rebuilt in the third year of Xuande of the Ming Dynasty (1428), and officially opened to the public as Dajue Temple Museum on April 10, 1992. 👍Most recommended: The Dajue Temple covers an area of about 9500 square meters, facing east from the west, built according to the mountain, the main buildings are composed of the central road temple, the southern road palace and the northern road monk's room. The central road is a six-entry courtyard, including the mountain gate, the stele pavilion, the merit pool, the bell and drum tower, the Heavenly King Hall, the Great Hall of the Treasure, the Amitabha Buddha Hall, the Great Compassion Hall, the Stupa, the Dragon Pool, the Dragon King Hall. The northern road is the monk's room, the southern road palace has the Jietai Hall, the Siyi Hall, the Qiyun Pavilion, the Lingyao Pavilion, etc. The back is a temple garden. The Liao Dynasty stone stele of Dajue Temple is an important physical material, which has important value for the study of Khitan Zang. ✅Must experience: The scenery of Dajue Temple is mainly based on eight absolutes, namely: ancient temple orchid fragrance, thousand-year ginkgo, old vine attached to cypress, mouse plum attached to cypress, Lingquan spring water, Liao Dynasty ancient stele, pine and cypress embracing the tower, Biyun clear pool. ❤Recommended reason: Every autumn, you must come to Dajue Temple In May of the twelfth year of Qianlong (1745), Emperor Qianlong went to Heilongtan in the west of Beijing to pray for rain. Heilongtan is not far from Dajue Temple. He was in high spirits and issued an edict to go to Dajue Temple. The first time Qianlong Emperor visited Dajue Temple, he was shocked by the tall ginkgo tree and wrote a poem in praise: Ancient coffee does not count the number of people around, leaves are rich and the branches are shaded. The world outside the world is like a dream, the great determination of opening the mountain is remembered vaguely. 🚉Traffic strategy: Dajue Temple is located at No. 9 Dajue Temple Road, Sujiatuo Town, Haidian District, Beijing Take bus 633, 920, etc. and get off at Dajue Temple Station, there is plenty of parking for self-driving. 💰Average consumption: Ticket: 20 yuan for adults

Beijing Xishan Dajue Temple

Dajue Temple, also known as Xishan Dajue Temple and Dajue Zen Temple, is located at the foot of Yangtai Mountain in Haidian District, Beijing. It was first built in the fourth year of Xianyong in the Liao Dynasty (1068) and was called Qingshui Courtyard. During the Jin Dynasty, Dajue Temple was one of the eight water courtyards of Jin Zhangzong in Xishan, and was later renamed Lingshui Temple. After the Ming Dynasty rebuilt it, it was renamed Dajue Temple. 🌟Highlights: ——Dajue Temple is famous for its clear springs, ancient trees, magnolias, and elegant environment. There are a total of 160 ancient trees in the temple, including 1000-year-old ginkgo, 300-year-old magnolia, ancient sal trees, pines and cypresses, etc. The magnolia flowers of Dajue Temple, the lilac flowers of Fayuan Temple, and the peony flowers of Chongxiao Temple are collectively referred to as the three major flower temples in Beijing. The eight wonders of Dajue Temple: ancient temple orchid fragrance, thousand-year-old ginkgo, old vine and cypress, mouse plum and cypress, Lingshui spring water, Liao Dynasty ancient stele, pine and cypress hug the tower, and Biyun clear pool. ——There are not many tourists in Dajue Temple, it is very quiet and elegant. At present, the two thousand-year-old ginkgo trees 🌲 have just started to turn yellow, and it is not the best time to see them. It is estimated that the beginning of November is the best time to go. ——There is a Shaoxing restaurant in Dajue Temple, on the left hand side of the entrance, with an average cost of about 70 per person. Siyitang is a good place to have tea and chat, with a good environment. 📍Detailed address: No. 9, Dajue Temple Road, Sujiaotuo Town, Haidian District, Beijing 🕙Business hours: 08:00~17:00 🚉Traffic strategy: Bus: Take bus 633 (Anningzhuang East Road South Exit——Yangtuo) to Dajue Temple Station and walk to Dajue Temple. There are plenty of parking spaces for self-driving cars, and the parking fee is 10 yuan.

For me, the symbol of a place to "winter" is that the golden ginkgo leaves fall to the ground. The same is true of Beijing. This moment is also the day when the ginkgo of Xishan Dajue Temple was finally "bloomed". The leaves turn from green to yellow, from yellow to falling, and then look forward to the next year, and the beginning of the millennium. PS: There is a ginkgo tree on the left and right in front of the Wushou Temple in Dajue Temple. A male ginkgo in the north is said to have been planted in the Liao Dynasty. It has been nearly a thousand years since then, so it is called the Millennium Ginkgo and the Liao Dynasty "Ginkgo King". Ginkgo trees are about 25 meters high and have a breast diameter of 7.5 meters.