Tanzhe Temple and Pagoda Forest - Beijing

One of the Halls in Tanzhe Temple

A city the size of Beijing is bound to have many hidden gems that escape the itineraries of adventure-seeking travelers. The Tanzhe temple (潭柘寺 Tanzhe si in Chinese) tucked in the hills on the western outskirts of the city is one of these hidden gems.  If you are planning a trip to Beijing anytime in the near future and can spare the better part of the day, this temple and the adjacent pagoda forest are well worth the trip.

View of the Temple Complex

The Tanzhe temple's history is rich and spans multiple dynasties starting with its construction during the Jin Dynasty (265-420 AD), although most of the remaining structures were built during the Ming and Qing Dynasties.  This makes Tanzhe one of the oldest temples in Beijing and has long been regarded as one of the most important temples in China's history. 

A Statue in a Dried-up Pond

One of my favorite aspects of this temple was the secluded nature of it.  Due to the distance from the city, most of the visitors are local.  It is easy to wander around the complex and find secluded places where you can just take in the surroundings and enjoy the beauty of the buildings and natural surroundings.

Make sure to climb up the main steps to top of the temple compound to catch an amazing view of the surrounding hills.  Going around the outskirts of the temple complex you can find some beautiful statues that look like they were once in small ponds at some point during the temple's long history.  You can also stroll through the pagoda forest near the temple that contains pagodas built from the Jin Dynasty all the way through the Qing Dynasty.

The Adjacent Pagoda Forest

How to get there:  If you aren't worried about paying an exorbitantly high cab fare you can simply find the closest cab and tell the driver to take you to the temple (just show them the Chinese name for it listed above). If you're on a more limited budget you can take the subway to the western end of line 1 (Pingguo Yuan station). Admission is 35 RMB per ticket and is open from 8am - 5pm in the summer and 8:30am - 4:30pm in the winter.

Have you been here? Sound off in the comments below and tell us about it!