Tucked away in the depths of Lumi Cang Hutong in Dongcheng District, Beijing, Zhihua Temple is an ancient Ming Dynasty temple that stands away from the crowds. First built in 1443 during the Zhengtong reign of the Ming Dynasty, it was originally the family temple of Wang Zhen, a powerful eunuch favored by Emperor Yingzong. Later, it was granted the name “Bao’en Zhihua Temple” (Temple of Gratitude and Wisdom). Today, it is the best-preserved wooden structure complex of the Ming Dynasty in Beijing, a key cultural relic protection unit of China, and a sacred place carrying the oldest Buddhist music in China. For foreign travelers who are tired of the crowds at the Forbidden City and the Great Wall and eager to deeply experience Beijing’s history and cultural heritage, Zhihua Temple is undoubtedly an ideal choice. There is no noisy crowd here, only the solemnity of ancient architecture, the ethereal sound of Buddhist music, and the tranquility of time, waiting for every visitor to explore carefully.
The unique charm of Zhihua Temple first lies in its authentic Ming Dynasty official-style architecture. The entire temple strictly follows the “Qilan Qitang” (Seven Halls of Buddhist Temple) layout, facing south and north. The main buildings are arranged in sequence along the central axis, from south to north: Zhihua Gate, Zhihua Hall, Zang Hall, and Rulai Hall (Wanfo Pavilion), with auxiliary halls on both sides. The layout is rigorous and symmetrical, showing the grandeur and exquisite craftsmanship of Ming Dynasty imperial architecture. Unlike other ancient temples in Beijing that have undergone large-scale renovations, the beam frames, brackets, and colored paintings of Zhihua Temple all retain the original Ming Dynasty relics and have not been modified too much by later generations, making it a precious “living specimen” for studying the construction techniques of the Ming Dynasty.
Walking into Zhihua Temple, the first thing you see is Zhihua Gate, which is now the ticket office and visitor center. The three characters “Zhihua Temple” above the lintel are simple and vigorous. The stone lions at the gate, although eroded by wind and rain for centuries, still retain the powerful posture of the Ming Dynasty. Passing through Zhihua Gate, you come to the core hall of the temple——Zhihua Hall, which is both a place for enshrining Buddha statues and a venue for Jing Music performances. Originally, there was an exquisite octagonal caisson ceiling in the hall, which was magnificent and exquisitely crafted. However, it was stolen by monks in the 1930s and is now collected in the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art in the United States. Today, only a reproduced photo of the caisson ceiling can be seen in the hall, which is sigh-worthy. But the well-preserved Ming Dynasty mural “Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva and the Thirteen Hells” in the hall is still exquisite. Although the colors are faded, you can still see the painting skills of that year. The scene depicting Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva saving all sentient beings is solemn and sacred.
Zhihua Temple is most famous for Jing Music, known as “the oldest existing Buddhist music in China”. Together with the drum music of Xi’an City God Temple and the music of Kaifeng Daxiangguo Temple, it is known as China’s five major ancient music genres and has been included in the national intangible cultural heritage list. Jing Music originated from the court etiquette music of the Ming Dynasty. It was secretly taken out of the palace by Wang Zhen and introduced into Zhihua Temple, where it was passed down from generation to generation by the temple’s monks. With a history of nearly 600 years, it has been passed down to the 27th generation. Its tune, music score, and performance method have hardly changed, making it a “living fossil” of ancient Chinese music. Its music score adopts the traditional Chinese gongche notation, with simple and ancient characters. Even if you don’t understand music, you can appreciate it as calligraphy. The temple still preserves the gongche notation copied during the Kangxi reign of the Qing Dynasty, which is a precious document for studying the history of ancient Chinese music.
The performance of Jing Music is very distinctive. There are two fixed performances every day, from 10:00 to 10:20 a.m. and 15:00 to 15:20 p.m., held in Zhihua Hall, without interruption except for special events. Although the performers wear monk robes, they are not monks, but inheritors of Jing Music——due to the dilemma of inheritance, today’s inheritors are no longer limited to monks. The performance is mainly based on wind instruments, supplemented by percussion instruments such as cloud gongs, drums, and chimes. The flute sound is lively, the cloud gong is clear, and the drumbeat is steady. The melody is solemn, elegant, and ethereal, integrating the essence of Tang and Song Buddhist ritual music and absorbing the modes of folk music from the Song, Yuan, and Ming dynasties, which is appreciated by both refined and popular tastes. Sitting on the bench in Zhihua Hall, quietly listening to this Buddhist music that has passed through 600 years, accompanied by the tranquility of the ancient temple, you seem to be able to travel through time and space in an instant, feeling the long years of the Ming Dynasty court and the ancient temple. After the performance, there is also a free explanation service to help visitors deeply understand the history and cultural connotation of Jing Music.
Continuing north, you come to Zang Hall, which houses the “treasure of the temple”——the Wooden Rotating Scripture Cabinet. This is the oldest and most exquisite existing wooden rotating scripture cabinet in Beijing. It is made of wood, about 4 meters high, octagonal in shape, and can rotate freely. A Vairocana Buddha sits on the top, surrounded by exquisite niches and carvings. The patterns of Buddha statues, garudas, and dragon girls are lifelike, with exquisite craftsmanship that is breathtaking. The Wooden Rotating Scripture Cabinet was originally used to store Buddhist scriptures. Believers who rotate it once are equivalent to reciting the scriptures once. Today, although it is no longer used for religious rituals, it still exudes the charm of ancient art. The caisson ceiling of Zang Hall is fortunately preserved. The exquisitely carved ceiling complements the Wooden Rotating Scripture Cabinet, forming one of the most ornamental landscapes in Zhihua Temple.
At the northernmost end of the temple is Rulai Hall (Wanfo Pavilion), which is divided into upper and lower floors and is the tallest building in Zhihua Temple. In the lower Rulai Hall, there is a wooden gilded Vairocana Buddha statue from the Ming Dynasty. The Buddha statue is solemn and kind, surrounded by countless small niches. In the upper Wanfo Pavilion, the walls around are covered with dense niches, which originally contained nearly 10,000 small Buddha statues. Although some have been damaged, they still have a strong visual impact. Climbing the narrow stairs of Wanfo Pavilion, you can overlook the entire Zhihua Temple. The gray bricks and tiles, ancient trees towering into the sky, form a sharp contrast with the modern high-rise buildings in the distance, and the picture of the blend of ancient and modern is touching. Wanfo Pavilion originally also had an exquisite coiled dragon caisson ceiling, which was also stolen in the 1930s and is now collected in the Philadelphia Museum of Art in the United States. The original appearance of the caisson ceiling is displayed through photos in the hall, telling the vicissitudes of this ancient temple.
For foreign travelers, it is very convenient to get to Zhihua Temple. You can take Metro Line 6 or Line 2 to Chaoyangmen Station, exit from Exit G, and walk for 10 minutes to reach it. You can also take Bus No. 24 or 674 to Lumi Cang Station, then walk for a short time to enter Lumi Cang Hutong and find this ancient temple hidden in the depths of the hutong. Zhihua Temple is open from Tuesday to Sunday from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. (ticket sales and admission stop at 4:30 p.m.), and closed on Mondays (except for legal holidays). The ticket price is 20 yuan for adults, which needs to be booked 5 days in advance through the official WeChat public account “Zhihua Temple” (tickets are released at 9:00 p.m. every day). The first 200 visitors every Wednesday can visit for free. Visitors with student ID cards, senior citizen cards, or trade union cards can get free tickets on site (need to arrive in advance). Elderly people over 60 years old, military personnel, and disabled people can enter for free with valid documents.
The best time to visit Zhihua Temple is about 2 hours. It is recommended to go around 9:00 a.m. to avoid the peak of tour groups. You can not only quietly appreciate the ancient architecture and cultural relics but also watch the morning Jing Music performance on time. Going after 4:00 p.m. is suitable for taking photos. The light of the setting sun shines on the gray bricks and tiles, creating a strong sense of atmosphere. It should be noted that bags, liquids, power banks, and prohibited items are not allowed in the temple, and the luggage storage is located on the north side of the entrance. Please keep quiet during the visit, respect cultural traditions, do not touch cultural relics, and do not take photos of Buddha statues and murals at will. In addition, there are other off-the-beaten-path attractions around Zhihua Temple, such as Dongjiaomin Lane and Shijia Hutong Museum. After the visit, you can go to these places together to experience the hutong culture and historical heritage of old Beijing.
This ancient Ming Dynasty temple hidden in the depths of the hutong has no noise of the Forbidden City or the crowds of the Great Wall. Instead, it tells the history and vicissitudes of Beijing with its authentic Ming Dynasty architecture, Jing Music that has passed through 600 years, and exquisite Buddhist art. For foreign travelers who are eager to deeply experience Beijing’s culture and avoid crowds, Zhihua Temple is definitely a must-visit hidden gem. Here, you can calm down, feel the precipitation of time, listen to the echo of history, and understand the unknown tenderness and profoundness of Beijing.
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