Ancient Ming Dynasty buildings deep in the alley: Zhihua Temple

Zhihua Temple There is an ancient building complex from the Ming Dynasty in Lumichang Hutong, not far from the East Second Ring Road in Beijing. It is Zhihua Temple, which is now also the Beijing Cultural and Museum Exchange Center. This ancient building complex with a history of 580 years currently only retains the central building on the north-south central axis. From south to north, there are five courtyards: the Mountain Gate, Zhihua Gate, Zhihua Hall, Wanfo Pavilion, Dabei Hall, and Wanfa Hall. There are three main attractions here: one is the ancient building complex that is different from the Qing Dynasty, the second is the wooden carved caisson in the Tibetan Hall, and the third is the unique Beijing music of Zhihua Temple. At the gate of Zhihua Temple, there is a pair of stone lions that are not easy to see. The shape and carving art of the stone lions and the Tathagata Hall and Wanfo Pavilion in the fourth courtyard all have distinct Ming Dynasty architectural features. If you want to fully understand the characteristics of the ancient buildings in the courtyard, you can pay attention to the two free lectures in the museum every morning and afternoon. You can also get an introduction at the bell tower to learn about the distribution of key booths. The ancient building complex of Zhihua Temple gathers traditional cultural and artistic masterpieces such as statues, carvings, and paintings. There were originally three caissons, but unfortunately only one remains in the Tibetan Hall. The statues in the Tathagata Hall and the Ten Thousand Buddha Pavilion are also very exquisite and worth careful appreciation. When visiting Zhihua Temple, you must not miss "listening to the ethereal and mysterious Beijing music". Sitting in the Zhihua Hall and enjoying the Buddhist disciples playing ancient music is a truly wonderful feeling. Performance times are 10:00 am and 3:00 pm. In Zhihua Temple, some exhibitions are held indoors, while others are held outdoors. If you get a brief introduction, you can follow the instructions to get a more complete understanding of the past and present of Zhihua Temple. Warm Tips Ticket price is 20 yuan/person. Every Wednesday, the first 200 visitors and minors who make group reservations during the open day can visit for free; college students and graduate students can enjoy a half-price discount with their student ID cards; the elderly, disabled people, active conscripted soldiers, primary and secondary school students, and Beijing's bravery honor winners can visit for free with relevant certificates. Transportation route Take bus No. 142, 44 (inner ring), 200 (inner ring), or 58 and get off at Yabao Road. Take bus No. 24 or 63 and get off at Lumichang Station. Walk north from the south entrance of Xiaopaifang Hutong, and turn left when you see Lumichang Hutong.