[2025 Beijing Attraction] Travel Guide for Beijing Tongjiao Temple (Updated Apr)

Hidden deep in the Zhenxian Hutong in Dongzhimen, Beijing, lies a little-known Buddhist nunnery, Tongjiao Temple, the only one of its kind remaining in Beijing. Several lilac trees in the temple are in full bloom, filling the air with fragrance. With few people and beautiful scenery, it is a rare place of peace and quiet, and a great place to admire the lilacs ‼️ Lilac, also known as Syringa oblata, has a history of more than 1,000 years in China. It is called lilac because its calyx is as thin and fragrant as a nail. Lilac flowers are purple and white, common but not frivolous. White lilacs are pure and clean, while purple lilacs are quiet and profound. The lilacs are in full bloom, lush and lively, with a light fragrance, reminiscent of the sad girl holding an oil-paper umbrella. 📚Background Information: 1️⃣Tongjiao Temple was first built in the Ming Dynasty by a eunuch. It was rebuilt in the Qing Dynasty and converted into a nunnery, renamed "Tongjiao Chan Forest." In the late Qing Dynasty and early Republic of China, the halls were dilapidated and the Buddha statues were destroyed, leaving only an elderly Bhikkhuni (nun) in the temple. 2️⃣In 1942, two Bhikkhunis, Kaihui and Shengyu, raised funds to rebuild the temple, constructing buildings such as the North and South Buildings, the Amitabha Hall, the Five Contemplations Hall, and the Great Dormitory. In the 1960s, the statues and dharma objects were destroyed, and the nuns were scattered. It was rebuilt after 1978. 🌈Highlights: ✅Mountain Gate: It has three rooms, facing west to east, 9.5m wide and 3.8m deep, with a white ash roof, patterned brick floor, hard mountain green glazed tile roof, with ridge beasts and small animals, and a plaque with the words "Tongjiao Temple." A pair of Vajra warriors stand in front of the gate, solemn and dignified. ✅Mahavira Hall: It is famous for the "Sudhana's Fifty-Three Visits" paintings in the hall. It faces west to east, is five rooms wide, with a green glazed tile roof, and a large hard mountain three-roll linked roof. In front of the hall is a three-room gable-roofed veranda with kiss beasts, main beasts, and small beasts on the roof ridge. The interior has a wellhead ceiling decorated with swirling painted patterns, and the floor is made of terrazzo square bricks. 🎫Tickets: Free ⏰Opening Hours: 8:30–16:30 🚗Transportation: Take bus 162, bus 44 outer ring, bus 142, subway line 5/subway line 2 outer ring

Tongjiao Temple, located in Zhenxian Hutong, Dongzhimen Inner Street, Dongcheng District, Beijing, is a nunnery with a history dating back to the Ming Dynasty. It was originally built by a eunuch in the Ming Dynasty, and was rebuilt as a nunnery in the Qing Dynasty and renamed "Tongjiao Zen Forest." In 1942, Kaihui Shengyu expanded the temple Tongjiao Temple, changed the mountain gate to face east, relocated the residents around the temple, expanded the temple area to more than 4 mu, and renamed the temple "Tongjiao Temple." In the late Qing Dynasty and early Republic of China, the halls were dilapidated, the Buddha statues were destroyed, and only one elderly bhikkhuni (nun) lived in the temple. In 1942, two bhikkhunis from Fujian, Kaihui and Shengyu, lived in Guangci Temple in Beijing. They decided to rebuild Tongjiao Temple, raised funds to renovate the main hall, and built the south and north buildings, the chanting hall, the five-view hall, the great hall, and other buildings. In 1978, the people's government implemented the policy of freedom of religious belief, rebuilt Tongjiao Temple, recalled the bhikkhunis who had left the temple in previous years, and resumed the activities that had been suspended for many years. In 1983, Tongjiao Temple was designated as a national key temple in the Han area.

"Tongjiao Temple" is a nun's temple located in Needle and Thread Alley in Dongzhimen, Beijing. It was initially built by the eunuchs of the Ming Dynasty. After being rebuilt in the Qing Dynasty, it was changed to a monk and nun temple and renamed: Tongjiao Zen Temple. The temple, which was rebuilt in 1978, has a west-facing gate with three entrances, and the plaque reads "Tongjiao Temple". The main existing Buddhist buildings in Tongjiao Temple include: Daxiong Treasure Hall, Nianfo Hall, Nishe, etc. The unique building is the Daxiong Treasure Hall, which is famous for the "Shancai Tongzi Fifty-three Participation Pictures" in the hall. The South Hall Park in front of the temple makes the environment of the temple more quiet.

Four or five years ago, I saw this small green space in the downtown area on the map. I used to live only four or five hundred meters away from it, but it was only the first time that the sun was finally sunbathing on the weekend. Visitors do not have tickets, and they are all Nepalese. A child is reading Buddhist scriptures in the light of Huang Cancan. A group of sparrows and pigeons are undulating and flying. A scent of fragrant scent burns, and a wall is separated from the street. Here, it is so quiet. Waiting for the spring.