The location of the Pool and Mulberry Tree Temple is distant enough from the city of Beijing to not be disturbed by commercialisation, pollution or urbanisation. Yet it is not too far, allowing tourists to make a quick day trip to the mountainous terrain especially to visit and worship the temple which has become synonymous with serenity, composure and peacefulness. The locals refer to it as the Tanzhe Temple, where ‘Tan’ refers to the pool at the rear of the premises and ‘Zhe’ refers to the mulberry trees that grow along the hillside.
This is considered to be one of the oldest and biggest Buddhist temples in Beijing, built during the Jin Dynasty over a millennium and a half ago. It began to flourish during the reign of the Qing and Ming dynasties and it is in these eras that the buildings that continue to stand even today were constructed. The architecture of the building is quite authentically Chinese, with upturned roof edges, red and yellow buildings and ornate interiors. As was the case with most olden day constructions, the layout is well planned; the long halls and entrances permit sufficient sunlight and fresh air while the courtyards are charmingly placed in one direction.
The Mahavira Hall, the Avalokiteshwara Hall and the Vairochana Pavilion house statues, murals and figurines that have been carved or illustrated many years ago, when the temple was being crafted to completion. Though there aren’t any comprehensive annals frosm which the original details of the temple can be obtained in depth, the ‘Big Bronze Pot’ opposite the Maitreya Hall gives a clear indication of the number of incumbent monks. It is said that this is one of the smaller pots out of those used to prepare meals for monks during the heyday of the temple.
Stay at the Grand Millennium Beijing when the magnolias are in bloom and make a short trip to the temple that hides a pool within its premises. A Beijing hotel can be considered a good place to obtain Beijing hotel deals to make a low cost trip to China and its countryside.
Pushpitha Wijesinghe is an experienced independent freelance writer. He specializes in providing a wide variety of content and articles related to the travel hospitality industry.
