Zhihua Temple - An ancient architectural museum in the bustling downtown area

Zhihua Temple was founded by Wang Zhen, a eunuch of the Ming Dynasty, in the ninth year of Zhengtong (1444), located at No. 5 Liumi Warehouse Hutong, Dongcheng District, Beijing, covering an area of 7000 square meters. In 1992, the Beijing Cultural Exchange Museum was established on the original site of Zhihua Temple, with more than 1500 collections. It is a museum of ancient architectural sites. 🌟Highlights: ——The overall architecture of Zhihua Temple faces south from the north, is a typical Ming Dynasty architecture, with four halls, about 278 meters deep from south to north, and about 45 meters wide from east to west, covering more than 10,000 square meters. It is the most complete existing Ming Dynasty wooden structure architectural group in Beijing. ——Zhihua Temple consists of the mountain gate, bell tower, drum tower, Zhihua gate, Zhihua hall, treasure hall, and Dazhi hall, forming the architectural layout of the 'seven halls of the Jialan'. The overall architecture faces south from the north, and the main buildings such as the mountain gate, Zhihua gate, Zhihua hall, Rulai hall, and Wanfo Pavilion are listed on the central axis. ——The Beijing Cultural Exchange Museum has a rich collection of cultural relics, with more than 1500 pieces. The Ming Dynasty mural behind the Zhihua Hall - 'Dizang Bodhisattva and the Ten Kings of the Underworld', which depicts the Dizang Bodhisattva's Dharma phase, is a masterpiece of the existing Ming Dynasty murals in China. There is still a 'turning wheel treasure' in the treasure hall, which is the oldest turning wheel treasure in Beijing. ——Zhihua Ri originally had two caisson ceilings, one of which is the Zhihua Hall caisson ceiling. The Zhihua Hall caisson ceiling is a flat square with eight buckets, with a complex structure and exquisite craftsmanship, and is a top-notch Ming Dynasty architectural wood carving. It was lost to the United States in the 1930s and is now in the Nelson Art Museum. ——Rulai Hall, also known as Wanfo Pavilion, is a one-story building and is the largest building in Zhihua Temple. The downstairs is dedicated to the main Buddha Shakyamuni, with Brahma and Vajra as attendants; the upstairs is dedicated to Vairocana Buddha, Lushena Buddha, and Shakyamuni Buddha. On the upper and lower two layers of the gable, the Buddha niches are full, with 9,999 small Buddhas inside, and the Wanfo Pavilion is named after it. The top caisson ceiling was lost to the United States in the 1930s and is now in the Philadelphia Museum. 👍Special recommendation: Zhihua Temple Beijing music is a traditional music that was spread in the Beijing area during the Ming and Qing Dynasties. It was listed as the first batch of national intangible cultural heritage in 2006. It is mainly played by wind instruments, supplemented by cloud gongs, drums and other percussion instruments. The tune is solemn and elegant, the score is precious and mysterious, the tune card is old and rich, and it is known as the 'living fossil' of ancient Chinese music. Now there is a Beijing music concert in Zhihua Temple every morning and afternoon, starting at ten in the morning and three in the afternoon, each concert lasts about fifteen minutes. 📍Detailed address: North of Dongkou Road, Liumi Warehouse, Dongcheng District 🕙Business hours: Zhihua Temple opening hours: 8:30-16:30 (closed on Monday) 🚉Transportation strategy: ——Take bus 44 inner, 44 outer, 58, 650, special 12 inner, special 12 outer, special 2, night 20 inner, night 20 outer, etc. to 'Yabao Road' station. ——Take bus 24, 674, night 28 to 'Liumi Warehouse' station, walk to the end of Liumi Warehouse Hutong. ——Take the subway line 2 to Chaoyangmen station, walk or ride 700 meters.