Tanzhe Temple

A Beijing saying holds that there was Tanzhe Temple before there was Beijing, and the claim is roughly fair: the monastery was founded in the Jin dynasty around 307, well before the city took its present form. It climbs a hillside in the Western Hills on terraces linked by stairways, with halls, courtyards, pagoda groves and ancient trees including a ginkgo said to date from the Liao dynasty and a pair of trees known as the emperor and empress. The name comes from the Dragon Pool above the temple and the zhe mulberries once grown on the slope. The setting, in wooded hills away from the city, is much of the appeal.

What you actually see

• The terraced halls - the monastery climbing the hillside in stages.
• The ancient trees - the Liao-era ginkgo and other named old specimens.
• The pagoda forest - the grove of monks' memorial stupas.
• The hill setting - wooded slopes well outside the city.

When to go

April to May and September to October for the best weather; autumn colour on the hillside is strong in late October. Winter is cold but atmospheric with fewer visitors. Weekends bring Beijing day trippers.

Honest expectations

The site is forty-five kilometres from central Beijing and takes over an hour each way. The temple is on a slope with a lot of stair climbing. English signage is limited, and the site closes in the late afternoon.

Nearby

Jietai Temple is a few kilometres away; Cuandixia village lies further into the hills.