Temple of Loyalty and Patriotism: meditation

Just like every small piece of corners in Beijing, the history behind them is amazing.

So it is surprising for me to find the small temple is the oldest one in Beijing that was built in Tang dynasty 1400 years ago.

At that time, it was called Minzhong Si (Temple of Loyalty and Patriotism), and built to commemorate soldiers who sacrificed their lives in war to recover Northeastern China from the Korean invaders. It was converted to a Buddhist Temple, and changed to its current name of Fayuan Si.

In the first courtyard lies Daxiong Baodian, a place where daily scripture chanting and regular Buddhist rituals are held. I found it amazing that they would give free Buddhist books to the tourists, and allow them to participate in their ritual activities. The monks are all easy to engage, and they stick to a strict Buddhist discipline.  

The main hall - Minzhong Ge - in the second courtyard features a stone tablet from the Tang Dynasty. The Fa Tang in the third courtyard houses a 10 meter-long wood carving of the Laying Buddha, the largest of its kind in Beijing.

The best time to visit Fayuan Si is in April when Lilac Admiring Festival is held. Locals flock to the temple to admire the lilacs bursting all around the place.