Quaint Xizhao Temple

On the afternoon of July 14, I came from Hepingli in the north of Dongcheng District to Xizhaosizhong Street in Guangqumen in the south. I strolled on the streets with elegant environment and rich greenery, and I suddenly felt refreshed in the heat. A little. On both sides of the street, tall buildings such as the Jintai Xizhao Hotel and the Yellow River Kyoto Hotel and many residential buildings stand neatly and orderly. There is also a three-dimensional parking building that can park 31 cars. Diagonally opposite the parking building, there is a park in the middle of the street. It is filled with green grass, green trees, and a gorgeous pavilion. There is also a large stone statue of Guan Gong holding a long sword standing at the entrance of the park, staring at the entire street.

The most famous thing in this street is the Xizhao Temple, which has a history of more than 500 years. There is a big bell at the door of the temple. Xizhao Temple was originally a famous and large-scale temple in Nancheng, Beijing. Facing north and facing south, it consists of the mountain gate, the Main Hall, the Dabei Hall, the abbot's courtyard, and the brick pagoda in the backyard. It covers an area of ??more than 20 acres and has 108 rooms.

The name of Xizhao Temple comes from the fact that there is a red screen wall in front of the Shanmen Hall. It is said that whenever the sun sets, the sunlight shines on the screen wall with red light, so it was named Xizhao Temple. In the Shanmen Hall, Cai Lun is enshrined on the left and Guan Yu is enshrined on the right. The most famous thing in Xizhao Temple is the murals of Dabei Hall. On the left wall of Dabei Hall is Shen Yue's "Ode to High Pines", and on the right wall is Chen Song's "Picture of Ancient Pines". This double-walled treasure is now preserved in the Beijing Institute of Cultural Relics.

Xizhao Temple was destroyed in the early years of Shunzhi in the Qing Dynasty, with only one roof remaining. During the Yongzheng period, Zen Master Wenjue Yuanxin retreated here and renovated the temple. During the Qianlong and Jiaqing years, it was also repaired successively. In 2000, the government overhauled Xizhao Temple again and opened it to the public free of charge.

Beautiful, Xizhao Temple!

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