Fahai Si
Located in the far west of Beijing, this early Ming temple, a must for those with an interest in Buddhist art, is easily combined with a visit to the cemetery for eunuchs,Tian Yi Mu. The decoration of this temple in 1443 was funded by Li Tong, a wealthy eunuch who attracted artists from the Imperial court to produce stunning murals and statuary. The statues didn't survive the Cultural Revolution, but Red Guards failed to notice the exquisiteBuddhist muralsin the gloom of the main hall. These murals, miraculously preserved intact, were modeled on the art of the Tang, but show influences of Song dynasty landscape painting, and later Ming innovations in the use of perspective and depth in portraiture. The brushwork, particularly in the depiction of robes, clouds, and flowers, is extraordinarily fine.
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| Hours | 8:30am-4:30pm | |
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| Location | Moshi Kou Dajie, Shijing Shan Qu | |
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| Transportation | From bus stop, continue up the rise and take a right after 5 min.; pass Tian Yi Mu, take a left turn, and continue uphill to a T-junction, take a right turn; the temple is a further 5 min. up the hill. Bus: 959 or 746 from left of Pingguo Yuan metro stop (103, exit D) to Shougang Xiaoqu | |
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| Phone | 010/8871-5776 | |
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| Prices | Admission ¥20 ($2.50) | |