2018-10-31 Zhenjue Temple

Wang, Guansong
2018-11-11 2 min read

I have visited here once in a winter, and missed the prime gingko season. I came here in the end of this October, but seemed to be still a little early for the fully golden color. Then I came back again on a Wednesday (free admission) for the guided tour.

Frankly I am not sure what is the current proper name of this place. During Ming dynasty this is called “Zhenjue” temple, on the board above the gate it writes “Imperical Built Jingang Baozuo Pagoda”, and the time stamp is “Da Ming Chenghua Ninth Year Eleventh Month Second Day” (1473). The Qing government rebuilt the temple, and renamed it “Zhengjue” temple to avoid the name of emperor Yongzheng. Someone says this is the same location as the Huguo Renwang temple of Yuan dynasty, but it cannot be confirmed.

The other buildings of the temple has disappeared into history, while only the pagoda and two gingko trees are still standing. If the trees were transplanted in Ming dynasty when here was firstly completed, then they are more than 500 years old.

Jingang Baozuo Pagoda and the couple giant gingko trees.
Detail from the front side.
Cubicle buddha carving in the surface. There are totally five different hand gestures, implying different meanings.
From back side angle, with a little stone lion.
Detail of the top.
From back side angle, with two little stone lions.

Now this place belongs to Beijing Stone Carving Art Museum, there are tablets and stone statues in the courtyard, also collected stone art in the building. Most exhibits here are original.

Carved door locks in the stone memerial hall.
Imperical size stone tablets in Ming dynasty.
Some script I cannot translate because I don't really understand the meaning.

Emperor Qianlong wrote four poems in the ceremony of rebuilding of the Imperial Academy (Hanlin Yuan). The tablets were located exam hall (Gong Yuan) afterwards and replicated all around the country, which became a symbol of good fortune for exam takers.

Qianlong visiting Gong Yuan tablets.
Qianlong's stamp.
A famous poem.

A yellow and white cat was sitting inside the glass door of office area. It kept meowing to call someone to open the door, because it wanted to walk around. I saw a few cats last time, but only this one this time. However there are a few cat houses along the building wall.

Office area, not for visitors. A beast guards the entrance.
And this is the beast.

Besides real cats, there are a lot of stone cats.

Official sealed stone tiger. It's official because on its butt there is a character \Official\.
Official sealed stone tiger, looking serious.
Official sealed stone tiger, sharp teeth.
A stone lion looking down.
A stone tiger with its tail between its legs.
Little stone lion on the stone memorial hall.

A cute little girl posing with a golden leaf.

A little girl with a gingko leaf.
Happiness.

A model in traditional costumes becomes the focus of lots of cameras.

Traditional custome under the gingko tree.
The assistant helps to raise the sleeves.

Photos of visitors.

A small lady with a big equipment.
Someone is professional.
Various angles.
Selfie.

The tour guide was very thorough; the tour took nearly two hours.

Tour guide.
Three sparrows.
Gingko leaves.
I thought this were shrubs but realized they were mints. My finger tips smelt nice after touching the leaves. I wonder if there would be any mosquittos in the summer.
photo 2018
Wang, Guansong
Wang, Guansong
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My research interests include distributed robotics, mobile computing and programmable matter.