Guangji Temple
Encyclopedia
Beijing
Beijing , also known as Peking , is the capital of the People's Republic of China and one of the most populous cities in the world, with a population of 19,612,368 as of 2010. The city is the country's political, cultural, and educational center, and home to the headquarters for most of China's...
, located at inner Fuchengmen Street, in the Xicheng District
Xicheng District
Xicheng District is a district in Beijing, China. Xicheng District spans 32 square kilometres, making it the largest portion of the old city , and has 706,691 inhabitants . Its postal code is 100032. Xicheng is subdivided into 15 subdistricts of the city proper of Beijing...
, is a renowned Buddhist temple. It is also the headquarters of the Buddhist Association of China
Buddhist Association of China
The Buddhist Association of China is a major organization of Chinese Buddhism, which serves as the official supervisory organ of Buddhism in the People's Republic of China...
.
Originally built in the Jin Dynasty (1115-1234), additions were made to the temple by successive dynasties. However, the present temple was completed during the Ming Dynasty
Ming Dynasty
The Ming Dynasty, also Empire of the Great Ming, was the ruling dynasty of China from 1368 to 1644, following the collapse of the Mongol-led Yuan Dynasty. The Ming, "one of the greatest eras of orderly government and social stability in human history", was the last dynasty in China ruled by ethnic...
(1368–1644). It covers an area of 5.766 acres (23,334.2 m²). The major structures in the temple divides between the main gate and four other large halls and many other temples.
The temple houses a wall of 18 Buddhist deities, many Ming Dynasty religious relics and a library of over 100,000 volumes of scriptures in 20 different languages, some of which date back to the time of the Song Dynasty
Song Dynasty
The Song Dynasty was a ruling dynasty in China between 960 and 1279; it succeeded the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period, and was followed by the Yuan Dynasty. It was the first government in world history to issue banknotes or paper money, and the first Chinese government to establish a...
.