Bailin Temple in Beijing

Bailin Temple in Beijing

Bailin Temple (Bailin Si, 柏林寺), located at No. 1 Xilou Hutong (戏楼胡同1号), Dongcheng District (东城区), Beijing (北京市), was founded in the seventh year of the Yuan Zhi Zheng era (元至正七年, 1347) and was rebuilt during the fifty-second year of the Kangxi era (清康熙五十二年, 1713) and the twenty-third year of the Qianlong era (清乾隆二十三年, 1758). The Kangxi Emperor (清康熙皇帝) of the Qing Dynasty (清朝) inscribed the plaque “Wangu Bailin” (万古柏林). Currently, it serves as office space for the Ministry of Culture (文化部) of the People’s Republic of China (中华人民共和国) and is temporarily not open to the public.

Architectural Layout

Bailin Temple is oriented north-south and consists of three main sections. The primary buildings are located along the central axis and include the Mountain Gate (山门), the Hall of Heavenly Kings (天王殿), the Hall of Great Hero (Daxiong Baodian, 大雄宝殿), the Hall of Limitless (Wuliang Hall, 无量殿), and the Ten Thousand Buddha Pavilion (Wanfo Baoge, 万佛宝阁). There are five courtyards in total, with auxiliary halls and corridors on both the east and west sides. Additionally, the east and west wings contain the Palace Courtyard (行宫院), the East Dining Hall (东斋堂), and the Small Dharma Hall (小法堂) among other structures. The preserved Longzang (龙藏) woodblock scriptures are invaluable relics for the study of ancient Chinese philosophy, religion, literature, and art.

Historical Development

Yuan Zhi Zheng Era (元至正七年, 1347): Bailin Temple is established.
Ming Hongwu Year 1 (明洪武元年, 1368): During the construction of the northern wall of Beijing, Bailin Temple is divided into two parts, with the south referred to as South Bailin Temple (南柏林寺) and the north as North Bailin Temple (北柏林寺).
Ming Zhengtong Year 12 (明正统十二年, 1447): Bailin Temple is rebuilt.
Qing Kangxi Year 52 (清康熙五十二年, 1713): In celebration of the Kangxi Emperor’s 60th birthday, Prince Yongzheng (雍亲王胤禛) presides over the reconstruction of Bailin Temple.
Qing Qianlong Year 23 (清乾隆二十三年, 1758): Bailin Temple is renovated again.
Republic of China Era (民国年间): Bailin Temple is occupied by the Buddhist Research Institute (佛学研究院) and Army Hospital (陆军医院), among others.
Post-1949 (中华人民共和国成立以后): After the founding of the People’s Republic of China, Bailin Temple becomes the second reading room of the Beijing Library (北京图书馆), later repurposed as office space for the Ministry of Culture.

Main Buildings

Hall of Great Hero (大雄宝殿)

The Hall of Great Hero is the main hall of the temple, measuring five bays wide, with a single-eaved hip roof. A large plaque hangs in the center below the eaves, inscribed with “Wangu Bailin,” written by Emperor Kangxi (康熙帝). Inside, there are three Buddhas of the Three Generations (三世佛), and seven wooden, lacquered golden Buddha statues from the Ming Dynasty (明代).

Vimalakirti Pavilion (维摩阁)

Also known as the Sutra Pavilion (藏经阁), it consists of two stories, each five bays wide, with auxiliary buildings on both the east and west sides.

Cultural Relics

Qing Longzang Scriptures (清龙藏经版)

The Qing Longzang scriptures are the only surviving woodblock scriptures from Chinese Buddhist collections, published in the eleventh year of the Yongzheng era (清雍正十一年, 1733) and completed in the third year of the Qianlong era (清乾隆三年, 1738). The collection consists of 78,230 blocks and 7,240 volumes of scriptures. The blocks are made from pear wood (梨木), exhibiting refined carving techniques and robust, elegant characters. These scriptures, called “藏” (zang), refer to the extensive collection of Buddhist texts compiled during the Yuan, Ming, and Qing dynasties. After being moved from the Wuying Hall (武英殿) in the Forbidden City (故宫) to Bailin Temple for preservation, they were later transferred to Zhihua Temple (智化寺) in 1982 and are currently managed by the Beijing Library.

Seven-leaf Sophora (七叶槐)

Bailin Temple is named after the numerous ancient cypress trees (古柏) within its grounds. Inside the Vimalakirti Pavilion courtyard, there is a “Seven-leaf Sophora” tree, standing 15 meters tall with a trunk circumference of 1.8 meters. It was planted during the reconstruction in the twenty-third year of the Qianlong era (清乾隆二十三年, 1758) and is over 250 years old, making it the oldest butterfly sophora tree (古蝴蝶槐) in Beijing. Only two ancient seven-leaf sophora trees exist in Beijing; the other is located in Guangji Temple (广济寺) in Xicheng (西城).

Cultural Value

The Longzang scriptures preserved at Bailin Temple are precious relics for the study of ancient Chinese philosophy, religion, literature, and art.

Cultural Heritage Protection

On May 24, 1984, Bailin Temple was announced as the third batch of municipal cultural heritage protection units by the People’s Government of Beijing (北京市人民政府). On May 25, 2006, it was designated as a key national cultural relic protection unit by the State Council of the People’s Republic of China (中华人民共和国国务院).

Historical and Cultural Significance

Literary Works

In the poem “Bailin Temple Incense Offering” (《柏林寺拈香》), Aisin Gioro Hongli (爱新觉罗·弘历) writes:

“Bailin Ancient Temple shines in Chang’an (长安),
Years of wear make the beams sorrowfully decayed.
Especially with the nearby Longyi Courtyard (跃龙邸),
It’s a unique display of the flower garden.
Colorful robes sway in joyous thoughts,
Amitabha (阿弥陀佛) extends to meet the offerings of sandalwood.
Buddhism teaches us to forget everything,
In this moment, forgetting oneself is truly difficult.”

The Eight Great Temples of Beijing (京师内八刹)

During the Qing Dynasty, several large temples in the capital were referred to as the “Eight Great Temples of Beijing.” These included Bailin Temple, Jiaxing Temple (嘉兴寺), Guangji Temple, Fayuan Temple (法源寺), Longquan Temple (龙泉寺), Xianliang Temple (贤良寺), Guanghua Temple (广化寺), and Nianhua Temple (拈花寺). Among these, Bailin Temple, Guangji Temple, Fayuan Temple, Guanghua Temple, and Nianhua Temple have been preserved to this day.

Hiding the Remains of General Tong Linjie (掩藏英骸)

During the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression, Bailin Temple sheltered the remains of General Tong Linjie (佟麟阁). After his death, his wife Peng Jingzhi (彭静智) and children secretly buried him at Bailin Temple. The temple’s abbot, in admiration of the general’s patriotism, kept this a secret even after the fall of Beiping (北平). Only a memorial tablet reading “Spirit of Former Lord Hu” (先府君胡口口之灵) was placed in front of the coffin until after the victory in the war, when his remains were moved to Xiangshan (香山).