Hongluo Temple in Beijing
Chinese Name: 红螺寺
English Name: Hongluo Temple
Type: Temple, Chinese traditional culture & Buddhism culture
Best Time: All Year Around
Recommended Visiting Hours: 1 hour
Opening Hours: 08: 00-17: 00 (Monday-Sunday, May 1-September 30)
08: 30-16: 00 (October 1-April 30 next year)
Ticket: 54 RMB for ticket
Location: The southern foot of Hongluo Mountain, 5km north of Huairou District, Beijing
Why is Hongluo Temple so special?
Formerly known as “Daming temple” (commonly known as “Hongluo Temple” due to the wonderful legend of the Hongluo Fairy), Hongluo Temple faces south, with a strict layout, surrounded by mountains and water, rich forests and towering old trees. Hongluo Temple is located in a thousand acres of verdant ancient pine forest in front of Hongluo Mountain, forming a beautiful picture scroll.
History of Hongluo Temple
Hongluoshan Hongluosi Temple is a famous Buddhist temple both at home and abroad, with a long history of more than 1600 years and profound Buddhist culture
Hongluo Temple was founded in the fourth year of Xiankang in the Eastern Jin Dynasty (338 A.D.) and later became a royal temple in the Yuan Dynasty.After the founding of new China, the government has been repairing it and then opening it to the public.
Features of Hongluo Temple
There are more than 600 kinds of trees and 60 kinds of plants around the temple. There are many kinds of birds and small wild animals living in the forest. According to estimates by the forestry department, there are more than one million trees in Hongluosi area, with a forest coverage rate of more than 90%. The pine forest bath garden in the east of the temple is full of luxuriant ancient pine trees, with more than 10,000 ancient trees over 100 years old. it is one of the important ancient trees in Beijing
Main Attractions in Hongluo Temple
Bamboo forest
This piece of bamboo forest was planted by Zen masters in Yuan Dynasty and has a history of more than 600 years. The bamboo forest in Hongluo Temple is evergreen and luxuriant all the year round, with about one million bamboo plants. It is called one of the “Three Wonders of Hongluo Temple”.
Ginkgo trees
There are two ancient ginkgo trees in front of the Hall of Ceremony. One of the ginkgo trees is over 1100 years old and over 30 meters high. The whole tree has a circumference of 7 meters. Although it has been over 1,000 years, its vitality has not decreased. People think that they are like a couple, so they are also called “couple trees”.
500 arhats garden
The 500 arhats are carved out of bluestone in proportion to real people, and are arranged in 10 groups centering on the 5-meter-high white marble Buddha. They sit or stand with different looks and expressions, forming a large group of Buddhist art sculptures.
How to Get There
- Take bus 867 at Dongzhimenwai Bus Station and get off at Hongluo Temple. It takes about two hours and the ticket fare is CNY 13. The bus operates between 07:00 and 19:00 at an interval of 30 minutes.
- Take bus 916 or 916 Express at Dongzhimen Station and get off at Huairou Beidajie Station. Then take a taxi to Hongluo Temple at the cost of CNY 20.
Nearby Attractions
Qinglong Mountain
The barrier-free circular walkway in the forest is well built. Walking in the ancient pine forest covered by dense shade, listening to the singing of the brook, seeing the pines everywhere, and feeling the beauty of nature’s quietness.
Beijing Yanqi Lake International Convention and Exhibition Center
The surrounding environment is beautiful, with dense plants and convenient transportation and accommodation.
