Outside the northwest walls of the Forbidden City is this Qing dynasty Buddhist temple, once used for worshipping the god of rain. It's one of several in the vicinity of the former Imperial City not open to the public.
Lonely Planet's must-see attractions
0.29 MILES
Enclosed by 3.5km of citadel walls at the very heart of Beijing, the Unesco-listed Forbidden City is China’s largest and best-preserved collection of…
2.98 MILES
An oasis of methodical Confucian design, the 267-hectare Temple of Heaven Park is unique. It originally served as a vast stage for solemn rites performed…
8.24 MILES
A marvel of Chinese garden design and one of Beijing's must-see attractions, the Summer Palace was the royal retreat for emperors fleeing the suffocating…
1.18 MILES
Flanked by triumphalist Soviet-style buildings, Tian'anmen Sq is an immense void of paved stone (440,000 sq metres, to be precise) at the symbolic centre…
0.57 MILES
Beihai Park, inside the old Imperial City, looks much as it would have done in the 18th century when it served as Emperor Qianlong's private gardens. The…
1.43 MILES
A grand sweep of willow-lined waterways enclosed by invitingly maze-like hutong lanes, this trio of lakes is one of Beijing's best-loved outdoor spots,…
2.68 MILES
This immense fortress, part of the Ming City Wall Ruins Park, guarded the southeast corner of Beijing's city walls. Originally built in 1439 but repaired…
0.86 MILES
Instantly recognisable by its giant framed portrait of Mao, and guarded by two pairs of Ming dynasty stone lions, the double-eaved Gate of Heavenly Peace …
Nearby attractions
0.21 MILES
Just outside Beihai Park's southern entrance is this raised, circular platform crowned with the Hall of Divine Light (Chéngguāng Diàn). You can peek…
0.22 MILES
In the late Qing dynasty, the Hall of Mental Cultivation was where empress dowagers Cixi and Cian took charge of the state affairs behind a screen, when…
3. Palace of Eternal Longevity
0.23 MILES
One of the six western palaces in the Forbidden City, this was the residence of various empresses and imperial concubines. The Chongzhen Emperor (1628…
4. Palace of Gathered Elegance
0.23 MILES
This hall contains interesting photos of the last emperor Puyi, who lived here as a child ruler at the turn of the 20th century. Empress Dowager Cixi also…
0.29 MILES
The middle of the three outer halls, the Hall of Union was the place for the empress to receive greetings from her high-ranking subjects during major…
6. Palace of Earthly Tranquillity
0.29 MILES
This palace was originally the residence of the empress, and in later times became the imperial couple’s bridal chamber (they only spent the first two…
0.29 MILES
This hall was the principal residence of the emperor in the Ming and early Qing dynasties, where the son of heaven slept and worked. Later in the Qing…
0.29 MILES
Enclosed by 3.5km of citadel walls at the very heart of Beijing, the Unesco-listed Forbidden City is China’s largest and best-preserved collection of…