Zhihua Si Temple

The Zhihua Temple (智化寺; pinyin: Zhìhuà Sì; lit. "Temple of Wisdom Attained") is a Ming Dynasty-era Buddhist temple in Beijing, China. It is located in the Lumicang (禄米仓) hutong, in the Chaoyangmen area of the Dongcheng District, within the Second Ring Road to the north of Jinbaojie Street, west of the Yabaolu area. The temple was built in 1443 at the order of Wang Zhen, a powerful eunuch in the Rites Supervising Office of the court of the Zhengto... more

The Zhihua Temple (智化寺; pinyin: Zhìhuà Sì; lit. "Temple of Wisdom Attained") is a Ming Dynasty-era Buddhist temple in Beijing, China. It is located in the Lumicang (禄米仓) hutong, in the Chaoyangmen area of the Dongcheng District, within the Second Ring Road to the north of Jinbaojie Street, west of the Yabaolu area. The temple was built in 1443 at the order of Wang Zhen, a powerful eunuch in the Rites Supervising Office of the court of the Zhengtong Emperor (also known as Yingzong; reigned 1436-1449 and 1457-1464). The temple, surrounding buildings, and grounds comprise approximately 20 thousand square meters. It is one of the most important original building complexes from the Ming Dynasty period in the Old City area, and one of the only wooden structures and groups of buildings from the Ming Dynasty to remain intact in Beijing. It is also striking for its extensive use of black roof tiles. The Beijing Cultural Exchange Museum, established in November 1992, is located in the temple... less