Winter Ice and Snow Roaming Season On the west bank of the moat outside Guang'anmen Gate in Beijing, there is a thousand-year-old temple that originated in the Northern Wei Dynasty - Tianning Temple. This ancient temple was built in the period of Emperor Xiaowen of the Northern Wei Dynasty, experienced wars and wars, and was destroyed several times until it collapsed again at the end of the Qing Dynasty. The name of the temple has also changed several times, the original name is Guanglin Temple, also known as Hongye Temple, Tianwang Temple, Dawan'an Temple, to the Ming Dynasty called"Tianning Temple"。
Although the temple is ruined, the name of the tower still continues the name of the temple. The essence of Tianning Temple lies in this flower pagoda. It is the tallest brick tower with dense eaves in Beijing, with a height of 578 meters, solid octagonal with a total of 13 floors, is a more typical one of the existing dense eaves brick towers in China.
It is worth mentioning that the statue of the tower body is the Yuanjue dojo arranged according to the "Yuanjue Sutra", and the architectural and decorative treatment of the tower is the symbol of the "Huazang world" designed according to the "Huayan Sutra" scripture and meaning, and the combination of the two shows that the Liao Dynasty respects the Huayan Sect and integrates the Buddhist characteristics of the Esoteric Sect.
The relief carving on the whole tower is exquisite, the shape is beautiful, the technique is delicate, and the characters are lifelike. When I arrived, it was early spring, and there were very few visitors in the whole courtyard, as if it did not exist in the same time and space as the bustling Second Ring Road. The ancient pagoda stands in the midst of modern buildings, and its weather-worn carvings retain its last stubbornness.
Standing at the foot of the tower, I felt that the sky was very high, the earth was very wide, and I was very small, and in the air that seemed to be about to freeze, I stopped and thought quietly.
Tianning Temple is located at No. 2, Tianning Temple Front Street, Xicheng District, and is open from 9:00 to 16:00 every day, and it is free to visit, but you need to make an appointment in advance on the "Beijing Religious Site Reservation Platform".
If you have not made a reservation in advance, you can also register on-site. The millennial changes of this ancient temple, the mysterious charm of the tower, and the tranquil atmosphere all make people fall in love with it.