Rivers to merge in birthday temple

The Tanzhe Temple, a well-known ancient Buddhist temple situated in the Mentougou District in western Beijing, will celebrate its 1,700th anniversary on September 9.

It has been popularly known as the "temple of pool and tree" because of the Dragon Pool and its ancient trees on the hill at the back of the temple. Unfortunately, the pool has been dry for more than a decade. The local government is preparing a big gift for the temple's birthday and will revive the Dragon Pool by diverting water from a reservoir.

For centuries, there has been a popular local saying: "First there was Tanzhe Temple, then came Beijing city." To commemorate this important day, religious celebrities from home and abroad will be invited to the temple to pray for good luck and harmony for Beijing and China. Also at the ceremony, the water collected from nine major rivers around the country will merge in the temple.

Built in the Jin Dynasty (AD 265-420), the temple was known for its close connections with the royal families of the Ming (1368-1644) and Qing (1644-1911) dynasties. Over the past 1,700 years, numerous monks have practiced their Buddhist art in the ancient temple, leaving behind a wealth of cultural relics in the temple.

Having survived the "cultural revolution" (1966-76) when many and temples were destroyed, the Tanzhe Temple was reopened to visitors in 1980. In 2001, the temple was included on the protection list of national key cultural relics sites.

China Daily

(China Daily 07/26/2007 page19)