Fayuan Temple

This guide centers on Xie Fangde, an official of the fallen Song dynasty brought as a prisoner to Fayuan Temple in Beijing after resisting the conquering Yuan, who wept before a stone slab telling the story of a devoted daughter. It traces the temple back further still, to 645, when the Tang emperor Taizong ordered it built to mourn soldiers lost fighting in Korea. You'll hear how the new Yuan rulers tried repeatedly to win Xie over with rank and comfort. Look for the crabapple and lilac still blooming each spring around the old statues.