Wanshou Temple
Ming-era Buddhist temple complex turned imperial rest stop, now a museum of ancient art treasures.
Location
About this audio guide
This guide to Wanshou Temple in Beijing opens with a 2017 restoration that pulled apart a damaged statue and found a handwritten elegy from one of Kangxi's sons folded inside, along with old Ming and Qing coins wedged into cracks throughout the halls. The temple itself was built in 1577 under the Ming emperor Wanli to store Buddhist scriptures, and later became a favorite stop for Empress Dowager Cixi on her barge trips between the Forbidden City and the Summer Palace. Look for the western courtyard she nicknamed her own little palace.
This audio guide was created using AI.
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