White Cloud Temple

This guide to the White Cloud Temple in Beijing follows the monk Qiu Chuji, summoned in 1219 by Genghis Khan in the belief he held the secret of immortality. It traces his three-year trek with eighteen disciples across deserts and frozen passes to reach the khan's camp near the Hindu Kush, and the audience that followed. Look for the three tiny stone monkeys hidden in the carvings near the hall where his remains lie, worn smooth by centuries of searching fingers.