Wanshou Temple — Attraction in Beijing

It's a 1.2 km walk (20 min) from exit A of the National Library metro station on line 4 or 9. It's a Buddhist temple and worshipers are seen making offerings. However, no incense and no monks. Red placards are hung along the fence with written blessings. There's a bonus to visiting since the Beijing Art Museum is housed on site. A few English signs with brief details are found on building entrances.

Also, the bathrooms are squatters. Just yucky.

The entrance ticket includes admittance to the Beijing Art Museum. On Wednesdays, the first 200 visitors are free. Otherwise 20...

exquisite Ming-Qing architectures and cultural relics. lots of digital displays in the halls, not boring at all. also found a cute cat in the garden. all in all worth the ticket price. plus there's a new metro station (Wanshou Temple line 16) just around the corner....

万寿寺在五塔寺西，创建于明万历五年（1577年），由万历皇帝之母慈圣李太后出资，司礼监冯保选址督建而成，大臣张居正撰写《敕建万寿寺碑文》。明代万寿寺规模宏大、建筑华丽，“几与大内等”。清初顺治十六年（1659年）万寿寺大火，大部分建筑遭焚毁。但经过康熙、乾隆和光绪三朝四度重修、扩建，最终形成了万寿寺中、东、西三路，集寺庙、行宫、园林于一体的庞大规模，占地三万平方米，成为清代皇家祝寿庆典的重要场所，拥有“京西小故宫”之誉。清代宫廷画师绘制的一幅《香林千衲图》为我们展现了乾隆时期万寿寺为皇太后举行万寿庆典时的盛况。当日由千名僧人聚集于寺前诵经，举行千佛道场。在寺院对面的长河南岸建有唱经台，是各寺院高僧、住持、方丈聚集之所，千名来自各方的僧人聚于唱经台两侧。长河北岸、寺门前为宫廷官员们的聚集地。只见图中宫廷官员们正在寺前指挥清扫场地，忙于接待皇帝和皇太后的准备工作；僧众们则云集于长河南岸，人头攒动；唱经台内高僧们正在和官员们寒暄、磋商；万寿寺建筑群则粉饰一新，幡旗高悬，呈现着喜气洋洋的庆典气氛。现在的万寿寺经历数次大修，中路与西路建筑群基本恢复了原有格局，东路则仍待修整。全寺布署严谨，分为中、东、西三路。中路七进院落，中轴线上依次建有山门、天王殿、大雄宝殿、万寿阁（为2002－2003年重建）、大禅堂、假山园林、乾隆御碑亭、无量寿佛殿、光绪御碑亭和万佛楼，主殿的两侧均建有配殿等附属建筑。西路为行宫。寺庙...