Scrubbed-up Stupa Reopens

by Ben Moger-Williams

photos by Zhao Dechun

After undergoing extensive repairs for over a year, the White Pagoda Temple (Baita Si) on Fuchengmennei Dajie is once again open to visitors.

The Pagoda is actually only part of the Tibetan Miao Ying Temple, but since it is the temple's most prominent feature, locals name the whole complex after it. The Pagoda itself is over 700 years old, and was built by a famed Nepalese architect known as Arniger in 1271, during the Yuan Dynasty. The 50.9-meter high structure took eight years to complete.

There are three halls in the temple. The first is the Hall of the King of Heaven, which contains an exhibit on the history of the temple, as well as a display of several of the priceless Buddhist treasures that were discovered when the Pagoda was being renovated in 1978. These included relics of past living Buddhas, such as pieces of bone and hair, which are kept in small golden containers. They were found in the crown of the White Pagoda and date from the Qing Dynasty.

The second hall, the Hall of Buddhas of the Three Eras, contains an impressive display called the "10,000 Buddhas," although there are actually just over 7,000 of them. They are a breathtaking sight, as the place is literally covered in Buddha statues on all four glass-covered walls. There are all types of statues, some of which were imported from Tibet. The larger pieces have labels on them in English and Chinese. Some of the most interesting are the Tibetan Protector Deities (Hufa Shen) - monstrous beings that uphold the Buddhist Law.

Behind this hall is the Hall of Seven Buddhas, which is home to seven large Buddha statues, as opposed to the thousands of little ones. Behind this is the White Pagoda itself. The Pagoda has a wide base, topped by a body which the brochure says is shaped like "an upside-down alms bowl." On top of this are the 13 concentric rings of the Vault of Heaven, which are topped by a flat circular copper platform, with bells and tassels hanging off it. At the summit is the four-ton copper crown in which the relics were found in 1978. Although visitors are not allowed to go up on the Pagoda, there is really nowhere to go anyway. There are no doors leading into the structure, and a flight of stairs just gets you up to the top of the base. However, there are legends...

One says that underneath the Pagoda is an underground ocean and if the Pagoda is ever disturbed Beijing will be buried under water. Another says that a bizarre three-foot long salamander was found living in the temple during one renovation. According to yet another, underneath the Pagoda is a secret underground chamber to which there leads a secret tunnel. In the chamber are said to be riches beyond belief, as well as relics of Sakyamuni himself! Apparently, the municipal government has stated that it will not permit any active searching for the tunnel, but if, in the process of renovation, such a passage is discovered, then that is acceptable.

The Beijing municipal government and the Cultural Relics Bureau have done a good job of restoring this temple to a semblance of its former self. For a long time the temple was abandoned and left uncared for. At one point a shopping center was planted where the front part of the courtyard is now. People even moved into the temple grounds and encroached on the Pagoda. But the shopping center is gone, and the space has been cleared of all makeshift living accommodations. Several of the temple buildings have been reconstructed, and the original front gate, or Mountain Gate, has also been rebuilt to look like the original. The Nepalese government provided some of the funds for the renovations, which have turned the temple into one of the nicer places to visit in Beijing.

Tickets to the White Pagoda Temple are 10 yuan, and it is open from 9 to 5 every day. It is located on the north side of Fuchengmennei Dajie.