The Temple of Azure Clouds (), or Biyun Temple, is a

Buddhist Buddhism, also known as Buddhadharma and Dharmavinaya, is an Indian religion and List of philosophies, philosophical tradition based on Pre-sectarian Buddhism, teachings attributed to the Buddha, a wandering teacher who lived in the 6th or ...

temple located in the eastern part of the Western Hills, just outside the north gate of Fragrant Hills (Xiangshan) Park, in

Haidian District Haidian () is a northwest urban district of Beijing, bordering Xicheng, Beijing, Xicheng and Fengtai, Beijing, Fengtai. It is in area, making it the second-largest district in urban Beijing area (after Chaoyang, Beijing, Chaoyang), and is home ...

Beijing Beijing, Chinese postal romanization, previously romanized as Peking, is the capital city of China. With more than 22 million residents, it is the world's List of national capitals by population, most populous national capital city as well as ...

China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. With population of China, a population exceeding 1.4 billion, it is the list of countries by population (United Nations), second-most populous country after ...

, approximately 20 km from the city center. It was built in the 14th century (possibly in 1331), during the

Yuan dynasty The Yuan dynasty ( ; zh, c=元朝, p=Yuáncháo), officially the Great Yuan (; Mongolian language, Mongolian: , , literally 'Great Yuan State'), was a Mongol-led imperial dynasty of China and a successor state to the Mongol Empire after Div ...

(1271–1368) and was expanded in 1748. The temple, which is built on six levels over an elevation of nearly 100 meters, is known for its fine scenery. The temple also includes the

Sun Yat-sen Sun Yat-senUsually known as Sun Zhongshan () in Chinese; also known by Names of Sun Yat-sen, several other names. (; 12 November 186612 March 1925) was a Chinese physician, revolutionary, statesman, and political philosopher who founded the Republ ...

Memorial Hall, which is located at the center of the temple complex. Two other prominent features are the

Arhat In Buddhism, an ''Arhat'' () or ''Arahant'' (, 𑀅𑀭𑀳𑀦𑁆𑀢𑁆) is one who has gained insight into the true nature of existence and has achieved ''Nirvana (Buddhism), Nirvana'' and has been liberated from the Rebirth (Buddhism ...

s Hall and the Vajrasana Pagoda. Inside Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall lies an empty crystal coffin presented by the

Soviet The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR), commonly known as the Soviet Union, was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 until Dissolution of the Soviet ...

government in 1925 in memory of

(his body had already been entombed and placed at the temple pagoda until its relocation to Nanjing in 1929). Photos of Sun Yat-sen, his handwriting, books and statue are also on display on two sides. There are 512 statues, which include 500 wooden

Arhats In Buddhism, an ''Arhat'' () or ''Arahant'' (, 𑀅𑀭𑀳𑀦𑁆𑀢𑁆) is one who has gained insight into the true nature of existence and has achieved ''Nirvana'' and has been liberated from the endless cycle of rebirth. The unde ...

, 11 Bodhisattvas and one statue of Ji Gong (a famous

monk) inside the Hall of Arhats. All the Arhats are vivid, life-size statues with different poses and expressions. It has been said that two of these Arhats were the statues of the

Kangxi Emperor The Kangxi Emperor (4 May 165420 December 1722), also known by his temple name Emperor Shengzu of Qing, personal name Xuanye, was the third emperor of the Qing dynasty, and the second Qing emperor to rule over China proper. His reign of 61 ...

and the

Qianlong Emperor The Qianlong Emperor (25 September 17117 February 1799), also known by his temple name Emperor Gaozong of Qing, personal name Hongli, was the fifth Emperor of China, emperor of the Qing dynasty and the fourth Qing emperor to rule over China pr ...

of the

Qing dynasty The Qing dynasty ( ), officially the Great Qing, was a Manchu-led Dynasties of China, imperial dynasty of China and an early modern empire in East Asia. The last imperial dynasty in Chinese history, the Qing dynasty was preceded by the ...

(1644–1911). In addition to these life-sized images, there is a miniature statue of Ji Gong perched on an overhead beam. Bys szsjnt.jpg, Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Hall Bys jgbzt6.JPG, Arhat Hall Bys jgbzt.jpg, Vajrasana Pagoda Bys mlfd.jpg, Hall of Maitreya Statue of Budai in the Temple of Azure Clouds.jpg, Statue of Budai Azure Clouds Temple 2.jpg, Arhat Hall from Biyun Temple Azure Clouds Temple 3.jpg, Stone Archway

External links

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Temple Of Azure Clouds Buildings and structures completed in 1331 14th-century Buddhist temples Yuan dynasty architecture Major National Historical and Cultural Sites in Beijing Buddhist temples in Beijing Buildings and structures in Haidian District