Beijing Five Pagoda Temple (Wuta Temple)
Situated to the north of Beijing Zoo in Haidian District, the Five Pagoda Temple is an ideal place to appreciate the splendid history of Buddhism and architecture in China as well as to enjoy the pleasant scenery and special tranquility.
The Five Pagoda Temple, aka Wuta Temple, is located in the east of Baishi Qiao, north bank of the Changhe River, close to the north gate of Beijing Zoo. It has the oldest and most beautiful Vajrasana Pagoda (diamond throne pagoda) among the total six in China. Beijing Stone Carvings Art Museum is established within it. It has nice exhibition halls to the east, west and north of the Vajrasana Pagoda.
History
During the reign of Emperor Qianlong of the Qing Dynasty (1644 - 1911), it twice underwent extensive renovations and was renamed 'Da Zhengjue Temple'. In succeeding years until modern times, it has been totally renovated. In 1982, it opened to the public. Today, it is popularly referred to as the Five-Pagoda Temple.
Architectural Features
The whole construction, made of bricks and bluestones, has two parts:
One is the 25-foot-high square foundation with six stories. The first story with a height of 5.8 feet (1.8m) is the base of the whole construction. Each of the five stories above has a narrow eave and carvings of small Buddhist shrines and Buddhas, as well as bas-reliefs of Buddhist objects and Sanskrit letters on its four sides.
The other part is the five pagodas rising from their square bases on top of the throne foundation. One pagoda is in the center and the others in the four corners of the foundation respectively. The central one, 26 feet (8m) in height is a little higher than the others and has 13 stories, two more than the others in the corners. All of them are dainty in appearance and artistic in design. They are all engraved with delicate images of Buddha, bodhi trees, Sanskrit letters and Buddhist symbols as well as lions, elephants, horses and other animal figures. The images of Buddha on them represent Buddha in five directions according to the sutra. In addition, it is interesting that the south wall of the base story of the central pagoda is carved with a pair of footprints of Buddha, meaning that the spirit of Buddha spreads everywhere.
The complex, with the diamond throne pagoda as its essence, is an outstanding accomplishment of Buddhist art. The carvings in Sanskrit also provide priceless material for research of the ancient Indian language and Tibetan Buddhism. Today, bearing a history of over 500 years, it is not only a solemn religious relic, but also the location of the Art Museum of Stone Carvings which displays more than 2000 pieces of stone artworks for tourists.
Related Reading: Five-Pagoda Temple in Hohhot
Transportation:


Beijing Bus / Subway Search
Admission Fee | Five Pagoda Temple: Free Beijing Stone Carvings Art Museum: CNY 20 Free for minors and the old over 60 Free for the first 200 visitors on Wednesdays. |
Opening Hours | Beijing Stone Carvings Art Museum: 09:00-16:30; last admission at 16:00. Closed on Mondays |





- Last updated on Jul. 19, 2023 by Gabby Li -
Questions & Answers on Beijing Five Pagoda Temple
Asked by Ia from SWEDEN | May. 31, 2015 21:49
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Attractions closeby Beijing Wuta Temple
is there any 'attraction', cheap shopping mall (like HongQiao) or something else worth seeing/doing VERY close by?
Answers (2)
Answered by Amanda from GREECE | Jun. 01, 2015 03:32
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For attraction: Beijing Zoo is within 5min's walking distance from the temple.
For shopping, I just know a Carrefour nearby. It is 700-800m away. The exact location is on the first floor of Fangyuan Building, No. Jia 56, South Street of Zhongguancun.
For shopping, I just know a Carrefour nearby. It is 700-800m away. The exact location is on the first floor of Fangyuan Building, No. Jia 56, South Street of Zhongguancun.
Answered by Ia from SWEDEN | Jun. 01, 2015 07:49
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I strongly believe that animals are not ours to use for entertainment, so a zoo is it an attraction but should rather be closed.
When it comes to shopping I had heard about some market similar to Pearl and Silk Market...
When it comes to shopping I had heard about some market similar to Pearl and Silk Market...
Asked by Ia from SWEDEN | May. 26, 2015 22:30
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I only have one more month left in China and I really want to visit Wuta Temple.
I've tried to call the numbers I've found on-line, but with no luck. Does anyone know anything or how I can find out?
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Answered by Samir from FRANCE | May. 27, 2015 02:20
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You can try to call 010-6217-3836.
The temple is located at the north side of the local Zoo, Xizhimen, Haidian District.
And you can provide your starting place. Then I can tell the detailed route to the temple.
The temple is located at the north side of the local Zoo, Xizhimen, Haidian District.
And you can provide your starting place. Then I can tell the detailed route to the temple.
Asked by Ia from SWEDEN | Mar. 07, 2015 22:00
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Wuta Temple was still closed before Chinese New Year.
Any news on when it will open again?
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Answered by Ada from INDONESIA | Mar. 08, 2015 00:23
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Sorry to tell you that there is still no official news about its reopening. Just wait and see!
Asked by Mike from CANADA | Jun. 20, 2014 18:52
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When will the Wuta Temple be open?
I tried to visit the temple in June 2014 but it is closed and there is a sign that says it is closed for a series of construction projects from October 15, 2013 onwards. But there was no indication of when it would re-open. How does one find out when it will be open?
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Answered by Gloria from AUSTRALIA | Jun. 20, 2014 21:17
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Since July 4, 2013, it published the construction news and said that the repair would last for a year. But till now, no news shows its re-open. Therefore, we can only pay attention to the news to know the reopen date.