Day trippin': Tanzhesi
Tanzhesi is another one of those cool places to go when you need to get out of Beijing for the day. Located in the Western Hills about 45 kilometers (30 miles) from Beijing, it’s the city’s oldest temple, dating back about 2,000 years.
The temple is reached via a winding road passing through old villages on its way to the mountains. In the spring, blossoms abound on the hillside, in stark contrast to the browns which haven’t turned to green yet. On a clear day, the panoramic views of Beijing are stupendous. The temple site was added on to over the years, with the result being architecture from several different dynasties. Tanzhe was said to be the most important temple in China at one time. But not all activities had to do with religion at this temple. Take, for instance, the Floating Cups Pavilion. A small winding channel, said to be shaped like a dragon’s tail, was carved into a slab of marble placed on the ground. This channel was filled with water, and small cups containing wine were floated on the channel. When the cup ended its journey, the person nearest to it had to drink the wine. What merriment there must have been! As Tanzhesi can be difficult to get to, it doesn’t have the crowds like many other attractions. It’s possible to get there by subway and buses. I did this the first time I went. It took about four hours one way, and involved several changes of buses. I eventually got there by telling everyone I met, “Wo yao chu Tanzhesi” (“I want to go to Tanzhe Temple”) and then walking in the direction they pointed. However, this way is not really recommended unless you are able to speak some Mandarin. Far better to hire a taxi for the day. After touring Tanzhesi, you can then take in other sites in the area such as Zhoukoudian, which is where Peking Man was discovered. |
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Copyright 2012 by Cheryl Probst. All rights reserved.
Copyright 2012 by Cheryl Probst. All rights reserved.