Yunju Temple is located in Shuitou Village, Dashiwo Town, Fangshan District, Beijing, 70 kilometers away from the city center. It is a national 4A-level tourist attraction. The scenic area covers an area of about 70,000 square meters, consisting of five major courtyards and six rows of main halls. On both sides are auxiliary halls, imperial palaces for emperors, and monk quarters, with north and south pagodas facing each other. Yunju Temple is famous for preserving the "Three Wonders": stone scriptures, paper scriptures, and wooden block scriptures. It enjoys the reputation of the "Great Northern Monastery" and the "Stone Scripture Great Wall," serving as a gathering place for Buddhist scriptures. The temple's architecture integrates styles from the Sui, Tang, and Ming to Qing dynasties, possessing extremely high historical and cultural value.
History and Culture
Yunju Temple was first built in the late Sui and early Tang dynasties (around 605), initially named "Zhiquan Temple," later renamed "Yunju Temple." In the 18th year of Kaiyuan in the Tang Dynasty (730), Princess Jinxian petitioned Emperor Xuanzong of the Tang Dynasty to grant the temple a large area of orchards and farmland, allowing the temple to be expanded. From the late Tang Dynasty to the Five Dynasties, due to frequent wars, Yunju Temple was repeatedly damaged, and the engraving of stone scriptures was interrupted.
During the Liao and Jin dynasties, Yunju Temple was repaired and expanded multiple times, forming the pattern of Central Yunju Temple, East Yunju Temple, and West Yunju Temple, but it was repeatedly destroyed and rebuilt due to dynastic changes. In the Qing Dynasty, emperors such as Kangxi and Qianlong inscribed plaques for Yunju Temple. By the late Qing Dynasty, only West Yunju Temple retained its incense. In 1937, after the Lugou Bridge Incident, Yunju Temple was burned by Japanese troops, and its cultural relics were looted.
After the founding of the People's Republic of China, the restoration project of Yunju Temple was fully launched. In 1981, two pieces of Sakyamuni Buddha's relics were unearthed in Leiyin Cave. In 1999, the restored area reached 8,353.44 square meters, reappearing the ancient temple's appearance from the late Qing Dynasty to the early Republic of China. In 2000, the Stone Scripture Underground Palace of Yunju Temple was opened to visitors, and in 2001, it was listed as the fifth batch of National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units.
Main Attractions
Fangshan Stone Scriptures
The Fangshan Stone Scriptures, fully known as the "Fangshan Yunju Temple Stone Carved Buddhist Tripitaka," began to be engraved in the Daye period of the Sui Dynasty (605). Spanning six dynasties—Sui, Tang, Liao, Jin, Yuan, and Ming—a total of 1,122 Buddhist scriptures, 3,572 volumes, and 14,278 stone tablets were engraved, totaling about 35 million characters, forming the world's largest and oldest stone carving library. The scripture tablets are sealed in nine scripture caves on Stone Scripture Mountain and one underground palace. Among them, Leiyin Cave (Huayan Hall) preserves 4 Sui Dynasty stone scriptures and 1,008 Tang Dynasty stone scriptures. Around the cave walls inlaid with scripture tablets, there are 1,056 relief small Buddhas, known as the "Stone Scripture Great Wall."
North Pagoda (Lohan Pagoda/Sarira Pagoda)
The North Pagoda was first built in the Liao Dynasty and rebuilt in the Ming Dynasty, with a height of 30.46 meters. It is an octagonal pavilion-style brick pagoda, with a Xumizuo at the lower part, a bowl-shaped pagoda body in the middle, and thirteen layers of dense eaves at the upper part. This "bell and drum tower-style" shape is extremely rare in China. The pagoda body is decorated with reliefs of Khitan scriptures and Buddhist stories, and the pagoda base is carved with patterns of lion heads, powerful men, etc., serving as important physical objects for studying Liao Dynasty architectural art and Khitan national culture.
Tongue Blood True Scripture
In the 13th year of Chongzhen in the Ming Dynasty (1640), the eminent monk Zuhui used tongue blood mixed with cinnabar as ink, taking three years to write the 80-volume, 600,000-character Avatamsaka Sutra, known as the "Tongue Blood True Scripture." The scripture scrolls are written on magnetic blue paper with golden characters, which are still bright and vivid after nearly 400 years. Now stored in the cultural relics warehouse of Yunju Temple, it is a national first-class cultural relic.
Tang and Liao Ancient Pagoda Group
Yunju Temple currently has 7 Tang pagodas, 5 Liao pagodas, and 3 Qing pagodas, among which Tang pagodas account for one-third of the existing Tang pagodas with exact inscriptions in China. Most Tang pagodas are square single-layer dense-eave style, 3-5 meters high, with inscriptions of construction years, statues, scriptures, etc., on the pagoda body. Liao pagodas have various shapes, including pavilion-style and dense-eave style, with reliefs of Buddhist themes on the pagoda body, serving as precious examples for studying ancient architectural and sculptural art.
Dragon Treasury Wood Scripture Blocks
The Dragon Treasury Wood Scripture Blocks, namely the engraving blocks of the Qianlong Edition Tripitaka, began to be engraved in the 11th year of Yongzheng in the Qing Dynasty (1733) and were completed in the 3rd year of Qianlong (1738). A total of 79,036 blocks were engraved, containing 1,669 Buddhist scriptures and 7,168 volumes. They are the most complete official engraved Buddhist Tripitaka blocks existing in China and are now stored in the Dragon Treasury Wood Scripture Hall of Yunju Temple.
Delicacies
The area around Yunju Temple is mainly characterized by farm-style cuisine, with featured delicacies including:
Fangshan Mopan Persimmon
A special product of Fangshan, named for its fruit shape resembling a millstone. Each fruit weighs 250-500 grams, with orange-yellow skin, soft and juicy flesh, a sugar content of 15%-20%, and rich in vitamins A, C, and various minerals. It matures in autumn and can be eaten fresh or made into persimmon cakes.
Rainbow Trout Feast
Rainbow trout farmed in the Juma River basin has tender meat. It can be steamed, braised, or roasted, with roasted rainbow trout being the most famous. The skin is crispy, the meat is delicate, and paired with secret sauce, it is a local signature dish.
Wild Vegetable Stuffed Dumplings
Using wild vegetables such as shepherd's purse and purslane from the Fangshan mountain area, mixed with pork or eggs to make the filling. The dumpling skin is chewy, the filling is fragrant, and it is rich in dietary fiber and vitamins, being a characteristic farm dish.
Admission Tickets
The admission ticket price for Yunju Temple is 40 yuan per person.
You can search for the official WeChat public account "北京云居寺" on WeChat to get the latest updates. As of June 30, 2025, this official WeChat public account does not provide an online ticketing function.
Opening Hours
The opening hours of Yunju Temple are:
Summer (April 1 - October 31) 8:30 - 16:30 (stop entering at 16:00)
Winter (November 1 - March 31 of the following year) 8:30 - 16:00 (stop entering at 15:30)
During legal holidays and the tourist high season, it closes at 17:00, subject to the announcement of the scenic area.
Tour Routes
Classic Half-Day Tour Route:
Mountain Gate → Heavenly Kings Hall → Vairocana Hall → Mahavira Hall → Medicine Master Hall → Amitabha Hall → Scripture Collection Building → North Pagoda → Tang and Liao Ancient Pagoda Group → Stone Scripture Underground Palace → Dragon Treasury Wood Scripture Hall → Stone Scripture Mountain (optional cable car) → Leiyin Cave → Return to Mountain Gate
(The whole journey takes about 3 hours, and adding the Stone Scripture Mountain tour requires an additional 1.5 hours)
Cultural In-Depth Tour Route:
Morning: Visit the Stone Scripture Underground Palace and Dragon Treasury Wood Scripture Hall to understand the history of stone and wood scriptures; climb Stone Scripture Mountain, visit Leiyin Cave and scripture caves, and view Tang Dynasty stone scriptures up close
Noon: Taste surrounding farm-style cuisine
Afternoon: Visit the North Pagoda and Tang Pagoda Group to understand ancient architectural art; tour each hall to view Buddhist statues; visit cultural relic exhibitions such as the Tongue Blood True Scripture
(The whole journey takes about 5-6 hours, and it is recommended to bring your own drinking water and sunscreen)
Transportation
- Public Bus:
1. Take the 917 Express (Tianqiao - Shidu) from the urban area to Fangshan Cangfang Community Station, transfer to Fangshan 12 or Fangshan 31 to Yunju Temple Station, the whole journey takes about 2.5 hours
2. Get off at Suzhuang Station of Fangshan Line of the subway, transfer to Fangshan 31 to directly reach Yunju Temple, the whole journey takes about 2 hours - Self-Driving:
1. Beijing-Hong Kong-Macao Expressway (G4) → Liulihe Exit → Fangyi Road → Laibao Road → Yunju Temple, driving time about 1.5 hours
2. Beijing-Kunming Expressway (G5) → Puwa Exit → Fangyi Road → Yunju Temple, driving time about 1.2 hours - Tourist Special Line:
The Beijing Tourism Distribution Center (at Qianmen, Wangfujing, etc.) offers a one-day tour special line to Yunju Temple, including admission tickets and round-trip transportation, priced at about 120 yuan per person
Must-Visit Attractions
- Fangshan Stone Scriptures: The world's largest stone-carved Buddhist scriptures, with 14,278 scripture tablets spanning six dynasties. The Tang Dynasty relief small Buddhas and stone scriptures in Leiyin Cave are national treasures
- North Pagoda: A 30.46-meter Liao Dynasty building with a rare "bell and drum tower-style" shape in China. The reliefs on the pagoda body are important objects for studying Khitan culture
- Tongue Blood True Scripture: The 600,000-character Avatamsaka Sutra written by a Ming Dynasty eminent monk with tongue blood, preserved on magnetic blue paper with golden characters without fading for 400 years
- Leiyin Cave on Stone Scripture Mountain: The birthplace of Sui Dynasty stone scriptures, with 1,056 small Buddhas on the cave walls and thousand-year-old stone scriptures forming a Buddhist art wonder
Tour Tips
- Recommended visiting time: 3-5 hours, and a whole day for in-depth tours
- Stone Scripture Mountain requires climbing 450 steps (or taking a cable car). It is recommended to wear non-slip shoes, and elderly visitors can act according to their ability
- The cultural relics in the temple are precious. Please do not use flash when taking photos, and touching scripture blocks and Buddha statues is prohibited
- In spring (April-May), you can enjoy the new leaves of the thousand-year-old ginkgo trees in the temple; in autumn (October-November), the red leaves and ancient pagodas form a beautiful contrast
- There are attractions such as Shidu and Yesanpo around, and you can arrange a 2-3-day Fangshan landscape and culture tour in combination
Notes
- There are many halls in the temple. It is recommended to follow a guide or check the tour map to avoid missing important attractions
- Areas such as the Stone Scripture Underground Palace and Dragon Treasury Wood Scripture Hall need to maintain silence, and loud noise is prohibited
- Smoking and littering are prohibited in the scenic area. Please care for ancient trees and cultural relics
- There are many visitors during holidays, and the cable car on Stone Scripture Mountain may have a queue. It is recommended to visit at off-peak times
- Pay attention to mosquito prevention in summer and keep warm in winter as the mountain area has lower temperatures