Tianning Temple 天宁寺: a thousand-year-old treasure
Hidden in the Xicheng district of Beijing, right beside a huge factory chimney, is the ancient Tianning Temple. This structure was built in 1100, during the Liao Dynasty, making it 920 years old at the time of these photos, one of the oldest in town. The pagoda is solid and unlike many others of its kind it does not have stairs to take you to the top. After surviving centuries, many similar pagodas were torn down in the 20th century, like the older Qingshou Temple twin towers that were destroyed in 1954 so Chang An avenue could be expanded.
I observed many people would walk around the pagoda clockwise, while praying. Several would just walk while whispering, some would stop in front of each door and bow, and others would just be quiet in their worship.
Like many ancient and historical structures in Beijing, if you didn't know it was there, you'd miss it. The pagoda is right in the middle of a residential area and is not a very famous tourist spot.
After walking around the pagoda several times, this woman bowed a few times and finished her worship.
The octagonal pagoda, 57.8 meters tall, was erected on a square platform. The bottom of the pagoda is in the form of a huge Sumeru pedestal, decorated with carved arch patterns. At the corners there are relief sculptures of heavenly guardians accompanied by another level of carved arches. A veranda with banisters and brackets was built around the upper part of the pedestal.
The statues on the sides of the temple, although severely damaged, are believed to be original, having survived the great Tangshan earthquake of 1974 and the Cultural Revolution, when most relics of this and other temples around China were destroyed.
According to a local nun, in older times it was possible to go through the doors on the base of the pagoda, but now it's closed down because it's too dangerous. All the (not very extensive) research I have done online indicates that this structure has always been solid and the doors are decorative, but you never know.
In front of the pagoda, you can buy incense and light it as part of your worship. This one cost 15 yuan, but there are some for 25 and 35.
After lighting the incense, a woman bows facing the pagoda and prays before kneeling and bowing several more times, then heads to walk around the building.
Over the door, a statue of a Bodhisattvas survived.
Three layers of huge lotus petals carved on the pedestal support the first storey of the pagoda. On four sides of the first storey, facing the four directions, there are relief sculptures of heavenly guardians and arched gates. Above are thirteen levels of eaves, very close together, with no doors or windows. It is a typical pagoda of the Liao and Kin period. (text from china.org.cn)
Originally, in this same location there used to be another temple, built during the Sui Dynasty (589 - 618), and was considered at the time one of the most important of China. Legend says that he built 30 temples, one for each province of China, to keep relics of the Buddha. Some believe they still lie beneath the Tianning Temple to this day.
Near the entrance, there is a blocked out stair way to the underground. I wonder where that takes to. One day I will come back and have a better chat with the nuns.