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Beijing Dajue Temple Map

Dajue Temple literally means "Great Awakening Temple/Temple of Enlightenment") which is a Buddhist temple located in the Haidian District of western Beijing, China. It takes little more than ten minutes to drive from the well-known Summer Palace. It was founded in the 11th century, and the current temple dates to a reconstruction in the 15th century during the Ming Dynasty.

The temple is surrounded by lush trees. Ancient cypresses reach skyward and verdant green bamboo sways gently in the breeze. In the grounds, there is a giant 1,000-year-old gingko tree, which is so wide that it takes six people to hug it. A mountain spring runs from the rear courtyard to the pool in the front yard. The water is clear and flows ceaseless. The 300-year-old magnolia tree whose flowers are exceptionally large, bright, elegant and fragrant draws flocks of tourists each spring.

Since 1997, many tea houses have been established in the temple. A restaurant with Shaoxin cuisine has also opened and the abandoned rooms of monks have been converted into guest rooms. In addition, a meeting room and other entertainment facilities have been developed. And there are chairs and tables for you to rest and drink tea. The aroma of tea and flowers combined with the beauty of green and ancient trees make Dajue Temple a unique attraction.

The best time to come here is on around April 5 when many special activities take place, like the Magnolia Festival held in April and Mid-autumn Day (August 15 of Chinese lunar calendar). There are performances of Chinese zheng (a zither with 16-26 movable strings) on Saturdays and Sundays.