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Beijing Temple of Azure Clouds Maps

The Temple of Azure Clouds is a Buddhist temple located in the eastern part of the Western Hills, just outside the north gate of Fragrant Hills, approximately 20 km from center Beijing. It was initially built during the Yuan Dynasty and was taken reconstruction during the Ming and Qing Dynasties, thus the interior buildings almost retain the style of the Ming Dynasty.

The most famous buildings inside the temple are the Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall, the Five Hundred Arhats Hall and the Vajra Throne Tower. The Sun-Yat-sen Memorial Hall, which is in the center of the Temple, has photos of Sun Yat-sen, his handwriting, his books and his statue on display and a red wooden plaque hanging above the front gate. The words on the plaque which is engraved in gold was written by his wife, Song Qingling. Inside this hall lies an empty crystal coffin presented by the USSR government in 1925 in memory of Sun Yat-sen, because his body had already been buried elsewhere, the coffin was left here till now.

The magnificent Vajra Throne Tower is the highest building in the Temple of Azure Clouds. This 35 meter-high tower with elegant decorations is well-known within the area of Beijing City for its high elevation. The tower is located on Xishan (West Hill) and when you climb to the top, it is a perfect observational position to view all the scenery in the suburbs of Beijing City.