Baoguo Temple, Beijing, Buddhist temple in Beijing, China.
Baoguo Temple in Beijing is a Buddhist sanctuary featuring traditional Chinese architecture arranged symmetrically across multiple courtyards. The complex contains numerous halls with Buddhist statues, including depictions of Sakyamuni and the Three Saints of the Huayan school.
Founded in the Liao dynasty, the temple collapsed in the early Ming and was rebuilt in 1466 by imperial order as Ciren Temple. The 1679 earthquake destroyed most of it; it was rebuilt in 1754 and renamed Dabaoguo Ciren Temple by the Qianlong Emperor. In 1900 Boxer forces used it as an altar, and the Eight-Nation Alliance shelled it.
The temple is known less as a Buddhist sanctuary than as an antique market. Since 1997 it has hosted a collectibles fair, and two of its three former halls now serve as exhibition pavilions. On weekends street vendors spread goods on folding tables and blankets, selling old books, coins, banknotes, stamps, badges and postcards.
The temple stands at 1 Baoguosi Qianjie, Guang'anmennei, Xicheng District, and is reached on foot from the surrounding streets. Weekends bring street sellers with folding tables and blankets, while weekdays are quieter. The on-site collectibles market closed in January 2020, so check what is open before setting out.
The temple is better known today as an antiques market than as a Buddhist site. Since 1997 it has hosted a collectors' market specialising in old books, coins, banknotes, stamps, badges and postcards; two of its three former halls serve as exhibition pavilions, and street traders spread goods on folding tables at weekends.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 92,943 contributors worldwide.