Tanzhe Temple, Buddhist temple in Mentougou District, Beijing, China

Tanzhe Temple is a Buddhist temple on the slope of Tanzhe Mountain in Mentougou District, Beijing, near China National Highway 108. Its over 900 rooms and 638 halls are arranged along three north-south axes: the central axis runs from the archway and shanmen through the Deveraja Hall and Mahavira Hall to the Vairochana Pavilion, the eastern axis holds the Qing imperial lodging palace, and the western axis contains scattered courtyards with the Guanyin Hall at the highest point. The Mahavira Hall has a double-eave hip roof with yellow glazed tiles and Yuan-dynasty glazed chiwen ridge ornaments.

Founded in 307, the first year of the Yongjia era of the Western Jin, the temple was originally named Jiafu Temple. It was renamed Longquan Temple in the Tang, Dawan Shou Temple after Jin-era rebuilding, and Xiuyun Temple by the Kangxi Emperor. Four Qing emperors, Kangxi, Yongzheng, Qianlong and Jiaqing, came here to worship.

The name Tanzhe is a popular one: "Tan" refers to the dragon pool behind the temple, "Zhe" to the mulberry trees on the mountain, and locals say "First Tanzhe, then Beijing" because the temple predates the city. In the Yigan Pavilion, visitors trace the winding white-marble channels of the Qushui Liushang game, floating a cup along the water as scholars once did while composing poems.

The grounds are hilly and spread out, so wear comfortable shoes and allow extra time for exploration. The best seasons to visit are spring and autumn, when weather is mild and pathways are easiest to navigate.

The Yigan Pavilion, also called Liubei Pavilion, has a white marble floor cut with winding channels forming a dragon and a tiger. Spring water spouts from a stone dragon's mouth in the northeast corner and runs through the grooves, so visitors can float cups along the water as in the old qushui liushang custom. A horizontal plaque in the pavilion bears the name Yigan, written by the Qianlong Emperor.