Zhenjue Temple - History

History

It is not clear how the architectural style of the "Diamond Throne Pagoda" of the Mahabodhi Temple was introduced to China. According to one tradition. the design was presented to the imperial court by the high-ranking Indian monk Pandida during the reign of the Ming Emperor Yongle in the early 15th century. Besides the designs for the diamond throne pagoda, the monk is said to have brought with him five golden Buddha statues. According to the legend, these statues are buried in the temple, one under each pagoda. However, references to such design can be found in much older Chinese art and architecture, for example in a mural painting in the Dunhuang Grottoes that has been dated to the Northern dynasties, about 1000 years older than the Zhenjue Temple.

Using the style of the diamond throne pagoda, the temple was constructed later during the reign of the Ming Emperor Chenghua in 1473. Besides the marble construction of the diamond throne pagoda, the temple complex also contained a number wooden buildings; at least six halls were present during the times of the Ming Dynasty. The complex underwent renovation during the time of the Qing Dynasty in 1761 when the halls were tiled in yellow. The temple complex was damaged by fire in 1860, during the Second Opium War and again in 1900 by the Eight-Nation Alliance that put down the Boxer Rebellion. Only the stone structure of the five pagoda building proper survived the destruction, the wooden halls perished, but the pedestal that once supported the "Big Treasure Hall" remains on the site. At present, the temple houses the Beijing Art Museum of Stone Carvings (Chinese: 北京石刻艺术博物馆; pinyin: Bĕijīng Shíkè Yìshù Bówùguǎn). The Zhenjue Temple has been listed as a national monument since 1961 (resolution 1-75).