Outside the northwest walls of the Forbidden City is this Qing dynasty Buddhist temple, once used for worshipping the god of rain. It's one of several in the vicinity of the former Imperial City not open to the public.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby attractions

1. Round City

0.21 MILES

Just outside Beihai Park's southern entrance is this raised, circular platform crowned with the Hall of Divine Light (Chéngguāng Diàn). You can peek…

2. Hall of Mental Cultivation

0.22 MILES

In the late Qing dynasty, the Hall of Mental Cultivation was where empress dowagers Cixi and Cian took charge of the state affairs behind a screen, when…

3. Palace of Eternal Longevity

0.23 MILES

One of the six western palaces in the Forbidden City, this was the residence of various empresses and imperial concubines. The Chongzhen Emperor (1628…

4. Palace of Gathered Elegance

0.23 MILES

This hall contains interesting photos of the last emperor Puyi, who lived here as a child ruler at the turn of the 20th century. Empress Dowager Cixi also…

5. Hall of Union

0.29 MILES

The middle of the three outer halls, the Hall of Union was the place for the empress to receive greetings from her high-ranking subjects during major…

6. Palace of Earthly Tranquillity

0.29 MILES

This palace was originally the residence of the empress, and in later times became the imperial couple’s bridal chamber (they only spent the first two…

7. Palace of Heavenly Purity

0.29 MILES

This hall was the principal residence of the emperor in the Ming and early Qing dynasties, where the son of heaven slept and worked. Later in the Qing…

8. Forbidden City

0.29 MILES

Enclosed by 3.5km of citadel walls at the very heart of Beijing, the Unesco-listed Forbidden City is China’s largest and best-preserved collection of…