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1. Temple of Heaven (Tian Tan)
- Beautiful historic temple complex and park
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- Religious Sights
- Nile Expert Tip: "Tiantan" is dripping in history and imperial significance. Grab a friend and share a secret across...
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2. Confucian Temple
- In memory of China's greatest sage
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- Religious Sights
- Dong Cheng District
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3. Five Pagoda Temple
- The temple shows ancient stone carvings
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- Religious Sights
- Hai Dian District
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4. Yonghe Gong (Lama Temple)
- Temple Devoted to Tibetan Buddhism
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- Religious Sights
- Dong Cheng District
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5. Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests (Qinian Dian)
- Prayer Hall
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- Religious Sights
- Chao Yang District
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6. Dong Tang (East Church or St. Joseph's Cathedral)
This gray Gothic structure has endured a torrid history. Built on ground donated by the Shunzhi emperor...
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7. Nan Tang Catholic Church
- Historic, well decorated church
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- Landmarks
- Xi Cheng District
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8. Temple of the Reclining Buddha
- Shrine to Buddha
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- Religious Sights
- Hai Dian District
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9. Temple of the God of Taishan
- Taoist temple
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- Religious Sights
- Chao Yang District
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10. Da Zhong Si (Great Bell Temple)
An attraction to bring out the hunchback in anyone, this Qing temple now houses the Ancient Bell Museum...
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The Best of NileGuide
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With so many years of history, Beijing is full of religion. From Confucian temples to Buddhist ones, from Catholic to ancestral shrines, Muslim Mosques and Jewish synagogues are also available in the city, so Beijing literally has something for every practitioner.
Of course the most common religious sites revolve around past and present Chinese religions like Daoism, Buddhism and Confucianism, as well as ancestral shrines. The Temple of Heaven was where royalty of old used to sacrifice animals to Heaven. It is a massive complex complete with sacrificial arena, kitchen (leftover sacrifice, anyone?) and of course the pagoda temples.
Confucianism was extremely popular in bygone China, and many still follow the more religious aspects of this social organizational structure. The Confucian temple is a beautiful relic of art and religion and is well marked with English information.
Five pagodas and the Lama Temple are also great representations of past years in China, though the markings are less obvious at these and thus information more scarce.
Christianity has never been widely accepted in China, but missionaries did establish churches that survive to this day. The Catholic Cathedrals of St. Joseph and Nan Tang are two such examples.
- Best Of Beijing
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