Tongzhou Landmark: Three Temples and One Pagoda

The "Three Temples and One Pagoda" are located in Tongzhou, the sub-center of Beijing. They include the Confucian Temple, the Buddhist Temple, the Taoist Temple, and the Ranting Buddha Pagoda. The Confucian Temple, also known as the Academy, was built in the Yuan Dynasty and has undergone 22 renovations and expansions during the Yuan, Ming, and Qing Dynasties. By the Guangxu period, it had become the largest Confucian Temple in Beijing, second only to the Confucian Temple in Beijing. The Buddhist Temple, also known as the Pagoda Temple, is said to have been built during the Northern Qi Dynasty and is a thousand-year-old Buddhist site. Monks in the temple chant scriptures and pray day and night. There is also an ancient locust tree in the temple. The Taoist Temple, built in the mid-Ming Dynasty, was originally painted with the Red Boy on its walls, which was so vivid and lifelike that it was commonly known as the Red Boy Temple. After several renovations in 2004, it now displays some calligraphy works and holds lectures on Chinese culture. The Ranting Buddha Pagoda was built during the Northern Zhou Dynasty and has been renovated over the years. It is one of the "Four Famous Pagodas of the Grand Canal" along with the Linqing Relic Pagoda, the Liuhe Pagoda in Hangzhou, and the Wenfeng Pagoda in Yangzhou. It is a solid brick and wood pagoda with a hollow interior and an altar inside, where the Ranting Buddha is worshipped. Not far from the Three Temples and One Pagoda is the Daguang Tower, built during the Jiajing period of the Ming Dynasty. It was originally built to inspect grain and is also known as the "Grain Inspection Tower." It is located next to the Shiba Wharf at the northern end of the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal and witnessed the prosperity of the canal during the Ming and Qing Dynasties. Today, the "Three Temples and One Pagoda" scenic area is open to the public for free, where visitors can experience the unique charm of Confucianism, Buddhism, and Taoism and feel the profound cultural heritage of the Grand Canal.