Dajue Temple 大觉寺

About Dajue Temple

From its eastern gate, the sequence leads through the Mahavira and Amitabha halls toward the Sarira Pagoda and the rear buildings. Ming Buddhist statues, later murals, and a carved dragon ceiling give the halls several layers of detail. The pagoda provides a contrasting outdoor form, with an octagonal base beneath its rounded white body. Walk the temple in sequence to see how the enclosed halls give way to the pagoda setting.

According to a stele at the temple, Dajue Temple was first built in 1068 during the Liao dynasty and named Qingshui (Clear Water) Temple, after a stream running through the grounds. It was later renamed Lingquan Temple, and after being rebuilt in 1428 during the Ming dynasty it received its present name. The temple underwent further renovations in 1720 and 1747.

The temple's five main buildings, running west from the entrance gate, are the Mahavira Hall, the Amitabha Hall, the Sarira Pagoda and, at the rear, the Longwang Hall, which originally stored Buddhist sutras. In the Mahavira Hall, the Ming-dynasty statues of Sakyamuni, the Buddha of Medicine and Amitabha are backed by a statue of Samantabhadra and flanked by twenty devas beneath a Qing-dynasty mural. The Amitabha Hall holds a statue of Guanyin (观音) flanked by two Bodhisattvas, with a Qing-era flying statue set behind them.

The Sarira Pagoda holds the relics of the monk Jialing (迦陵), who served as the temple's abbot for a few years in the 1720s; it was built shortly after his death in 1728. Its octagonal base supports a white, circular midsection that tapers into a slender spire.

What to look for

• Mahavira Hall: compare the three principal Buddha figures, attendant deities, murals, and dragon ceiling.
• Sarira Pagoda: examine the change from its octagonal lower stage to the white rounded body and narrow spire.

Location & getting there

Getting to Dajue Temple

The municipal tourism directory places Dajue Temple at No. 9 Dajuesi Road, Sujiatuo, Haidian. Use that road address for the final approach.

• The temple’s main gate is at the eastern end of the compound, with the principal buildings extending westward.