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City & district guides
About Wanshou Temple
Founded to house Buddhist scriptures, it later acquired imperial ceremonial associations, and its present museum collections extend across decorative arts such as porcelain, enamel, lacquer, textiles, and calligraphy. The temple buildings give those objects an architectural setting different from a purpose-built modern gallery. Start with the sequence of courts and halls, then choose a material or exhibition theme that interests you. Treat the changing museum displays as a complement to the historic compound rather than assuming every collection category is always on view.
The temple was built in 1577, during the reign of the Wanli Emperor of the Ming dynasty, initially to store Chinese Buddhist scriptures before becoming a permanent site for imperial celebrations. It was declared one of Beijing's Key Cultural Heritage of Preservation sites in August 1979.
The Beijing Art Museum housed within the temple maintains a permanent collection of about 70,000 items, including bronze and jade objects from the Shang and Zhou dynasties (17th to 3rd centuries BC) and earthenware, carved lacquerware, ivory carving and wood carving from later periods. Its holdings also include Chinese paintings and calligraphy from the Ming and Qing dynasties, weavings and embroideries of the same periods, and ancient coins from China and other countries. Modern Chinese, Japanese and other Asian arts, crafts and paintings are displayed in the museum as well.
What to look for
- Temple courts and halls: trace the historic compound through its enclosed spaces.
- Beijing Art Museum displays: focus on a decorative-art material, such as enamel, lacquer, porcelain, or textiles, according to the current exhibition.
Location & getting there
Getting to Wanshou Temple
The identified reference gives No. 121 Wanshousi Road in Haidian. The matched listing places the temple southwest of Wanshou Si station on Metro Line 16.
- Use Wanshou Temple or Beijing Art Museum for the same destination; it is distinct from the Capital Museum on Fuxingmenwai Street.
Combine your visit
Suggested order within this visit:
-
Temple entrance courts
Begin with the historic architectural setting.
-
Main hall sequence
Compare the compound’s successive spaces.
-
Selected art exhibition
Finish with close study of a material or collection theme.
This sequence is an editorial suggestion based on the features described in the sources. Access to individual buildings or areas should be checked locally; no travel time or shared admission is implied.
Find Wanshou Temple
万寿寺 · 海淀区
The pin marks the area, not the entrance.
More places nearby
Approximate straight-line distances between map pins, not travel distances.
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View guide →Sources & visit information
The sources below support the place-specific description and arrival information. Suggested combinations are editorial planning ideas; confirm current opening, entry arrangements and transport services for your date.
Visitor information adapted and edited from Wikipedia contributors · CC BY-SA 4.0. Source revision 1366893117.
Visitor information adapted and edited from Wikivoyage contributors · CC BY-SA 4.0.
Background paragraphs condensed from Wikipedia contributors, "Wanshou Temple", English Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0. Source revision 1366893117.