Guides & Adventures
Travel plans in and around the Haidian District of Beijing, China
Adventure: Get Lost in the Desolate Dong Yue Miao
On a particularly dreary fall afternoon, I gazed up at the faded green gate with a shudder. The Dōng Yuè Miào seemed almost forgotten, despite its prime real estate along a busy road just blocks away from Sānlĭtún. The gold was chipped and looked to be in a long-standing state of disrepair. Such is the legacy of Beijing's Daoist temple. Despite having been open to the public since the early 2000s, few locals make an effort to visit the temple save for festivals or holidays. Practicing Daoists take time, of course, but it's hardly the go-to for tourists with only a few days to spare in China's capital city.
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Adventure: Experiencing the Lama Temple
Between work, Chinese class and the occasional writing session at a nearby cafe, it's easy for me to forget the long-standing history of this seemingly modern city. Especially in the Haidian District, popular stores, shopping malls and chrome-lined subway stations are part of daily life. But just a subway transfer away, on Line 2, sit a collection of temples and shrines that show this capital's cultural heritage. Most popular among these is the Yonghe Gong (Lama Temple).
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