A lama temple during the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), the Western Heaven Temple (also named Great Western Heaven) was rebuilt and expanded westward in 1759 during the Qing Dynasty. It was opened to the public in 1980 after renovation. The temple neighbors the Studio of Calmness to the east and the Hall of Full Enlightenment to the west. Located on the same axis with Jade Islet across the lake, this site is one of the best known in Beihai Park. In front of the temple grounds stands a four-column seven-story glazed archway, bearing a plaque “Hua Zang Jie” (Buddhist Pure Land) facing outward and a plaque “Xu Mi Chun” (Sacred Sumeru) facing inward. The temple gate, a color glazed version of the wooden structure, has three arched entrances. In the first courtyard inside the gate stand the bell tower to the east and the drum tower to the west. The bell and the drum towers have their respective flagpoles to the south and stone pillars to the north. One pillar is inscribed with the Diamond Sutra, the other with the Medicine Buddha Sutra. At the center of the courtyard is the Hall of the Heavenly Guardians, behind which is the second courtyard. The Hall of Great Mercy and Truth, located at the center of this courtyard and made of Phoebe zhennan, is a Ming Dynasty architectural masterpiece. This brown hall houses the statues of the Buddha of Three Worlds (Past, Present and Future) and the Eighteen Arhats. The second courtyard also has eastern and western side halls. The stone steps behind the Hall of Great Mercy and Truth leads to the rear courtyard of the complex. The plaque above the entrance reads “Hua Yan Qing Jie” (Pure Land of Buddha). Inside the gate is the Pavilion of Seven Buddhas Pagoda, inside which stands an octagonal stone pagoda. This pagoda has an engraved image of the Seven Buddhas and the inscription of “Note on the Seven-Buddhas Pagoda” in the handwriting of Emperor Qianlong (1736-95). Behind the pagoda is the tall, delicate Glazed Tower, exterior wall of which is decorated with colorful glazed patterns and Buddhist images.
