The centre of the scenic spot of Jade Flower Island 琼华岛 in Beihai Park is Temple of Eternal Peace 永安寺, and the general layout of the island as well as the rest of the temples in Beihai Park are aligned with that of Yong’an Temple .
You can reach the Jade Islet 瓊華島 and Yong’an Temple 永安寺 from the East-West direction from East Gate via Zhishan Bridge 陟山桥, or the more common way via the North-South axis via Yong’an Bridge 永安橋.
Over the years, some buildings and statues in this magnificent religious complex were destroyed. In 1993, the entire architectural complex was restored to its past splendour.1
Layout of Temple of Eternal Peace
Temple of Eternal Peace 永安寺
Temple of Eternal Peace 永安寺, aka Yong’ a Temple, is situated at the southern edge of White Dagoba Hill. Originally named White Dagoba Temple 白塔寺2, it was built in 8th year of Qing Shunzhi reign (1651) by Emperor Shunzhi (name Fu Lin 福临, posthumous title Shizu 世祖) with the White Dagoba as its highest point at the suggestion of Tibetan Lama Naomuhan 恼木汗.
Initially, the temple included the following buildings: Hall of True Enlightenment 正觉殿, Hall of Universal Peace 普安殿, Hall of Great Attainment 圣果殿, Hall of Mirror 宗镜殿, corner rooms, hill rooms and the White Dagoba 白塔. The Hall of True Enlightenment was the temple entrance at that time. 3
The temple was given its present name in 6th year of Qianlong reign (1741). Emperor Qianlong sponsored its expansion in 1743 and added the Hall of the Wheel of Dharma 法轮殿, Bell Tower 钟楼, Drum Tower 鼓楼 and a new temple gate 山门. In 1751, the Hall of Good Cause 善因殿, Pavilion of Enchanting Scenes 引胜厅, and Pavilion of Refreshing Mist 涤霭亭 were built.4
Yong’an Bridge 永安橋 (堆雲積翠橋)
Duiyun Jicui Bridge 堆云积翠桥, or “Bridge of Gathering Clouds and Accumulating Jade”, aka Yong’an Bridge 永安桥, is located between Jade Islet 琼华岛 and Round City 团城, and is a necessary passage to connect the two islands. It was built in the third year of Yuan Zhiyuan (1267) as wooden bridge5, and converted into a stone bridge by Emperor Qianlong in the 8th year of his reign (1743).
The original name was no longer known, but during Ming dynasty it was called Taiye Bridge 太液橋 after the lake. As there’s a pailou at either end of the bridge named Duiyun “堆雲” (Gathering Clouds) and Jicui “積翠” (Accumulating Jade), hence it was also called Duiyun Jicui Bridge 堆云积翠桥. After Qianlong renamed the White Dagoba Temple to Yong’an Temple, the bridge was also known as Yong’an Bridge. 6
Beyond the pailou, there is a pair of stone lions facing inwards. The pair of stone lions outside the north pailou of the bridge are very close to the mountain gate of Yong’an Temple. Hence there’s no pair of lions in front of the temple mountain gate, which is contrary to the conventional pattern. 7
Mountain Gate 山门
The Mountain Gate 山门 is the main entrance to Yong’an Temple and has three arches and single beam roof. Because it was a royal temple, there are two dragons on the ridge of the roof. 8
Right outside the Mountain Gate are two sets of bronze turtles and bronze cranes. What is unique is the pair of three-legged bronze censer that looked like three cranes embraced together. These are modern installations and did not appear in photos before 1900s.9
In the hall of the Mountain Gate are the traditional guardians of the Chinese buddhist temple – the four Heavenly Kings guarding the four cardinal directions. 10
Once you go through the gate, you come to the first courtyard of the temple with the Bell Tower 钟楼 on the east side, and the Drum Tower 鼓楼 on the west side. They are currently closed to public.11
Hall of the Wheel of Dharma 法轮殿
The most important building within the Yong’an Temple complex is the Hall of the Wheel of Dharma 法轮殿, or Falun Hall.
It houses statues of the Sakyamuni Buddha 释迦牟尼佛, the Eight Great Bodhisattvas 八大菩萨 and Eighteen Arhats 十八罗汉像. The word Shakyamuni means the sage of the Shakyas, the latter being the name of Buddha’s clan, which ruled over the Republic of Kapilavastu.
One of the unique characteristics of Yong’an Temple is that all roofs in the compound have these diamond patterns. The roof is tiled with glazed ceramics with a concentric diamond pattern using blue, purple and royal yellow tiles that only royal buildings can use. 12
Longguang Zizhao Pailou 龙光紫照牌楼
The inscription on the south side of the pailou is “Dragon Light” “龙光”, and the inscription on the north side is “Purple Light” “紫照”, both of which are written by Qianlong, which means that the refraction of the bright light brings purple aurora, an auspicious sign.13
Pavilion of Enchanting Scenes, Pavilion of Refreshing Mist 引胜亭、涤霭亭
The two pavilions were built in 39th year of Qianlong reign (1774) to house steles made in 1773 with inscriptions of Emperor Qianlong’s calligraphy.
The contents of these steles are about the sights and sounds of Jade Islet and White Dagoba Hill written by the emperor himself.
The Pavilion of Enchanting Scenes 引胜亭 houses a stele inscribed with “Note on White Dagoba Hill” 《白塔山總記》 in four languages – Chinese, Mongolian, Manchurian and Tibetan. Not sure if the emperor really speaks those languages fluently, but that is really impressive.
The Pavilion of Refreshing Mist 涤霭亭, to the west, has a stele inscribed with “Note on the Surroundings of White Dagoba Hill” 《白塔山四面記》, in which various scenes of interest on Jade Islet are mentioned.14
Kunlun Rock 崑崙石
Kunlun Rock 昆仑石 is a natural stone plaque placed here in 17th year of Qianglong reign (1752). It measures 2m tall (2.5m including the base) and carved with the words “昆仑” on the front, and hence its name. The back is inscribed with a poem by Emperor Qianlong.16
Yueyun Rock 嶽雲石
Beside Pavilion of Refreshing Mist is a piece of sculpture made from Taihu Rock named Yueyun Rock 嶽雲石. The rock came from the Song Imperial Garden called Genyue 艮岳 in Kaifeng. According to documentation, the rock went missing, so this current one may be a replacement or replica.17
Taihu Rocks 太湖石
There are many Taihu rocks on Qiongdao, or Jade Islet. They were originally shipped from the Lake Taihu region, south of the Yangtze River, for the imperial Genyue Garden built in Bianliang 汴梁 (now Kaifeng, Henan Province) in 1117 during the Zhenghe reign period of Emperor Huizong 宋徽宗 of the Song Dynasty (960-1279). You will know him from his beautiful calligraphy and paintings as well as his taste of everything aesthetic like Ru Ware 汝瓷.
During the Dading Period 大定 (1163-1179) of the Jin Dynasty (1115-1243), when Emperor Shizong 金世宗 built Taining Gong 太宁宫 (Palace of Great Peace) at Beihai, the rocks were moved here from Genyue Garden and placed across Jade Islet.18
Caves of Lankavatara Sutra 楞伽窟
Caves of Lankavatara Sutra 楞伽窟 is situated behind the two pavilions. Lankavatara is the old name of Sri Lanka. It was here that Buddha preached the Lankavatara Sutra 大乘经《楞伽经》. The Laṅkāvatāra recounts a teaching primarily between Gautama Buddha and a bodhisattva named Mahāmati (“Great Wisdom”). And caves were traditional meditation places of Indian monks. Hence the name of these man-made caves. 19
These caves were already here since Jin dynasty Emperor Shizong when he relocated the Genyue stones and stacked them here. But Emperor Qianlong did some reconstruction by using the stones to make six arches, and the building to house the statues. 20
There are 13 statues inside the caves all of which are placed here during the renovations of 1993. On the first level are 4 statures on the east wings, and five on the west wing. On the second level are additional 4 statures. 21, 22
Hall of True Enlightenment 正觉殿
Hall of True Enlightenment 正觉殿, or Zhengjue Hall, is built during Shunzhi’s reign together with the White Dagoba. It was the original Mountain Gate of the White Dagoba Temple complex. So it is interesting to see the statues of Maitraya Buddha and Weituo here because there’s a new Mountain Gate at the foot of the mountain. On both sides of the wall are the Four Heavenly Kings 四大天王 painted in the Gelug thangka style.23
This hall is dedicated to the Buddha of the Future 未来佛弥勒 and Weituo, the Guardian of the Dharma 护法韦驮. Weituo 韦驮 is a Mahayana bodhisattva regarded as a devoted guardian of Buddhist monasteries who protects the teachings of Buddhism, and is the only buddha statue with his back facing the door of the temple.
Gazing Afar Pavilion and Cloud Embracing Pavilion 意远亭、云依亭
Gazing Afar Pavilion 云依亭 and Cloud Embracing Pavilion 意远亭 are found in opposite each other in symmetry with Hall of True Enlightenment 正觉殿. They are two of the many pavilions on the island but the very few that are square in shape. As the names suggested, they are meant for one to look afar and enjoy the scenery, but they were off bounds when I visited. 24
Hall of Universal Peace 普安殿
Hall of Universal Peace 普安殿, or Pu’an Hall, is the last hall on the north-south before you reach the Hall of Good Cause 善因殿 and the White Dagoba 白塔 at the top of the hill.
This hall houses statues of Tsongkhapa 宗喀巴 (1357–1419), the first patriarch of the Gelug school of Tibetan Buddhism, and his two great disciples, the Dalai Lama 达赖喇嘛 and the Panchen Lama 班禅喇嘛. Flanking the statues are the eight guardians of the sect.25
Hall of Great Attainment and Hall of Mirror 聖果殿、宗境殿
East of the Hall of Universal Peace is Hall of Great Attainment 聖果殿 and west is Hall of Mirror 宗境殿, both are symmetrical and contains three rooms each.26
These rooms are used to store relics and statues using by the monasteries over the years and were open to public as exhibition halls in the past. Now you can only view it through these glass windows.
Among the relics are some precious thangka drawings of Arhats. A thangka could depict a deity, a mandala (geometric figure with symbolic meaning that is also used as an aid in meditation), or a spiritually significant event from the life of a Buddhist master.
From the west exit of Hall of Universal Peace, you enter into another cluster of buildings mainly for the emperor to rest and take part in other activities. 27
Hall of Felicity 悦心殿
Hall of Felicity 悦心殿, built in the early years of the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), is where Qing emperors met court officials during their stay on White Dagoba Hill.
Room of Peaceful Rest 靜憩軒
Built during the early years of the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), Room of Peaceful Rest 靜憩軒 is where Emperor Qianlong read and rested.
The furnishings in this hall are taken from the Forbidden City, majority are authentic pieces from Qing dynasty.
About Beihai Park 北海公园
Beihai Park 北海公園 was originally Beihai 北海, or North Sea, of the “Three Seas of the Imperial Western Gardens” 西苑三海 of the Ming and Qing Dynasties. It is located within the Imperial City, northwest of the Forbidden City, and was the royal garden only for enjoyment by the royal family of the Liao, Jin, Yuan, Ming and Qing Dynasties, spanning across a period of almost a thousand year. In 1925, it was opened to the public as a park.
First built in the 12th century, Beihai is among the largest of all surviving Chinese gardens and contains numerous historically important structures, palaces, and temples. The present park has an area of around 71 hectares (180 acres) with a lake that covers more than half of its area.
At its centre is Jade Flower Island 瓊華島/琼华岛, whose highest point is 32m. The park’s lake is connected at its northern end to the Shichahai 什刹海 (a nightlife area of pubs and restaurants around the lake) and to Zhonghai 中海 (where the central government of China operates and closed to public) to the southern end.
As with many of Chinese imperial gardens, Beihai was designed to imitate renowned scenic spots and architecture from various regions of China, particularly Jiangnan around the Yangtze Delta. Various aspects of the park evoke the elaborate pavilions and canals of Hangzhou and Yangzhou, the delicate gardens of Suzhou, and the natural scenery around Lake Tai with its famously porous stones. Beihai Park itself is now reckoned one of the masterpieces of Chinese gardening and landscaping.
The park is opened all year round, and can be accessed from four gates, two on the southern end (West and South gates), one in the north (North gate) and one on the east side (East gate). The park would need at least 4 hours to see everything.
Opening hours for the park are 6am – 9pm (peak season, Apr-Oct), 6.30am – 8pm (off peak, Nov-Mar); Opening hours for the attractions are 8am – 6pm (peak season), 8.30am – 5.30pm (off peak)
Visited May 2023
Footnotes :
- 永安寺是一组反映宗教文化的建筑群落。它依山就势而建，高低错落，色彩斑斓，蔚为壮观。由于历史的原因，寺内的部分建筑已毁，造像亦已无存。1993年，公园管理处对永安寺进行了全面修葺，并复原了寺内原有的全部建筑和造像，使永安寺再现了当年的风彩。Inscriptions on the display on site (2023) ↩︎
- 顺治皇帝赐给他名号“恼木汗”，允许他在皇城西苑的高阜处建塔并依塔建造寺院，称为“白塔寺”，即今天北海公园里的永安寺。后世称这位西域喇嘛为“恼木汗活佛”。“恼木汗”是蒙古语，意思是“法王”。http://paper.people.com.cn/rmrbhwb/html/2015-11/09/content_1630972.htm ↩︎
- 永安寺位于北海白塔山南麓。始建于清顺治八年（1651年）。是清世祖福临应西藏喇嘛恼木汗之请修建的，名白塔寺。初建时，寺内建筑有正觉殿、普安殿、圣果殿、宗镜殿、转角房、顺山房和白塔。正觉殿为山门。Inscriptions on the display on site (2023) ↩︎
- 乾隆六年（1741年）改称永安寺。乾隆八年（1743年）对永安寺进行扩建，增设法轮殿、钟楼、鼓楼和永安寺山门。乾隆十六年（1751年），又增建善因殿及引胜、涤霭二亭。乾隆三十九年（1774年），于二亭内各立一碑，分别镌刻乾隆御制《白塔山总记》和《白塔山四面记》。Inscriptions on the display on site (2023) ↩︎
- 北海是现存历史最悠久，格局保存最完整的古典皇家园林之一，有着850余年的历史。北海的古建筑在一定程度上见证着北海的历史进程和格局变迁。古建筑中的亭，桥，牌楼更如同沧海遗珠一般的遍布了全园各处向您诉说着历史。讲述着文化。在园志中记载，北海公园曾有亭49座，大部分遗留至今。因为各种需要建造的桥达32座之多，最长144米（原长），最短0.57米。而北海的牌楼有木牌楼，琉璃牌楼和石牌楼，共有过25座，部分留存。本次展览从亭，桥，牌楼几种建筑形制中，选取其中的代表向您展示北海的建筑。Inscriptions on the display on site (2023) ↩︎
- 堆云积翠桥又称永安桥，位于琼华岛与团城之间，是连接两岛的必要通道。始建于元至元三年（1267年）。Inscriptions on the display on site (2023) ↩︎
- 堆雲積翠橋(永安寺橋)前身是元代的一座木桥，最早建於元至顺二年(1331年)，初建時橋名已無攷，據明孫國勅《燕都遊覽誌》記載，明時橋曾名太液橋，南北橋頭各立一座木製橋牌樓，北爲“堆雲”，南爲“積翠”，所以此橋也稱“堆雲積翠橋”。清初白塔寺建成，乾隆年間更名永安寺，乾隆八年改建堆雲積翠橋爲三曲折三孔拱券石橋，兩側有望柱48根。以後橋也稱爲永安(寺)橋了，橋南接團城，北連瓊華島，南北橋牌樓爲四柱三間，前後戧柱八根，綠琉璃瓦廡殿式頂，額枋爲和璽彩畫，與金鰲玉蝀橋牌樓規制相同。由於1930年代改造街面牌樓爲水泥柱結構時，這對牌樓在公園內，所以没改，至今仍保持着八根戧柱的木結構。https://blog.sina.com.cn/s/blog_538fed5d0102wqfc.html ↩︎
- 永安寺山门三开间，进深一间，单檐歇山顶。由于是皇家寺庙，正脊上有二龙戏珠。 ↩︎
- 山门前置有铜龟、铜鹤、铜鹤香炉（三足三首）各一对。对比老照片可知这些都是后来安放的 ↩︎
- 进入山门殿，其东西两侧供奉着四大天王：北方多闻天王，持伞；西方广目天王，持赤龙；南方增长天王，持剑；东方持国天王，持琵琶，山门殿的的标准摆设。 ↩︎
- 穿过山门，院落东西两侧设钟鼓楼，与大多数寺庙的钟鼓楼一样，基本处于关门的状态。东侧为钟楼，西侧为鼓楼，意同“晨钟暮鼓”。 ↩︎
- 屋面为琉璃聚锦顶，图案为同心菱形。北海永安寺有一特点就是所有琉璃瓦屋面都有聚锦图案。 ↩︎
- 牌楼南面额题“龙光”，北面额题“紫照”，都是乾隆御笔，意思是龙光折射带来紫气映照。所谓“龙光”，实际上指的是上古宝剑龙泉、太阿埋在地下折射出来的光芒，这种光芒能够幻化紫气、直冲斗牛【斗牛音陡牛】。这个典故出自《晋书》，初唐大才子王勃的《滕王阁序》中有一句话叫“物华天宝，龙光射牛斗之墟”，就是用了这个典故。总之，“龙光”“紫照”是祥瑞之兆。 ↩︎
- 引胜亭和涤霭亭是清乾隆三十九年（1774年）建造的，二亭内各立一碑，东为引胜亭，内刻《白塔山总记》，西为涤霭亭，内刻《白塔山四面记》。上面还记载着琼岛四面的景物碑文，皆为乾隆三十八年（1773年）乾隆皇帝所题。Inscriptions on the display on site (2023) ↩︎
- “飞阁流丹切颢空，登临纵目兴无穷，北凭太液平铺镜，南接金鳌侧饮虹；冬已半时梅馥馥，春将回处日融融，摩挲艮岳峰头石，千古兴亡一览中。” ↩︎
- 此石碑于清乾隆十七年(1752年)放置在北海(今北海公园)琼岛永安寺内，坐北朝南，碑身高近2米，加之基座总共高约2.5米。正面刻“昆仑”二字，碑的阴面和侧面共刻有乾隆帝的三首诗，碑阴题诗为：“飞阁流丹切颢空，登临纵目兴无穷，北凭太液平铺镜，南接金鳌侧饮虹；冬已半时梅馥馥，春将回处日融融，摩挲艮岳峰头石，千古兴亡一览中。”后署：“悦心殿即景作，御笔”，痕迹已极模糊。 ↩︎
- 涤霭亭北有“岳云”石一块，太湖石，属于石灰岩，来自河南开封的“艮岳园”。拍摄时间不祥，岳云石也有海水江涯底座。（按：《三海见闻志》载“两亭之后，各有石，东曰昆仑。西曰岳云，今昆仑尚在，而岳云未之见也。”此岳云石来历尚有待考证。） ↩︎
- 琼岛上堆叠着众多的太湖石，它们是宋徽宗赵佶政和七年（公元1117年）在汴梁城（今河南开封）内建造“艮岳”皇家禁苑时，从江南太湖地区采撷，用以点缀园林。金大定年间（公元1163年至公元1179年），金世宗在北海建大宁宫时，从汴梁“艮岳”将这些石头运到此地，点缀在琼岛各处。 ↩︎
- 看完引胜、涤霭二亭以及两块御碑我们接着看楞伽窟。首先是引胜亭北面的昆仑石和涤霭亭北面的岳云石。这两块兼有石碑功能的奇石景观都是乾隆十七年（也就是1752年）制作的，昆仑石又叫三山石，岳云石又叫五岳石，意在借三山之气、五岳之势来烘托琼华岛蓬莱仙境的不凡。“昆仑”和“岳云”四个字是乾隆御笔，昆仑石背面和两侧以及岳云石西南侧还各刻有一首乾隆御制诗。
其中，昆仑石背面的那首七律尾联是“摩挲艮岳峰头石，千古兴亡一览中”，表明乾隆酷爱奇石和沉迷收藏绝对不是玩物丧志的嗜好，而是兼有陶情冶志的效用。那么，“艮岳峰头石”在哪里呢？这就是两块奇石后面的人工石窟楞伽窟了。所谓“楞伽”，指的是上古狮子国（也就是斯里兰卡锡兰岛）的圣山楞伽山，以有楞伽宝得名，又以险绝难入著称，传说佛祖释迦牟尼曾经在那里传讲大乘经《楞伽经》，而石窟则是古印度佛教徒苦修的场所。
当时从开封搬运回来的艮岳石大部分都用在了琼华岛园林景观的打造上，其中，琼华岛南坡用得最多，琼华岛西坡也用了不少。不过，琼华岛西坡的377块后来都在乾隆三十七年（也就是1772年）被乾隆用青山石替换，拆运到紫禁城东北部的宁寿全宫包括乾隆花园去了。您知道，宁寿全宫是乾隆为自己打造的太上皇宫殿。因此，我们现在只能在琼华岛南坡尤其是楞伽窟观赏艮岳石了。 ↩︎ - 前面我已经提到，楞伽窟早在金世宗建造太宁宫时就已经存在了，因为它主要就是用金世宗（或海陵王），从北宋东京汴梁（也就是开封）搬运回来的“艮岳”遗石堆叠出来的。您知道，这“艮岳”是北宋末年宋徽宗打造的宫城御苑，而艮岳石则是南太湖石，在阳光下呈青白色，远远望去就像飘浮在天空中的一朵朵白云。同时，它们也非常符合奇石鉴赏追求和讲究“瘦、皱、漏、透”的审美趣味。
不过，我们现在看到的楞伽窟虽然最初是由金世宗建造的，但还是经过乾隆皇帝改造的。楞伽窟有六座砖券门，昆仓石北面与岳云石北面各三座，券面以艮岳石镶嵌，三座砖券门内以东西向砖券连通成洞窟。洞窟有两层，窟内有石阶上下连接，窟外东西三座砖券门两侧都有21级弧形石阶通往二层洞窟顶部平台，弧形石阶中间和两侧都堆叠着艮岳石。弧形石阶既为楞伽窟增添了一处景观，也具有与中路54级台阶互补的实用登高功能。 ↩︎ - 楞伽窟内供奉着12尊石雕佛菩萨像，都是1993年琼华岛修缮复原时设置的。其中，一层东侧有三位尊者和一尊实际上也是弥勒佛（没错，弥勒号称未来佛，其实现在还是菩萨），西侧有两尊佛祖和三位尊者，包括佛祖最亲近的两位弟子迦叶和阿难（也就是摩诃迦叶和阿难陀）在内；二层东侧有观音菩萨和水月观音，同时还有一块观音碑，西侧有一位尊者。您知道怎么区分迦叶和阿难吗？年老的是迦叶，通常侍立在佛祖左手边，年少的是阿难，通常侍立在佛祖右手边。好，这个区域我就为您讲解到这里。 ↩︎
- https://zhuanlan.zhihu.com/p/681240010 ↩︎
- 正觉殿曾是顺治时期建成的白塔寺的山门，供奉的是弥勒佛，背后是护法神韦陀将军。东西两侧是绘制的四大天王法像。正觉殿内供奉的弥勒佛与韦陀都是汉族佛像风格，而四大天王画像却是藏传佛教唐卡风格。https://zhuanlan.zhihu.com/p/381626037 ↩︎
- 云依亭和意远亭互为对称，均建在陡峭的平台上，有诗曰；“云气飘飘水气冲，曲栏遥楫两山峰，少陵不必夸多丽，烟裹风流态自浓”，登此亭可眺望园中景色 ↩︎
- 殿内供西藏密宗黄教始祖宗喀巴及其两大弟子达赖喇嘛和班禅喇嘛像，东西两侧是密宗的八尊护法神。Inscriptions on the display on site (2023) ↩︎
- 普安殿东配殿是圣果殿，西配殿是宗镜殿，均为面阔三间硬山顶，从全视图看正殿和配殿的琉璃瓦屋面都有聚锦图案。（按：据《日下旧闻考》载“普安殿前东为宗镜殿，西为圣果殿，殿后石蹬层跻为善因殿”。不知现在的东西配殿名称是否有谬误。）https://zhuanlan.zhihu.com/p/381626037 ↩︎
- 从普安殿西侧出角门还有一大片建筑：静憩轩、悦心殿、庆霄楼和撷秀亭。 ↩︎
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