Fayuan Si (Source of Dharma Temple)

Despite guides droning on about a long and glorious history, most of Beijing's sights are relatively new, dating from within the past 600 years. This temple, constructed in 645 in what was then the southeast corner of town, retains both an air of antiquity and the feel of a genuine Buddhist monastery. Orange-robed monks, housed in the adjacent Buddhist college, go about their business in earnest, and the visitors are asked to "respect religious ceremonies: Do not interfere with religious activities." The ancient hutong immediately surrounding the temple are "protected" and worth a wander. Lanman Hutong, just to the east, was formerly a moat that marked the boundary of the old town during the Tang dynasty.

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