Biyun Temple

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Biyun Temple

Located by Fragrant Hills Park in Western Hills, Biyun Temple (Temple of Azure Clouds 碧云寺) is worth of a visit if you come to the park. Originally a convent, in the Yuan Dynasty a temple was built on the site of it. In 1748 during the Qing Dynasty, further expansion was made to it by adding the Hall of the Five-hundred Arhats following the model of the Temple of Pure Benevolence (Jingcisi) in Hangzhou and the Diamond Throne Pagoda at the back of temple. This temple became a popular spot for excursions by the emperors in Qing times. Unlike other temples in the city, it has a vast area and was built on an east-west axis following the contours of the terrain on several levels.

After Dr. Sun Yat-sen (Sun Zhongshan), forerunner of the China's democratic revolution, died in 1925, his coffin was placed in the pagoda before being moved to Nanjing in 1929. His clothes and hat are still sealed in the pagoda.