Temple of Five Pagodas

The Temple of the Five Pagodas is officially known as the Temple of the Great Righteous Awakening. It is a Buddhist temple of the Ming Dynasty and is located in Beijing.

The base of the temple has the shape of a square. In each corner there is one pagoda and the fifth stands in the center of the hall. The height of the structure from its base to the tip of the central pagoda is 17 meters. The temple building is built of brick and white marble, but has a rusty color due to the oxidation of iron mica in the stone. The walls of the temple are decorated with carvings, Buddhist symbols (wheels of Dharma), images of animals (elephants and peacocks) and floral ornaments.

During the Qing Dynasty in 1761, the complex was reconstructed and the halls were decorated in yellow. During a fire in 1860, during the Second Opium War, the events of 1900, the temple complex suffered, only a stone structure of five pagodas remained. Currently, the Beijing Art Museum is located in the temple.

In 1961, the temple was classified as a national monument.