Temple of Longevity (Wanshousi)

A sort of imperial motorway services during the Ming and Qing dynasties, the beautiful Temple of Longevity is a complex of traditional buildings and gardens. Inside you can still see a statue of the goddess Guan’yin in the likeness of Empress Dowager Cixi, erected in an effort to flatter her by the canny eunuch Li Lian’ying. The temple was also the headquarters of the occupying Japanese army and a PLA kindergarten before becoming the Beijing Art Museum in 1985. It now houses several jade, bronze and calligraphy artefacts, Ming and Qing dynasty paintings and temporary exhibitions by local artists.