Beijing Hongluo (Red Snail) Temple Tourist Resort lies 50 kilometers (31.7 miles) from central Beijing and covers an area of 800 hectares (1,976.8 acres). The resort consists of three principal attractions: the temple itself, the Hongluo Mountain and the Kwanyin Temple. The area has much to offer the visitors throughout the year, with blossoming flowers in spring, cool temperatures in summer, golden leaves in autumn and snow covered plum blossoms, bamboos and pines in winter.
Hongluo Mountain is rich with verdant greenery and is dotted with traditional-style pavilions, but is most well-known for playing host to the Hongluo Temple. The temple was first built during the Eastern Jin Dynasty (317-420) and was then extended in the Tang Dynasty (618-907). It is widely-acknowledged as being the birthplace of northern Qigong, a way of maintaining good health through practicing different breathing exercises.
The temple sits against the backdrop of the mountain while is fronted by a large lake and an entrance gate marked by a large engraved pailou (arch). The building itself consists of five halls, each used for worshipping different gods. The temple is also famed for its bamboo grove which dates back to the Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368) and contains tens of thousands of shoots. Near the hall worshipping Sakyamuni, the thousand-years-old male and female gingkoes are 30 meters high, and an 800 year old great pine entwined with two Chinese wisterias makes a large shadow.
