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5. Yunju Temple

The Yunju (or Cloud Dwelling) Temple that is situated in a limestone cave, south of the Shangfang Mountains, grew up around a shrine. Two bone fragments found at the site were said to belong to Siddhartha Gautama, the founder of Buddhism. More than 77,000 engraved wooden blocks containing the Chinese Tripitaka or Buddhist scriptures draw large crowds to the site.

Address: Dashiwo County, Fangshan District

Tel: +86 10 6138 9612

Opening hours: 8:30 a.m.-5 p.m.

Buses/Subway: You 10* from 7-8 a.m. at station 22 at Qianmen, 343 at Wanyuan Lu, 6 at Liuliqiao or 373 at Yuquan Lu or 917 at Tianqiao and get off at Fangshan, change to a minibus to Zhangfang.

6. Fahai Temple

Buddhist murals that date to the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) can be seen at Fahai (Law of the Sea) Temple on the western fringes of the city. In meticulous detail, the murals represent the meeting of Buddhist deities.

Address: 28 Mokoushi, Shijingshan District

Tel: +86 10 8871 5776

Opening hours: 9 a.m.-4:30 p.m.

Buses: 337 at Changchun Jie and get off at Shijingshan station or 311 at Pingguoyuan and get off at Moshikoucun.

7. Sleeping Buddha Temple

Located on the eastern side of the Fragrant Hills, the temple was built in the 7th century during the heyday of the Tang Dynasty (AD 618-907). It was enlarged during the Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368) to accommodate a huge bronze reclining Buddha, cast in 1320 using 25,000 kilograms of bronze.

The 5.2-metre-long Sleeping Buddha depicts Sakyamuni, a founder of Buddhism. Surrounding it the 12 sculptures illustrate the mourning of Sakyamuni's 12 disciples.

Address: Wofuosi Lu, Fragrant Hill, Haidian District

Tel: +86 10 6259 1283

Opening hours: 6 a.m.-7 p.m.

Buses/Subway: 318, 333, 360, 714, 737, 904, Te* 5

8. Tanzhe Temple

This hillside temple consists of pavilions, prayer halls, courtyards and a group of pagodas dating from the Yuan, Ming and Qing dynasties.

Address: Tanzhe Mountain, Mentougou District

Tel: +86 10 6086 2500

Opening hours: 8 a.m.-5:30 p.m.

Bus/Subway: 307, 326, 336 and get off at Hetan station, change to a long distance bus or 931 or minibus at Pingguoyuan

Q: how about Taoism in China?

A: Taoism is the only religion that actually originated in China. As with Buddhism, a philosophical, then religious, tradition, it has, with Confucianism, shaped Chinese life for more than 2,000 years.

The religion is a derivative of the philosophical ideas of Laozi, a famous philosopher. A key concept in Taoism is "the Way," that is variously interpreted to give philosophical or religious guidance to the Chinese people. At one time, it was used as an instrument of rule, but today it survives both as a religious tradition, especially in Taiwan, and as a philosophy.

Q: what are the most well-known Taoism temples in Beijing?

A: The most common representation of Taoist theology is the circular Yin Yang figure. It symbolizes the balance of opposites in existence: when equally present, all is calm; when one outweighs the other, confusion and chaos appear.

1. Baiyunguan (White Cloud Taoist Temple)

Baiyunguan is the largest Taoist centre in Beijing. The temple has a library of 5,485 Taoist classics and many Taoists in the temple are well versed in its philosophy. During the Spring Festival, the fair at Baiyunguan is very popular.

Address: Baiyun Lu, Fuxingmenwai Dajie，Xicheng District

Tel: +86 10 6346 3531

Opening hours: 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m.

Bus/Subway: 19, 48, 114, 708, 727

2. Dongyue Taoist Temple

This is a charming temple and an active place of worship with much to entertain the visitor. There are halls of devotion, seasonal market stalls and plentiful totems of good fortune.

Address: 141 Chaoyangmenwai Dajie, Chaoyang District

Tel: +86 10 6551 0151, 6551 4148

Opening hours: 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m. (Tues.-Sun.).

Bus/Subway: get off at Chaoyangmen Subway Station, and walk 600 metres to the east