(Beijing weekend)
Updated: 2007-04-26 10:13

The ancient Dajue Temple is best-known for its famous 300-year-old yulan, or magnolia tree.

Built in 1068 in Liao Dynasty, and rebuilt in Ming Dynasty, the temple also houses (1368-1644) an even older gingko.

Also inside is a restaurant and teahouse, with both enjoying a fine reputation.

Minghui Teahouse offers tea ceremonies with Taoist features. Good tea drinking here is not so much about the tea, but the beautiful, quiet environment that easily calms the guest.

The teahouse has an affiliated Shaoxing style restaurant . So you can order a South Chinese meal before, or after tea. Typical dishes include sour and sweet carp , hand-peeled bamboo shoots , marinated horse beans , pork ball with crab powder , and fish slices with dragon well tea . Because there are no longer Buddist monks inside the temple, this is not a vegetarian restaurant. Many people consider the tea to be better than the food.

A helping of tea enough for within 7 people costs from 150-1,980 yuan, plus 20 yuan of water fee for each person. For the Shaoxing style foods, average cost is 80 yuan per person.

Dajue Temple is 30 kilometers drive from central Beijing.

11:30am-2pm, 5:30-8pm.
Address:Inside Dajue Temple, Bei'anhe, Wenquan Township, Haidian District.
Tel: 010-6246-1567.