The Fayuan Temple in Beijing: Autumn Leaves & Cats

Many people have told me the fall season is short-lived in Beijing, and since winter will be coming soon, I wanted to explore a bit of Beijing before it gets too cold. Beijing has many fantastic scenic places to see the beautiful autumn colors and enjoy the cool weather, such as Fragrant Hills, Houhai Lake, Lama Temple, and many other temples and parks.

Beijing’s more famous temples, like the Lama Temple and Temple of Heaven, are definitely worth seeing, especially if you have limited time in Beijing, but I’ve seen both and wanted to visit a lesser known one: the Fayuan Temple (法源寺).

Why You Should Visit The Fayuan Temple

Located in the southwestern part of Beijing close to CaishiKou Metro Station on Line 4, Fayuan Si was first built in 645 during the Tang Dynasty.

It takes a little longer to travel to, but it’s worth a trip. Here’s why:

It’s one of the oldest temples in Beijing.

There are cats roaming freely all around the Fayuan Temple area.

There’s a beautiful little park right across from the Fayuan Temple.

It’s distant location makes it less popular to visit, so there are less crowds.

You might meet some really friendly Chinese people.

Did I mention the cats?

Visit the Fayuan Temple

The Fayuan Temple was the perfect place to spend a Saturday morning and enjoy the autumn season. I’d definitely go back again to see the temple in other seasons (and pet some cats).

I also met a cute grandmother and her granddaughter who asked for my photo – she was very particular about the angle and we ended up taking lots of shots together 😉 I actually love getting the chance to meet more Chinese people, like the lovely older couple pictured above.