Miaoying Temple

A Tibetan Buddhist temple complex in Beijing's Xicheng district whose signature white stupa was completed in 1279 under Kublai Khan as a dynastic statement piece for the Mongol Yuan court. The design came from the Newar master architect Aniko of Nepal; his pear-shaped stupa with its gilt parasol crown remains the oldest and largest surviving Tibetan-style stupa in China at around 51 metres. The Tianwang Hall and the Hall of the Seven Buddhas in the courtyard in front date from the 17th-century Qing restoration. During the 1978 renovation workers discovered a sealed sutra cache inserted by the Qianlong emperor. Enter via Fuchengmen subway; combine with the Lu Xun Museum next door.