Centuries old Beijing temples converted to high-end 'dining clubs'
Two Beijing temples, designated as cultural heritage sites and entitled to state protection, have been transformed into restaurants.
The two-hundred-year-old temples were designated as cultural heritage sites in 1984, entitling them to state protection.
Recent on-sight investigations by the bureau at the temples in Beijing’s Dongcheng district confirmed that sections are being used as restaurants, offering private dining and catering to parties. The bureau has not clarified whether the new use is in violation of the law.
The bureau, which administers Beijing’s local cultural heritage sites and museums, said the Songzhu and Zhizhu temples had been occupied by various commercial entities since the 1950s before being transferred to the Beijing Buddhist Association for management in the 1980s.