Jietai Temple (Temple of the Ordination Altar) is located 40km west by south of Beijing City and half way up the Maan Mountain, a branch range of Mt. Taihang, named after the largest ordination altar in the temple.

Jietai Temple was first built in the 5th year (622) of Wude's Reign in the Tang Dynasty, firstly named as Huiju Temple (temple of accumulating wisdom). Little information about the temple has been found in the historical records of the Middle and Late Tang Periods. Till the Xianyong Period of Emperor Daozong in the Liao Kingdom of the 11th Century, Monk Fajun renovated the temple and established the ordination altar, since then Jietai Temple had its heyday. Thereafter, the temple went through several times of destructions and reconstructions in the Yuan, Ming and Qing Dynasties.

Jietai Temple consists of the southern and northern parts of buildings, each having its central axis. The main hall buildings face eastward. In detail, along the southern central axis are the Entrance Gate, Hall of Heavenly King, Hall of Great Heroes, Thousand-Buddha Pavilion, and Hall of Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva; the main building along the northern central axis is the Ordination Altar Yard, where the Entrance Gate, Hall of Ordination Altar, Hall of Great Compassion and Hall of 500 Arhats are built.

In addition to the main buildings, there are some special buildings such as tomb tower and stone pillars with Buddhism inscriptions, which, high or low, hide themselves among the towering ancient trees. The most famous ancient trees in the temple include Lying Dragon Pine Tree, isvara Pine Tree, Mobile Pine Tree, 9-Dragon Pine Tree and Tower-Embracing Pine Tree.