There is a statement from folks that says Tanzhe Temple had already been constructed before the city of Beijing appeared. In fact, Tanzhe Temple is now the oldest temple found in the governing areas of Beijing and has a history of over 1,000 years, built in the Western Jin dynasty (266 A. D. - 316 A. D.). There is a legendary story about it.

About 1,300 years ago, one eminent monk named Huayan came to the foot of the Pearl Peak and stayed at a small shabby temple. Two streams of springs congregated in the back of the mountain and met in a pool named Green Dragon Pool, which led up to the East Sea. In the pool lived an old dragon, who swam in it and listened to the Buddhist sutras the old monk taught every day. After a long time, the old dragon was moved by the essence of the Buddhist sutras and jumped onto the bank of the pool kneeling before the old monk to ask to become the student of the monk.

Just after getting the confirmation of the old monk, the old dragon soared to the sky and left the dragon pool to the old monk. What is more incredible is that he also left his two sons to protect the temple. The Green Dragon Pool transformed into a flat landing, and then Monk Huayan and other monks of the temple built up one Da Xiong Bao Dian (a grand hall for placing the Buddha’s statue) on this landing, and installed the huge transformed images Chi Wen (a kind of ornament of roof ridge) out of the two sons of the old dragon at the ends of the ridge of the hall. This is how Tanzhe Temple was born.