Located atop the 45.7-meter middle peak of Jingshan Mountain, Wan Chun Pavilion offers visitors the best observation point on the north-south axis of Beijing. The pavilion boasts beautiful triple eaves with yellow and green glazed roof tiles. Two rounds of pillars stand there, the outside round containing 20 pillars and the inner containing 12, each round with four pillars on either side. On August 9th, 1938, Wan Chun Pavilion was struck by lightning, causing the roof, four pillars, four casement windows, and the four Chinese characters inscribed on the plaque hanging in the pavilion to be destroyed. The Chinese government spent 340,000 yuan on restoring the pavilion in 1958 and again in 1973.
Vairocana Buddha is enshrined and worshiped here. The original, golden lacquer statue of Vairocana Buddha sustained a gash to the arm in 1900 and was completely destroyed during the Cultural Revolution in China. The current statue of the Buddha was built in 1998. Standing in Wan Chun Pavilion, visitors can enjoy a splendid view of the Forbidden City to the south, the Bell and Drum Towers to the north and the White Pagoda of Beihai Park to the west.
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