Photography Temple Doors and Spirit Screen Used to Shield Against Spirits

A black-and-white photograph showing the entrance of a Buddhist temple somewhere near Beijing. The entrance is made of brick, and the roof is built using the traditional Chinese construction technique called dougong 斗拱. The end figures are clearly visible on the ridges, both the larger ones on the main ridge and the smaller ones on the side ridges, which are placed in sevens and in strict order. A bell is suspended in each corner, as is typical of Buddhist temples. Above the entrance is an inscription with the name of the temple. Behind the entrance is a pole for hanging lanterns. The shorter wall to the left of the entrance, which is at right-angles to the wall that includes the entrance and surrounds the area around the temple, is called yingbi 影壁 or literally “wall of shadows”, and is supposed to prevent the entrance of evil spirits.

The photograph is the 202nd of 449 photographs of Beijing and its surroundings in the album lof Ivan Skušek Jr., purchased during his stay in Beijing (1914–1920). In the handwritten inventory of the album, the photograph is referred to as Opferhof im “Tempeltor mit Geistermauern. (DZ, MV)