The temple of nothing

On the west side of the hutong is No. 41, the former location of an ancient temple. Here, it is said that a monk named Kai Shan once worshipped on behalf of the emperor, who could not easily leave the palace. Unfortunately with the passing of time and a lack of evidence, there are few details about the name of the emperor and the details of this legend.

If Rong Lu's place is barely in evidence, No. 41 is nothing more than a shadow. From 70-year-old Xu Jie, a resident of 20 years, I learned that there was a Buddhist temple on this site. "The location is the same," Xu said. "But 19 years ago the Buddha status was moved elsewhere and the temple was demolished."

During the Cultural Revolution, the lane was renamed to Great Leap Forward No. 8 Lane. For all the changes it's been through, perhaps this is the name that suits Ju'er Hutong best.

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