Tongjiao Temple 通教寺

Marooned in a sea of high-rise blocks in the Beixinqiao area, this nunnery is very active and has a peaceful, luxurious garden to relax in. It was built for eunuchs in the Ming dynasty and was converted into a convent during the Qing. In 1942 two nuns from Fujian persuaded warlords, bureaucrats and capitalists to fund its renovation, and until the mid 1960s there were over 70 nuns in the temple, supporting themselves
by spinning hemp and sewing. During the Cultural Revolution, the temple became the Beixinqiao police station, but it was repaired and reopened in 1981.