Stories in stone

Stumbled on one of Beijing's stranger Buddhist relics, the Diamond Throne Pagoda built in 1473 for the Indian teacher Pandita, and modeled on the Mahabodhi Temple in Bodhgaya. The round Chinese

tower was added in the Qing dynasty. The temple fell on hard times but the pagoda was preserved for its uniqueness. It's now the centerpiece of the 北京石刻艺术博物馆 Beijing stone carving museum, surrounded by a

forest of stele from other defunct temples, perched on impassive tortoises. But there are also memorials relocated from the foreign missionaries cemetery, one for Leibniz' correspondent Joachim Bouvet!