The Lama Temple, also known as Yonghe Temple, is one of the few Tibetan Buddhist Gelug (Yellow Hat) sect royal monasteries within Beijing.
Historically, it served as the residence of Emperor Yongzheng, the fourth son of the Qing Emperor, and was the birthplace of Emperor Qianlong. Later, it was transformed into a Yellow Hat monastery. It enjoys a thriving incense and houses numerous precious ancient buildings and cultural relics, making it a must-visit site.
The fusion of Han and Tibetan cultures is a significant feature of the temple. You can admire the Han Buddhist figure of the laughing Buddha with a big belly and also witness the golden statue of the Tibetan Buddhist master Tsongkhapa in the Wheel of Law Hall. The temple also holds precious cultural relics gifted by the Tibetan local government to the royal family and the temple itself, which can be viewed in part at the Banchan Building and the Precept Platform Building.
The temple halls are adorned with numerous Buddha statues, Thangkas, and a wealth of valuable cultural artifacts. Among them, the sandalwood carving of the 500 Arhats, the golden Nanmu carving of the dragon’s Buddha niche, and the 18-meter-tall white sandalwood Buddha represent the three wonders of the temple’s wood carving craft. The Maitreya Buddha in the Wanfu Pavilion is the most famous, standing 18 meters above the ground and 8 meters underground. It is carved from a whole piece of white sandalwood originating from Nepal and later presented to Emperor Qianlong.
The main architectural complex of the Lama Temple consists of the archway, Zhaotai Gate (mountain gate), the main hall of Yonghe Temple, Yongyou Hall, Wheel of Law Hall, Wanfu Pavilion, and the Banchan Building and Precept Platform Building with two cultural relic exhibition halls, along with eastern and western side halls and the ‘Four Studies Halls’.
Visiting the Lama Temple can be done by walking along the central axis. The paths within the scenic area are straightforward, making it easy to locate each hall. The temple holds regular Dharma assemblies on the first, tenth, fifteenth, and thirtieth days of the lunar month and hosts significant annual events, attracting a large number of tourists and believers.
Nearby attractions include the Imperial College across the street, Ditan Park a 200-meter walk to the north, and Dongzhimen Street, also known as ‘Guaijie’, a 15-minute walk to the east, which is a famous food street in Beijing.
The temple is open from 09:00 to 16:30 from November 1st to March 31st and from 09:00 to 17:00 from April 1st to October 31st.
Preferential policies include free admission for children under 6 years old or under 1.2 meters in height with valid identification, free admission for the disabled with a second-generation disability card issued by the Disabled Persons’ Federation, free admission for retired cadres with a retirement certificate, free admission for active-duty soldiers with valid identification, half-price admission for students aged 6 to 18 years old and full-time undergraduate students (excluding postgraduates, adult education, evening classes, correspondence courses, etc.) with a student ID or valid identification, half-price admission for seniors over 60 years old with a senior citizen card or valid identification, and half-price admission for social security personnel with a social security benefit receipt from the city.
