Yonghe Lamasery {Lama Temple}

Interested in Chinese Lamaism or Buddhism?

Even if you're not, this sacred temple should be ranked in the top 5 of your must-visit Beijing attraction list.

 Known to be the largest and most perfectly preserved lamasery in China, it’s not a surprise that Yonghe Lamasery is the site of many tourist excursions after the predominant attractions which give Beijing its name: The Forbidden City and the Great Wall of China. 

Although this is the biggest site for Buddhism in Beijing, the pure golden statues and luxurious decorations will never fail to leave you marvelled . A hub for China’s history, just like every other place within Beijing, the furnishings of the interconnected temples evidently show that this building was the residence of Emperor Yongzheng in 1694 during the Qing dynasty.



Zhao Tai Gate which leads to the main hall.

The Lama Temple features five large halls and five courtyards with beautifully decorated archways, upturned eaves and carved details. It houses a treasury of Buddhist art, including sculptured images of gods, demons and Buddhas, as well as Tibetan-style murals.

South Courtyard:

In the south courtyard, a large wall screen and three tall Pailous (Pailou: a form of Chinese traditional buildings) herald the entrance to the building. After walking through the imperial passageway, you will reach the Zhaotai Gate  (See image on the right) which is the entrance to the north yard.

(See image on the right)

A drum tower in the west and a bell tower stand solemnly facing each other as though greeting visitors. The tale behind the purpose of these two structures is that one was used to mark the start of the working day and the end of it as there was no other means of telling the time. These two towers later became implemented in every province in China and by visiting those other provinces, you will be able to see them. Of course, none can compare to the grandeur of the originals within the Yonghe Lamasery.                          

Hall of the Heavenly Kings:

(See image on the right)

The Hall of the Heavenly Kings is actually no more than an entrance to the other four main halls. The corners of the hall are hung with Sanskrit bells and mantras are written on the lintels of the doors, which lends a religious atmosphere to the hall. The Hall of the Heavenly Kings is so called because Four Heavenly Kings are enshrined in the hall. At the centre is a statue of Maitreya who is beaming with a kindly smile and sitting with his legs crossed.

Hall of Harmony and Peace:

On stepping out of the Hall of the Heavenly Kings you will see a courtyard. The courtyard is centred on the Hall of Harmony and Peace and has four wing halls. It is definitely the biggest attraction in the whole temple due to a copper cooking vessel made in 1747 just beyond it in the courtyard being reputed as one of the 'three rarest objects in Beijing'.

    (See image on the left)

This is also the epitome of Buddhist prayer and it won’t be strange to find many people kneeling on mats in front of the temple praying with burning incense. Although the temptations to take pictures to capture the beautiful, serene scenery will be in the fore-front of your mind, it is important to remember that for many Buddhists, this temple is a very sacred and tranquil place and we tourists should respect that.

To stress this point even more, the Hall of Harmony and Peace is laid with statues of the three Buddha and of course, being Beijing, they’re all made out of pure gold:

·         Sakyamuni (Buddha of the Present)

·         Kasyapa Matanga (Buddha of the Past)

·         Maitreya Buddha (Buddha of the Future).

The four wing halls are where lamas study the two different types of Buddhism, Tibetan medicine, astronomy and geography and if you’re lucky, you might find some monks there during your visit.  Always be polite if you want to ask for a photo, especially if you’re interrupting them from their work. Remember, they have chosen to dedicate their whole lives to this religion.

A nice way to ask for a photo of someone is:

Chinese:  可以照您吗? Listen to the native pronunciation here.

Pinyin: Keyi zhao nin ma?

English: Would you mind if I took your picture? / May I take a picture of you?

Since many places within the lamasery are considered sacred, finding out whether or not pictures are allowed to be taken is mandatory before you end up in huge amounts of trouble.

One way to ask if pictures are allowed to be taken is:

Chinese: 这可以不可以照吗？Listen to the native pronunciation here.

Pinyin: Zher keyi bu key zhao ma?

English: Am I allowed to take pictures here?

Hall of Everlasting Blessings:

The Hall of Everlasting Blessings in the adjacent courtyard was the residence of Emperor Yongzhen when he was still a prince. The Amitabha (Infinite Life Buddha), the Medicine Buddha, and the Lion Buddha are positioned in the hall. Two depictions of White Tara and Green Tara respectively are hung along the sides of the wall; the picture of Green Tara is quite unusual as it is made of over 4,000 pieces of silk of different shapes and colours. - Definitely a hit for your Beijing Travel Album.

Hall of the Dharma Wheel:

The Hall of the Dharma Wheel is where lamas hold ceremonies and read a sacred book called 'sutra'. The hall houses a statue of Tsong Khapa, the father of the Yellow Hat Sect of Tibetan Buddhism. A fine mural on the wall gives a detailed account of the whole life of Sakyamuni - much like the hieroglyphics in Egypt but more sophisticated and being Beijing, pure gold!

Also displayed here are some Buddhist scriptures, the 'Gangyur of Tripitaka' included and enshrined in the assistant halls, there are the five Heavenly Guardians.

 (See image on the top left)

Pavilion of Infinite Happiness:

The Pavilion of Infinite Happiness, the last main hall, is the highest hall of the entire temple. It is a three-storey building, accompanied by two smaller pavilions. In the main hall, a huge statue of Maitreya is positioned which the seventh Dalai presented to the Emperor Qianlong, the son of Emperor Yongzheng. A niche for Buddha in the assistant hall is another excellent woodcarving which is carved with ninety-nine lifelike dragons.

                (See image on the right)

          
Make sure that you visit this part of the lamasery as it is a photo-must that will surely complete your Beijing Travel Album.

Travel and Admission

Admission Fee:	25RMB per person. – The ticket office operates both in Chinese and English.
Opening Times:	9.00am until 4:30pm – ONLY from APRIL 1ST until OCTOBER 1ST 9.00am until 4:00pm – ONLY from NOVEMBER 1ST until MARCH 31ST

*If travelling by taxi, make sure that you print out the Chinese address and give it to the driver.

Subway
Take either Subway line 2 or 5  to Yonghegong Station. Exit the station from Exit C (Southwest Exit). Then walk south down Yonghegong Street until you reach then entrance for the Lama temple. It looks just like the first image in this post. To know that you’re going the right way, you should see small stalls selling incense which people burn in the temple.

Bus:
Take any of these buses can be used as a means of transport:

• 13 | 116 | 117 | 684 – If taking any of these buses, get off at Yonghegong Station.

*‘Yonghegong’ is a romanization from (pinyin) of Chinese characters – 雍和宫 (Lama Temple). Pinyin is quite useful in China, especially on people’s names, shop fronts, street names and place names etc. When Chinese people write their own names in English, they use Pinyin. All the bus stops and subway stops for Lama Temple are named “Yonghegong” in English instead of Lama Temple.

Any questions, just drop a line!