Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Top Sights
Lama Temple
Beijing's foremost Buddhist shrine, the ornately decorated
Lama Temple
(
雍和宫
;
Yonghe Gong)
offers a profound
and very eye-catching introduction to Tibetan Buddhism.
This former imperial palace became a temple in 1744, and
is now
the
popular place of worship for the locals. There
are five main halls to wander through, prayer wheels to
spin (propel them clockwise), multicoloured glazed tiles,
magnificent Chinese lions and tantric statuettes, all adding
up to a sumptuous treat of a temple.
OFFLINE MAP
GOOGLE MAP
Yonghegong Dajie;
雍和宫大街
adult ¥25, audio guide ¥50
9am-4.30pm
Yonghegong Lama Temple
Don't Miss
Wanfu Pavilion
万福阁
万福阁
The last of the five main halls holds the temple's true highlight: a stupendous 18m-tall
statue of the Maitreya Buddha in his Tibetan form, reputedly sculpted from a single block
of sandalwood and which is clothed in yellow satin. Each of the statue's toes is the size of a
pillow! Behind the statue is the
Vault of Avalokiteshvar
, from where a blue-faced statue
of Guanyin peeks out.
