Yonghegong (also known as Lama Temple or Palace of Peace) located within the city of Beijing is a very nice sight worth a visit. It is a holy place for many pilgrims.

Reasons to go there

The Lama Temple is a very lively temple in the Chinese capital. We watched several traditional ceremonies.

This spectacular temple-complex is sprinkled withy lovely gardens, and wonderful pavilions containing superb and detailed interiors. Five of these great halls stand out among all of the structures within the courtyards and monastery grounds. The temple is famous for its 18m statue of Maitreya Buddha carved from a single piece of sandalwood.

Helpful Tips

You can view most of buildings in an hour or less. Admission is 25RMB and seems a bit overpriced. Closes at 4PM.

Visitors aren’t allowed to take pictures of holy statues inside most of the temples.

How to get there

The Lama Temple is located in the Dongcheng District of Beijing, near the northeastern corner of the Second Ring Road.

Bus routes: 13, 62, 44, 406 at Yonghegong station; or take the subway to arrive at Yonghegong.

Additional Infos

The temple was built by Chinese emperors who harbored a deep fascination for the Tibetan (Tantric) version of Buddhism. Over the years many Tibetan and Mongolian monks lived and taught here, and there are still monks in residence today.

Built initially in 1694 during the Qing Dynasty, this building was the residence of Emperor Yongzheng when he was just a prince. However, in 1744 the Qing Dynasty formally changed the status of the dwelling to that of a lamasery, and so Yonghe Lamasery became the national center of Lama administration. The Lama Temple is an important attraction in Beijing today.

Photos of the Lama temple

We postet all our photos of the Lama Temple at findoutwheretogo.com. We hope they help for your Beijing trip. In our opionion you can travel on your own - you don’t need a Beijing Guide. Travel Beijing - it´s an amazing city!

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