CHINA | Beijing, China Travel Guide
Thursday, May 2, 2024
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Tibetan Lama Temple
12 Yonghegong Dajie
Beijing
Beijing
China
Type: Religious Site
Addmission Fee: ¥10
Hours: daily 9 am-4:30 pm
Comments ( 0 )
Rating (0 Votes)
Beijing
Beijing
China
Type: Religious Site
Addmission Fee: ¥10
Hours: daily 9 am-4:30 pm
Comments ( 0 )
Rating (0 Votes)
This is Beijing’s premier Buddhist tourist attraction and thus, while it’s certainly worth a visit, don’t come expecting monastic silence and isolation. The temple was originally built in 1694 as Prince Yong’s palace (hence the Chinese name Yonghe Gong), which he renounced when he ascended to the dragon throne and became Emperor Yongzheng in 1723.
The palace was converted to a lama temple in 1744 under Emperor Qianlong and offers a fusion of Lamaism, Buddhism and Shamanism. The latter fueled rumors of human sacrifice in the early 20th century! The temple’s architecture reflects an equally dazzling array of styles, including original palace features, along with Manchurian, Mongolian and Tibetan design elements.
The temple prospered during the Qing and there were reported to be over 500 monks from Inner Mongolia and Tibet in residence here under Emperor Qianlong. You can still see the golden urn that was used to elect the Mongolian Dalai Lama in days of old, and the temple is also the site where the puppet Panchen Lama was instated in 1995.
After the foundation of the PRC in 1949 the temple was closed for 30 years, which may well have been its saving grace, as it completely escaped the ravages of the Cultural Revolution (see p. 23). The temple re-opened in 1981, but these days it is as busy with tourists as it is with monks, but you’ll still see them chanting sutras in the morning.
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