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The Lama Temple
Lama Temple Beijing (Yonghegong), or Palace of Peace and Harmony Lama Temple or Yonghegong Lamasery, a renowned lama temple of the Yellow Hat Sect of Lamaism, is situated in the northeast part of Beijing city.
Lama Temple features five large halls and five courtyards with beautifully decorative 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.
The Lama Temple History
Building work on the Yonghegong Temple started in 1694 during the Qing Dynasty. It originally served as an official residence for court eunuchs. It was then converted into the court of the Prince Yong (Yin Zhen), a son of the Kangxi Emperor and himself the future Yongzheng Emperor. After Yongzheng's ascension to the throne in 1722, half of the building was converted into a lamasery, a monastery for monks of Tibetan Buddhism. The other half remained an imperial palace.
After Yongzheng's death in 1735, his coffin was placed in the temple. The Qianlong Emperor, Yongzheng's successor, gave the temple imperial status signified by having its turquoise tiles replaced with yellow tiles which were reserved for the emperor. Subsequently, the monastery became a residence for large numbers of Tibetan Buddhist monks from Mongolia and Tibet, and so the Yonghe Lamasery became the national centre of Lama administration.
The temple is said to have survived the Cultural Revolution due to the intervention of Prime Minister Zhou Enlai. It was reopened to the public in 1981.
Transportation
Address of Lama Temple: 12 Yonghegong Dajie, Beijxinqiao, Dongcheng District (Near the Northeast corner of the Second Ring Road)
Subway: Subway Line 2: get off at Yonghegong Station, get out of the station from Exit C (Southwest Exit), and walk south about 400 meters, then you'll find Yonghe Lamasery on the east side of the road.
Subway Line 5: get off at Yonghegong Station, and get out of the station from Exit C (Southeast Exit).
Bus Route: Take bus 13, 116 or 117 and get off at Yonghegong Station.
Take bus 18, 44(小), 44(大), 62, 75, 116, 606, 800(内), 800(外), 909 or 特2 and get off at Yonghegong Qiao Dong Station.
Take bus 125 and get off at Yonghegong Qiao Bei Station.
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