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China > Pékin > Lama Temple
Lama Temple
Lama Temple


Yonghegong
Pékin (China)
12 Yonghegong Dajie, Beixinqiao, Dongcheng District
The Yonghe Temple (Chinese : 雍和宮 - pinyin : Yōnghégōng - Manchu : Hūwaliyasun hūwaliyaka gung), also known as the "Palace of Peace and Harmony Lama Temple", the "Yonghe Lamasery", or - popularly - the "Lama Temple" is a temple and monastery of the Geluk School of Tibetan Buddhism located in the northeastern part of Beijing, China. It is one of the largest and most important Tibetan Buddhist monasteries in the world. The building and the artworks of the temple combine Han Chinese and Tibetan styles.
   Lama Temple : Virtual tour   18 sections and 19 items
Lama Temple : Building(s) (16)




Bell Tower
1744
It was built in 1744. Ther is a bell inside. Lama ring it when hold the ceremony.

West Pavilion
1744
There is a stela of white marble inside. The inscription of the tablet is in Mandchu and Chinese, about why the Yonghegong was transformed in lamasery.

East Pavilion
1744
There is a stela of white marble inside. The inscription of the tablet is in Mandchu and Chinese, about why the Yonghegong was transformed in lamasery.

Hall of the Heavenly Kings (7)
Tian Wang Dian or Devaraja Hall
Yonghe Gate
1694
The Hall of the Heavenly Kings is the southernmost of the main halls, it served originally as the main entrance to the monastery. In the center of the hall stands a statue of the Maitreya Buddha, along the walls statues of the four Heavenly Kings are arranged.

Pavilion of the stele with Four Languages (1)

Stele is inscribed in Manchu, Han, Tibetan and Mongolian.

Hall of Harmony and Peace (3)
Yonghedian - Yonghegong
1694
The central altar has the Buddhas of the three ages. The middle one is Sakyamuni(the Present). The Past Buddha is to the left and the Future Buddha is to the right.

Hall of Everlasting Protection (1)
Yongyoudian
1694
On the altar is a statue of Amitayus (Longevity Buddha), with Bhaisajyaguru (medecine Buddha) to the right and Simhanada (meaning Wisdom)to the left.

West Accompanying Hall (3)
1744
The middle Buddha is Sakyamuni. Beside him are eight Bodhisattvas.

Hall of the Wheel of the Law (1)
Falundian

It was named Falundian after the Yonghegong was transformed into the lamasery in 1744. On the alter Tsongkhapa, who founded Yellow Sect of Lamaism.

Pavilion of Ten Thousand Happinesses (1)
Wan Fu Ge - Wanfuge
between 1748 and 1750
The Pavilion of Ten Thousand Happinesses contains a 26m tall statue of the Maitreya Buddha carved from a single piece of White Sandalwood. The statue is one of three artworks in the Temple which were included in the Guinness Book of Records in 1993.

Yansui Pavilion
between 1748 and 1750
There is a big "Lotus Throne" in which the Longevity Buddhas are sitting.

Yong Kang Pavilion
between 1748 and 1750
There is a like-tower niche which named Dharmacakra-Pravartana (prayer wheel). In the niche, a Longevity Buddha.

Yamudaga Building
1744
The middle on is Diamond of Power and Virtue. The right one is Ksitigarbha (Dizang Buddha). The left one is Guanyu (meaning protection).

Zhaofo Building (1)
Zhaofe Building
1694
Sakyamuni Buddha is standing inside. Beside him are Kasyapa and Ananda.
Lama Temple : Guide (1)


Lama Temple : Outdoor Architecture (1)


Lama Temple : Hours   

09:00am / 04:00pm in summer
11:00am / 03:00pm from november to march.
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Lama Temple : Visit Guide   
The Yonghe Temple is located in the Dongcheng District of Beijing, near the northeastern corner of the Second Ring Road.
Subway stations : line 2 (二号线) and line (五号线) - Lama Temple
Lama Temple : Description   
Architecture and artworks
The Yonghe Temple is arranged along a north-south central axis, which has a length of 480m. The main gate is at the southern end of this axis. Along the axis, there are five main halls which are separated by courtyards : the Hall of the Heavenly Kings (Tian Wang Dian or Devaraja Hall), the Hall of Harmony and Peace (Yonghegong), the Hall of Everlasting Protection (Yongyoudian), the Hall of the Wheel of the Law (Falundian), and the Pavilion of Ten Thousand Happinesses (Wanfuge). The Hall of the Heavenly Kings is the southernmost of the main halls, it served originally as the main entrance to the monastery. In the center of the hall stands a statue of the Maitreya Buddha, along the walls statues of the four Heavenly Kings are arranged.

The Hall of Harmony and Peace is the main building of the temple. It houses three bronze statues of the Buddhas of the Three Ages, the statue of the Gautama Buddha (Buddha of the Present) is in the center, it is flanked by the statue of Kasyapa Matanga (Buddha of the Past, right) and the Maitreya Buddha (Buddha of the Future, left). Along the sides of the hall, the statues of the 18 Arhats are placed. A mural in the hall shows the bodhisattva Avalokitesvara.

The Hall of Everlasting Protection was Emperor Yongzheng's living quarters as a prince and the place where his coffin was placed after his death. Today, a statue of the Bhaisajya-guru (healing Buddha) stands in this hall.

The Hall of the Wheel of the Law functions as a place for reading scriptures and conducting religious ceremonies. It contains a large statue of Je Tsongkhapa, founder of the Geluk School. The hall also contains the Five-Hundred-Arhat-Hill, a carving made of red sandalwood with statues of the arhats made from five different metals (gold, silver, copper, iron, and tin).

The Pavilion of Ten Thousand Happinesses contains a 26m tall statue of the Maitreya Buddha carved from a single piece of White Sandalwood. The statue is one of three artworks in the Temple which were included in the Guinness Book of Records in 1993.
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.

From Wikipedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yonghe_Temple
Text is available under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Text_of_the_GNU_Free_Documentation_License
Lama Temple : More pictures   

Lama Temple