Religious site · BEIJING
Lama Temple (Yonghe Gong)
雍和宫 · Yōnghégōng
About
Active Tibetan Buddhist monastery in central Beijing. Five courtyards of halls, a 26m carved-sandalwood Maitreya, and the city's largest gathering of monks.
The Lama Temple was the residence of Prince Yongzheng before his ascension to the throne in 1722. After his death the residence was converted into a Tibetan Buddhist (Gelugpa) monastery and has been an active religious site since the 1740s. The five courtyards run north along a central axis, ending in the Pavilion of Ten Thousand Happinesses with its 26m white-sandalwood statue of Maitreya Buddha — the world's largest single-tree carving. The temple is one of central Beijing's most active religious sites; visit in the morning to see worshippers and incense burning.
How to get there
Metro Lines 2 and 5 to Yonghegong Lama Temple Station.
When to visit
Morning. Photography of monks in private moments is not appropriate.
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Other attractions in Beijing
Itineraries featuring this site
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3d · Three full days in Beijing covering the Forbidden City, Great Wall at Mutianyu, the Temple of Heaven and the hutong lanes — the absolute core of the capital for visitors with limited time.
- Beijing weekend — 3 days in the capital
3d · Three days in Beijing covering the Forbidden City, Great Wall at Mutianyu and the Temple of Heaven — the irreducible core of the capital, managed at a pace that avoids pure exhaustion.
- Beijing + Xi'an + Shanghai — 7-day first-timer circuit
7d · The canonical first-time China loop: two days in imperial Beijing, one day in Xi'an for the Terracotta Army, and two days in Shanghai. Linked by HSR throughout.
- Solo female — 10 days in Beijing, Shanghai and Chengdu
10d · Ten days across three cities chosen for safety, English-language accessibility and a good solo-travel atmosphere — with practical notes on accommodation, transport and navigating China as a solo woman.
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