Wanfu Pavilion

Wanfu Pavilion

Wanfu Pavilion is the fifth and final main hall of the Lama Temple. The central main building has three stories, flanked by the Yansui Pavilion on the left and the Yongkang Pavilion on the right, both two-story structures connected to the main pavilion by corridors. The various levels of Wanfu Pavilion house a total of ten thousand small Buddha statues. Since the word “Buddha” (佛) sounds similar to “blessing” (福), the pavilion is named Wanfu, meaning “Ten Thousand Blessings.”

The most remarkable feature in the pavilion is a statue of Maitreya carved from a single sandalwood log, with the precious wood material having been offered as tribute by the Seventh Dalai Lama. The statue stands 26 meters tall in total—18 meters above ground and 8 meters below—with a diameter of 8 meters. It rests on a white marble Sumeru pedestal and holds a khata scarf, presenting a majestic presence.

The sandalwood-carved Maitreya statue, the golden-thread nanmu-carved Buddha shrine, and the sandalwood Arhat Mountain in the Hall of the Dalai Lama are known as the “Three Wonders” of the Lama Temple.

Location

No. 12, Yonghegong Street, Dongcheng District, Beijing, China