Lama Temple

　　The Lama Temple (The Lama Temple) is located in the northeastern corner of Beijing's urban area. In the 33rd year of the Kangxi reign of the Qing Dynasty (1694), Emperor Kangxi built a residence here and bestowed it upon his fourth son, Prince Yong, naming it the Prince Yong Mansion. In the 3rd year of the Yongzheng reign (1725), the mansion was converted into an imperial palace and renamed the Lama Temple. In the 13th year of the Yongzheng reign (1735), after the death of Emperor Yongzheng, his coffin was temporarily placed here, which led to the original green-glazed tiles of the main halls being replaced with yellow-glazed ones. Additionally, as Emperor Qianlong was born here, making the Lama Temple the birthplace of two emperors, it became known as the “Dragon’s Hidden Blessed Land.” Therefore, the temple buildings feature yellow tiles and red walls, matching the standards of the Forbidden City imperial palace. In the 9th year of the Qianlong reign (1744), the Lama Temple was converted into a lamasery, with a specially appointed Minister in Charge of Affairs managing its operations, without a fixed number of staff. It can be said that the Lama Temple is the highest-ranking Buddhist monastery in China.

　　The Lama Temple consists of five grand halls: the Hall of Heavenly Kings, the Main Hall of the Lama Temple (Mahavira Hall), the Hall of Eternal Protection, the Hall of Bhaisajyaguru (Medicine Buddha), and the Pavilion of Ten Thousand Happinesses. There are also additional side halls and the “Four Learning Halls” (Scripture Lecture Hall, Esoteric Buddhism Hall, Mathematics Hall, and Medicine Buddha Hall). The overall layout of the courtyard complex gradually decreases in size from south to north, while the halls rise progressively in height, forming a grand and majestic pattern of “lofty main halls tucked within deep courtyards,” embodying architectural features of the Han, Manchu, Mongolian, and Tibetan ethnic groups.

　　The Lama Temple

　　The southern courtyard of the Lama Temple features three tall stele pavilions, a large screen wall, and a pair of stone lions. Passing through the memorial archway, there is a tree-lined path paved with square bricks, commonly known as the Imperial Path. To the north lies the main gate of the Lama Temple, the Zhaotai Gate, flanked internally by the Bell and Drum Towers and surrounded externally by ornate corridors, which are rarely seen elsewhere. Beside the Drum Tower, there is an eye-catching large bronze cauldron weighing eight tons, once used for cooking Laba porridge. Further north stands an octagonal stele pavilion housing an imperial stele inscribed by Emperor Qianlong, recounting the historical background of the Lama Temple's conversion from a palace to a lamasery, with text in four languages—Chinese, Tibetan, Manchu, and Mongolian—carved on the left and right steles.

　　The Hall of Harmony (Yonghe Gate)

　　Between the two stele pavilions is the Hall of Harmony (Yonghe Gate), with a plaque inscribed with the characters “Yonghe Gate” handwritten by Emperor Qianlong. It functions similarly to the mountain gate or Hall of Heavenly Kings in Han Chinese Buddhism. The bronze lions in front of the hall are vividly crafted. At the center of the hall sits a smiling, bare-chested statue of the Bodhisattva Maitreya on a gilded dragon throne. Flanking the hall are clay-colored painted statues of the Four Heavenly Kings facing each other. The kings stand atop demons, symbolizing their role in suppressing evil and protecting the world. Behind the Maitreya statue is the God of Wealth and Guardian, Skanda (Weituo), clad in armor and standing atop clouds.

　　The Main Hall of the Lama Temple

　　Exiting the Hall of Harmony, the courtyard features a sequence of a bronze cauldron, an imperial stele pavilion, a bronze Mount Sumeru, prayer flags (mani poles), and the main hall—the Main Hall of the Lama Temple. Originally named the Hall of Silver Peace, it was where Prince Yong received civil and military officials. After being converted into a lamasery, it served the role equivalent to the Mahavira Hall in typical temples. At the hall’s northern end are three nearly two-meter-tall bronze statues of the Three World Buddhas. There are two sets: one with Shakyamuni Buddha of the Saha World in the center, Bhaisajyaguru Buddha of the Eastern World on the left, and Amitabha Buddha of the Western World on the right—representing the spatial Three World Buddhas, signifying that Buddha exists everywhere. As space is horizontal, they are also called the Horizontal Three World Buddhas. Most Mahavira Halls elsewhere enshrine the Horizontal Three World Buddhas. In the Lama Temple’s Main Hall, the Three World Buddhas represent the temporal flow of past, present, and future—indicating that Buddha exists at all times: the Present Buddha Shakyamuni in the center, the Past Buddha Dipankara on the left, and the Future Buddha Maitreya on the right. Space is the universe, time is eternity, meaning Buddha pervades all space and time. In the northeast corner of the hall is a bronze statue of Guanyin, and in the northwest corner, a bronze statue of Maitreya. On the thrones before the two side walls sit the Eighteen Arhats. The two side halls in the front courtyard are the “Four Learning Halls.”

　　The Hall of Eternal Protection

　　Exiting the Main Hall, you’ll find the Hall of Eternal Protection, featuring a single-eave hip-and-gable roof and a “five visible, ten hidden” construction—that is, it appears to have five rooms from the outside but is actually formed by merging two sets of five rooms. During the palace era, this hall served as the study and bedroom of Prince Yong. Later, it became a shrine for portraits of deceased emperors during the Qing Dynasty. “Eternal Protection” signifies everlasting safeguarding of the spirits of past emperors. At the center of the hall, on a lotus throne, sit three 2.35-meter-tall sandalwood-carved Buddha statues: in the center is the Amitayus Buddha (Amitabha), to the left is Bhaisajyaguru Buddha, and to the right is the Simhanada Buddha. Exiting the Hall of Eternal Protection leads to the Hall of Bhaisajyaguru. On either side are the Panchen Lama Tower and the Ordination Platform Tower. The Hall of Bhaisajyaguru has a cruciform floor plan, with five skylight-style hidden floors on the roof, each topped with a gilded copper pagoda, representing a traditional Tibetan architectural form.

　　The Hall of Bhaisajyaguru

　　The Hall of Bhaisajyaguru is a fusion of Han and Tibetan cultural elements. At the center of the hall sits a 6.1-meter-tall bronze statue of Tsongkhapa, founder of the Gelug school of Tibetan Buddhism, smiling serenely on a giant lotus pedestal. This statue, crafted in 1924, cost 200,000 silver dollars and took two years to complete. Behind the statue of Tsongkhapa is the “Mountain of Five Hundred Arhats,” hailed as one of the three supreme wooden carvings of the Lama Temple. It is nearly 5 meters high, 3.5 meters long, and 30 centimeters thick, intricately carved from rosewood. In front of the Mountain of Five Hundred Arhats is a wooden basin carved from golden-thread nanmu wood. Legend says that three days after Emperor Qianlong was born, he was bathed in this basin, commonly referred to as the “Three-Day Bath Basin.”

　　The Pavilion of Ten Thousand Happinesses

　　Exiting the Hall of Bhaisajyaguru, you’ll reach the 25-meter-high Pavilion of Ten Thousand Happinesses, featuring triple eaves and soaring upturned corners. Beside it are the Yongkang Pavilion and the Yansui Pavilion. The two pavilions are connected by flying corridors, appearing majestic and otherworldly, resembling celestial palaces with architectural styles reminiscent of the Liao and Jin dynasties. Inside the Pavilion of Ten Thousand Happinesses stands the majestic Maitreya Buddha (also known as the Milefo Buddha), 18 meters tall, with 8 meters buried underground. The Buddha’s body is 8 meters wide, carved from a single rare white sandalwood tree, gifted by the 7th Dalai Lama. It is said Emperor Qianlong spent over 80,000 taels of silver commissioning the carving. This colossal statue is another of the Lama Temple’s three supreme wooden carvings. The third can be found in the east side hall in front of the Hall of Ten Thousand Buddhas—the Guanyin Buddha Shrine, featuring openwork carving with 99 vividly lifelike dragons.

　　Aisin-Gioro Yinzhen

　　(1678–1735) Emperor Yongzheng (December 13, 1678 – October 8, 1735), Aisin-Gioro Yinzhen, also known as Yuanming Jushi (Hermit of Yuanming), was the fifth emperor of the Qing Dynasty and the fourth son of Emperor Kangxi. In the 61st year of Kangxi’s reign (1722), Yinzhen ascended the throne. During his reign, he suppressed the rebellion of Lobsang Danjin, established the Grand Council, reformed the bureaucracy, implemented the “Replacement of Native Chieftainships with Appointed Officials,” centralized tax collection, introduced the “Tax per Person” policy requiring both officials and gentry to pay taxes, and bridged the legacy of the Kangxi and Qianlong eras. In 1735, Yongzheng passed away at the Old Summer Palace. His posthumous title was “Emperor Jing Tian Chang Yun Jian Zhong Biao Zheng Wen Wu Ying Ming Kuan Ren Xin Yi Rui Sheng Da Xiao Zhi Cheng Huangdi,” with the temple name Shizong, and he was buried in the Qing Tomb. ... More  Details+　　Aisin-Gioro Hongli

　　(1711–1799) Emperor Qianlong, Aisin-Gioro Hongli (September 25, 1711 – February 7, 1799), was the sixth emperor of the Qing Dynasty. He reigned for 60 years and effectively governed for 63 years and 4 months, making him the longest-living emperor in Chinese history and the one with the longest actual rule. Together with his father Yongzheng and grandfather Kangxi, Qianlong ushered in the “Prosperous Era of Kangxi and Qianlong.” During his reign, he consolidated and developed a unified multi-ethnic nation, suppressed rebellions such as the Dzungar and the Big and Small Hozha, stabilized Tibet, quelled the Big and Small Jinsha uprisings, reformed governance, emphasized agriculture, developed water conservancy, promoted Confucian studies, established the Ili General to manage Xinjiang, and more. However, later in his reign...  Details+　　The Lama Temple is a

Class [number missing] attractionAAAAThe Lama Temple is a National Key Cultural Relics Protection Unit.

Source: Beijing Municipal Commission of Tourism Development

　　Lama Temple