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Yonghe Lama Temple (雍和宫)
History and Significance
The Yonghe Temple began as the private residence of Prince Yinzhen — the future Yongzheng Emperor — built in 1694. When Yinzhen became emperor in 1723, the building was redesignated an imperial residence and subsequently converted to a lamasery in 1744. Since then it has functioned continuously as one of the most important Tibetan Buddhist temples in China.
The temple is significant on multiple levels:
- It is the national centre of Tibetan Buddhism administration in China
- It houses an extraordinary collection of Buddhist art and artifacts
- It remains an active place of worship with resident monks from Mongolian, Tibetan and Han Chinese backgrounds
- The 18-metre standing Maitreya Buddha statue (the world’s largest carved from a single sandalwood trunk) is considered a masterpiece of Buddhist art
Layout and Key Buildings
The temple follows a traditional Chinese courtyard palace layout, progressing through five increasingly sacred courtyards from south to north.
First Courtyard and Gate: The main entrance with the two signature bronze incense burners where visitors light incense. The smell of sandalwood and incense from these burners permeates the entire complex.
Hall of Heavenly Kings (天王殿): The first hall, housing the Four Heavenly Kings and the laughing Milefo (Maitreya as encountered Budda).
Hall of Harmony (雍和宫大殿): The main ceremonial hall; three large gilded Buddha statues (past, present and future Buddhas) with elaborate thankas (painted silk scrolls) behind them.
Hall of Eternal Blessing (永佑殿): Contains a thousand-armed Guanyin statue; thanka paintings of unusual quality cover the walls.
The Pavilion of Ten Thousand Happinesses (万福阁): The towering pavilion at the rear of the complex, housing the extraordinary Maitreya statue. At 18 metres visible height (the statue extends 8 metres below ground level for a total of 26 metres), the figure is made from a single Tibetan white sandalwood trunk gifted by the 7th Dalai Lama. Standing at its feet is one of the more physically overwhelming encounters available in China’s sacred architecture.
Hall of the Wheel of the Law (法轮殿): The main assembly hall for teaching and ceremony, modelled on the Tibetan monastery tradition. The enormous gilded statue of Tsongkhapa (founder of the Gelug school of Tibetan Buddhism) is remarkable.
Visiting Advice
Tickets: ¥25 ($3.5). Open daily 09:00–17:00.
Best time: Weekday mornings in non-holiday periods. The temple is very popular, particularly on the first and fifteenth days of the lunar month (traditional Buddhist visiting days) and during the Tibetan Buddhist holidays. Lunar New Year sees extraordinary crowds and incense smoke — spectacular if you don’t mind the density.
Photography: Photography is permitted throughout except inside individual halls where posted signs indicate restrictions. The incense courtyards and pavilion exterior can be photographed freely.
Incense: On sale at the entrance (¥10–¥30); lighting incense and bowing in the courtyard is the standard visitor practice regardless of religious affiliation.
The Atmosphere
The Yonghe Temple is one of Beijing’s most atmospherically charged sites. Even at moderate crowd levels, the combination of incense smoke, devotional chanting from within the halls, and the visual density of gilded statues and hanging thanka creates an overwhelming sensory experience. Allow at least 1.5–2 hours to move through the complex without rushing.
Confucius Temple and Imperial College (孔庙和国子监)
A ten-minute walk west from the Yonghe Temple (or through the connecting Guozijian Street), the Beijing Confucius Temple and Imperial College complex is one of the most tranquil and historically significant sites in the city.
History
The Confucius Temple was established in 1302, during the Yuan Dynasty, and expanded through the Ming and Qing periods. The adjacent Imperial College (Guozijian) served as China’s highest educational institution for over 700 years — the place where the Confucian classics were taught and where the emperor himself lectured annually from the Biyong Pavilion.
Key Sites
Confucius Temple (孔庙): The main temple complex begins with the Lingxing Gate, progresses through courtyards of ancient cypress trees (the Shading trees — 柏树 — are mostly over 700 years old, planted by Yuan Dynasty officials), and reaches the Dacheng Hall, the main hall housing the spirit tablet of Confucius.
The temple’s courtyards contain 198 steles recording the names of examination graduates (进士) from the Yuan, Ming and Qing Dynasties — 51,624 names in total. Reading these tablet forests gives a palpable sense of the weight of Confucian scholarly culture over seven centuries.
Stone Tablets (碑林): Ten pavilions housing Yuan, Ming and Qing Dynasty stone inscriptions. The largest Tang Dynasty monument in this collection is over 1,200 years old.
Biyong Pavilion (辟雍, Imperial College): A remarkable circular structure — the Biyong is a two-storey pavilion surrounded by a moat on a round artificial island, accessible by four marble bridges. The emperor sat here on a throne to lecture on the Confucian classics; the surrounding space accommodated thousands of scholars. The architecture is serene and geometrically perfect.
The Hall of Great Achievement (大成殿): The main ritual hall of the Confucius Temple; the spirit tablet of Confucius occupies the central position, flanked by tablets of his principal disciples. Confucian rites are still performed here on Confucius’s birthday (September 28).
Visiting Advice
Tickets: ¥30 ($4) for the combined Confucius Temple and Imperial College ticket. Open Tuesday–Sunday 09:00–17:00.
Atmosphere: This is Beijing’s quietest major heritage site — genuinely tranquil on most weekdays. The cypress trees create deep shade; the stone-paved courtyards are cool even in summer. Allow 1.5 hours.
Photography: Excellent throughout. The Biyong Pavilion is particularly beautiful for photography in late afternoon light.
Guozijian Street (国子监街)
The hutong alley between the two complexes — Guozijian Street — is one of Beijing’s best-preserved 18th-century commercial streets. Lined with low buildings selling traditional calligraphy materials, antique books, scholarly curios and tea, the street is also home to several excellent small restaurants and snack shops.
Chao doufu: The local Beijing fried fermented tofu snack; available from street carts at ¥3–¥5 per piece.
Food Near the Two Temples
The neighbourhood around Yonghe Temple and Guozijian Street has a good concentration of traditional Beijing food.
Wangfujing Snack Street (15 minutes by metro): The nearby tourist snack street; more theatrical than essential but worth a browse.
Local neighbourhood restaurants near Yonghe Metro: Multiple small restaurants serving Beijing noodles, zhajiangmian (炸酱面, noodles with minced pork sauce) and dumplings at local prices (¥15–¥30 per person, $2–$4).
Vegetarian option: Several vegetarian Buddhist restaurants serve the area around Yonghe Temple; look for signs with lotus imagery. A full lunch costs ¥40–¥80 ($6–$11).
Getting There
Metro: Line 2, Yonghegong/Lama Temple Station, Exit D. The Confucius Temple is a 10-minute walk west through the hutong.
From Tian’anmen area: Metro Line 1 to Dongsi, walk north. Or taxi (¥20–¥30, $3–$4, 10–15 minutes).
Practical Tips
- Combine timing: Start at the Confucius Temple when it opens (09:00) before crowds build; then walk to the Lama Temple around 11:00. This allows you to experience the Confucius Temple in morning quiet and arrive at Yonghe after the first morning rush but before the afternoon bus tours.
- Dress code: Both sites are active religious/memorial institutions. Cover shoulders and knees; no sleeveless tops.
- Photography at Yonghe: The main hall interiors have significant restrictions; focus your photography in the courtyards and pavilion exteriors.
- Weather: Both sites have significant shade from old trees; comfortable in summer. In winter, the incense from Yonghe Temple creates distinctive mist in cold air — atmospheric photography opportunities.
Final Word
The Yonghe Lama Temple and Confucius Temple represent two of China’s great spiritual traditions in close geographical proximity, and the contrast between them is itself illuminating. The lama temple is sensory, devotional, densely visual; the Confucius complex is austere, intellectual, quietly monumental. Spending a morning with both gives you a better sense of the range of Chinese civilisational values than almost any other single morning’s experience in Beijing.