Yonghe Lama Temple – Ticket, Highlights, Opening Hours, and Tips

Between two pavilions stands the Yonghe Gate, adorned with a large plaque bearing Emperor Qianlong’s hand-written inscription “雍和门.” Equivalent to the mountain gate and the Hall of Heavenly Kings in Han Chinese Buddhism, this entrance is guarded by lifelike bronze lions. Inside the hall, at the center of the golden throne, sits a smiling Maitreya Buddha statue, bare-chested and jovial. Flanking the main hall on both sides are vividly colored clay statues of the Four Heavenly Kings, standing opposite each other. With their feet trampling demons, these kings symbolize their duty to subdue evil and protect the world. Behind the Maitreya statue is the protector deity Wei Tuo, depicted standing on floating clouds adorned in armor and helmet.

Exiting through Yonghe Gate, visitors encounter a series of features in the courtyard, including bronze cauldrons, imperial steles, a bronze Mount Sumeru, prayer flags, and the main hall of Yonghe Temple. Originally known as the Hall of Silver Peace, the main hall served as an audience hall for Prince Yong to receive officials before being converted into a Lama temple. It now serves as the equivalent of the Mahavira Hall in typical Buddhist temples. Inside, facing north, are three nearly two-meter-tall bronze statues representing the Three Buddhas of the Three Ages. These statues depict Shakyamuni Buddha in the center, Medicine Buddha to the left representing the Eastern world, and Amitabha Buddha to the right representing the Western world. This arrangement symbolizes the omnipresence of Buddhas across space, hence referred to as the “horizontal Three Buddhas.” Additionally, in the northeast corner of the main hall stands a bronze statue of Guanyin, while in the northwest corner stands a bronze statue of Maitreya. Adorning the throne platforms in front of the mountain walls are eighteen Arhats. Flanking the courtyard in front of the main hall are the “Four Learning Halls.”

Located immediately after the Main Hall, the Yongyou Hall features a single-eaved gable and hip roof with a “five-visible, ten-hidden” architectural style. Despite appearing as five separate rooms from the outside, it is actually two sets of five rooms combined into one. During the prince’s residence, the Yongyou Hall served as both his study and bedroom. Later, it was repurposed as an ancestral hall for the Qing emperors. “Yongyou” means eternal blessing for the departed spirits of the emperors. At the center of the lotus throne inside the hall, there are three 2.35-meter-tall Buddha statues crafted from sandalwood. The central figure represents Amitabha Buddha, while to the left stands Bhaisajyaguru, and to the right is Simhanada. Exiting the Yongyou Hall leads to the Wheel Hall, flanked by the Panchen Lama Tower and the Ordination Platform Tower on both sides. The plan of the Wheel Hall resembles a cross, with five skylights and five golden copper pagodas, reflecting traditional Tibetan architectural forms.

The Wheel Hall is a harmonious blend of Han and Tibetan cultures. At the center of the hall, atop a massive lotus platform, sits a 6.1-meter-tall copper statue of Tsongkhapa, the founder of the Gelug school of Tibetan Buddhism, with a gentle smile on his face. This statue, sculpted in 1924, took two years to complete and cost 200,000 silver dollars. Behind the Tsongkhapa statue is the renowned Five Hundred Arhats Mountain, considered one of the three masterpieces of woodcarving in Yonghe Lama Temple. Measuring nearly 5 meters in height, 3.5 meters in length, and 30 centimeters in thickness, this masterpiece is intricately carved from rosewood. In front of the Five Hundred Arhats Mountain, there is a basin made of golden-thread nanmu wood, known as the “Three Washbasins.” Legend has it that Emperor Qianlong bathed in this basin three days after his birth.

Exiting the Wheel Hall, visitors are greeted by the Tower of Ten Thousand Blessings, soaring 25 meters high with triple-tiered eaves. Flanking it are the Yǒngkāng Pavilion and Yánsuí Pavilion, connected by flying corridors, reminiscent of celestial palace towers, showcasing architectural styles from the Liao and Jin dynasties. Within the Tower of Ten Thousand Blessings stands the majestic statue of Maitreya Buddha, towering 18 meters high with 8 meters buried underground. This Buddha, with a width of 8 meters, is a masterpiece carved from a precious single piece of sandalwood, donated by the Seventh Dalai Lama as a tribute. Legend has it that Emperor Qianlong allocated over 80,000 taels of silver for the carving of this Buddha. This statue is also one of the three masterpieces of woodcarving in Yonghe Lama Temple. Another masterpiece, the Golden-threaded Nanmu Buddha Niche, is located in the east annex of the Tower of Ten Thousand Blessings, known for its intricate carving depicting 99 cloud dragons, each vividly lifelike.

In the courtyard before the main hall of Yonghe Lama Temple, atop an oval-shaped marble base, sits a bronze “Mount Sumeru” standing at an impressive 1.5 meters tall. “Sumeru” is transliterated from Sanskrit and means “excellent and high.” It is a legendary mountain in ancient Indian mythology, believed to be the center of the world. At the summit of Mount Sumeru is “Indra’s Heaven,” beneath which lies a celestial chart depicting constellations arranged according to ancient astronomical observations. It is said that the distribution and markings of these constellations generally correspond to the research findings of modern astronomy. In Buddhism, Mount Sumeru is the tallest mountain in the world, and the realm of Indra’s Heaven at its peak is considered the highest realm, akin to paradise. Because Mount Sumeru is regarded as the “center of the world,” Buddha Shakyamuni often preached and taught here. Many statues of Buddhas in temples and grottoes are seated on “Sumeru thrones,” symbolizing this central significance.

In the east wing of the Tower of Ten Thousand Blessings at Yonghe Lama Temple is the Hall of Illumination, originally a place for Emperor Qianlong’s mother to worship Buddha. Inside, there are two paintings displayed: one depicting the Buddha and the other the “Wheel of Reincarnation.” Buddhism advocates for the equality of all sentient beings, believing that beings are caught in an endless cycle of reincarnation, with equal opportunities in each lifetime. After death, there are six possible “destinations” in the next life: gods, humans, asuras, animals, hungry ghosts, or hell beings. The “Wheel of Reincarnation” depicts a monstrous creature with long claws and three eyes, resembling a black bear, sitting on the ground, holding a large wheel-shaped circle. Various characters and scenes depicting evil deeds such as burning, killing, adultery, deceit, robbery, theft, gluttony, drinking, prostitution, and gambling are painted around the circle. Several streams of air divide the circle into six realms. The first realm shows a magnificent celestial palace surrounded by colorful clouds, representing the “realm of the gods.” The second realm depicts ordinary society with common people, known as the “realm of humans.” The third realm is characterized by chaos and disasters, including wars, floods, fires, and droughts, known as the “realm of asuras.” The fourth realm portrays tortured ghosts, thin and skeletal, undergoing punishment, known as the “realm of hungry ghosts.” The fifth realm shows various animals, including pigs, dogs, cattle, horses, fish, insects, and other creatures, known as the “realm of animals.” The sixth realm depicts hellish landscapes with mountains of knives, icy valleys, and seas of fire, where ghosts suffer torment, known as the “realm of hell.” This painting vividly warns people to refrain from evil deeds and to practice virtuous acts in order to achieve the goal of urging people to do good and avoid evil.

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