Lama Temple Admission Ticket Beijing

Lama Temple (Yonghe Temple): the story of Beijing's great lamasery

The Lama Temple, known in Chinese as Yonghegong or the Palace of Peace and Harmony, began life in 1694 as the mansion of a Qing prince. When its owner ascended the throne, the residence became an imperial palace, and in 1744 the court turned it into a lamasery for monks of the Tibetan Gelug school. That double past explains the yellow glazed roof tiles, a colour normally reserved for the imperial family, and the generous scale of the courtyards.

Today it is still an active temple where monks chant and Beijing families come to pray, so the atmosphere feels very different from a museum. Many travellers ask whether the Lama Temple is worth visiting when their time in Beijing is short: if you want one place that shows living Buddhist practice, painted beams and incense smoke in the heart of the old city, it is one of the best choices you can make.

The great halls along the central axis

The temple is laid out from south to north along a single axis, and each courtyard rises a little higher than the one before. After the carved archways and the long tree-lined approach, you pass the Gate of Harmony and Peace, guarded by the four Heavenly Kings, then the Hall of Harmony and Peace with the Buddhas of the past, present and future. Behind it, the Hall of Everlasting Protection and the Hall of the Wheel of Dharma hold more statues, murals and a large bronze figure revered by the Gelug school.

The side buildings, once the Four Learning Halls for medicine, mathematics, esoteric teaching and scripture, now house exhibition rooms with thangka paintings, ritual objects and fine bronzes. Take your time in these smaller halls: they are quieter than the axis and full of detail. Allow about one to two hours for the whole complex.

The sandalwood Buddha in the Pavilion of Ten Thousand Happinesses

The high point of any Lama Temple visit waits at the northern end: the Pavilion of Ten Thousand Happinesses (Wanfuge), a three-storey wooden hall linked by covered bridges to two side pavilions. Inside stands a Maitreya Buddha rising 18 metres above the floor, with about 8 more metres set below ground, carved from a single trunk of white sandalwood brought from Tibet in the eighteenth century.

Standing at its feet and looking up through the galleries is an unforgettable moment, and it is the reason many visitors cross the city for this temple. Photography is not allowed inside most halls, including this one, so plan to simply look and take it in. Come in the morning for softer light in the courtyards and fewer people in front of the statue.

Practical visit: opening hours, getting there and the neighbourhood

Lama Temple opening hours are usually 09:00 to 16:30 from April to October and 09:00 to 16:00 from November to March, with last entry about one hour before closing. Hours can change on public holidays, so we confirm them with your booking. How to get to the Lama Temple is simple: take metro Line 2 or Line 5 to Yonghegong Lama Temple station; the entrance is a few minutes on foot from the southern exits.

The best time to visit the Lama Temple is a weekday morning in spring or autumn, when skies are often clear and the courtyards are calmer. Around Chinese New Year and on Buddhist festival days it fills with worshippers. Across the road, tree-lined Guozijian Street and the old Imperial Academy make a peaceful extension to your visit, and halal (qingzhen) noodle shops run by Hui Muslim families are easy to find in the surrounding streets.