Our answer
An imperial palace that became a temple 雍和宫
A working Tibetan Buddhist (Gelug) monastery in central Beijing, with an 18 m Maitreya carved from one piece of sandalwood
The short answer
The Lama Temple, or Yonghe Temple (雍和宫, Yōnghé Gōng), is a Tibetan Buddhist monastery in Dongcheng District, central Beijing. Built from 1694 as a Qing prince’s residence and made a monastery in 1744, it is worth visiting for its palace architecture, its halls of Buddhist statues and an 18 m Maitreya carved from one piece of sandalwood.
| In Chinese | 雍和宫 (Yōnghé Gōng), ‘Palace of Harmony and Peace’; in English usually the Lama Temple |
|---|---|
| Where | 12 Yonghegong Street, Dongcheng District, Beijing, near the north-east corner of the Second Ring Road |
| Founded | Built from 1694 as a prince’s residence; converted into a monastery in 1744 |
| Known for | The 18 m sandalwood Maitreya, Qing palace architecture and Tibetan Buddhist (Gelug) halls |
| Size | About 66,000 m² (6.6 hectares) in three sections, east, central and west |
| Getting there | Yonghegong Lama Temple station, Beijing Subway Lines 2 and 5 |
| Tickets | Sold online through the temple’s official WeChat account 雍和宫游客信众服务; bring ID (as of February 2026) |
History of the Lama Temple: from prince’s palace to monastery
The temple’s history is bound up with two Qing emperors, Yongzheng and his son Qianlong.[1][2][3][4][5]
| When | What happened |
|---|---|
| 1694 | Building begins, under the Kangxi Emperor, on the site of a Ming-dynasty residence for court eunuchs. |
| 1703 | Kangxi gives the residence to his fourth son, Prince Yinzhen, who moves in that May. |
| 1709 | Yinzhen is promoted to Prince Yong of the First Rank, and the house becomes his princely residence. |
| 1711 | Yinzhen’s son Hongli, the future Qianlong Emperor, is born here. |
| 1722 | Yinzhen takes the throne as the Yongzheng Emperor, and the residence is raised to a palace, Yonghe Gong. |
| 1744 | Qianlong orders the palace converted into a lamasery, a monastery of Tibetan Buddhism. Its turquoise roof tiles are replaced with yellow ones, a colour reserved for the emperor. |
| 1750 | The giant Maitreya statue in the Wanfu Pavilion is completed. |
| 1961 | Listed as a national key cultural relics protection site. |
| 1981 | Opened to the public. |
What to see: the main halls, south to north
The temple is a Tibetan Buddhist monastery of the Gelug school, and its main buildings stand one behind another on a north–south axis, much like the standard temple plan. Visitors walk from the south gate northwards.[1][2][4][5]
- 1
Zhaotai Gate (昭泰门) and the carriage path
The southern entrance, with three memorial archways in front of it and an imperial carriage path leading to the gate.
- 2
Yonghe Gate Hall (雍和门), the Hall of Heavenly Kings
Originally the palace’s main entrance. Inside are Maitreya as the Laughing Buddha, the Four Heavenly Kings and the guardian Weituo. Two stele pavilions stand in front.
- 3
Hall of Harmony and Peace (雍和宫殿)
The main hall, seven bays wide under a double-eaved roof. It holds three bronze Buddhas of the Three Ages, with Shakyamuni in the centre, and eighteen arhats along the sides.
- 4
Hall of Everlasting Protection (永佑殿, Yǒngyòu Diàn)
Yinzhen’s living quarters when he was a prince. It now holds three Buddha statues of white sandalwood, each 2.35 m tall.
- 5
Hall of the Wheel of the Law (法轮殿, Fǎlún Diàn)
Used for scripture reading and ceremonies. Its centrepiece is a 6.1 m bronze statue of Tsongkhapa, founder of the Gelug school. Behind it is the Five Hundred Arhats Hill, nearly 5 m high, carved from red sandalwood, with arhat figures in five metals: gold, silver, copper, iron and tin.
- 6
Pavilion of Ten Thousand Happinesses (万福阁, Wànfú Gé)
A 25 m pavilion built around the temple’s most famous statue: a standing Maitreya carved from a single trunk of white sandalwood, 18 m above ground with a further 8 m below, 26 m in all. Guinness World Records lists it as the tallest statue carved from a single piece of wood. The trunk was brought from Tibet, a journey that took three years.
Festivals and customs
The busiest time of year is Chinese New Year, when crowds come to light incense and pray for the year ahead. For the 2026 Spring Festival the temple sold up to 40,000 tickets a day online and opened at 7:00 on the first day of the new year. It gives visitors free incense and asks them to burn three sticks, not to bring their own, and not to carry lit incense into the halls. On busy days the route through the temple is one way, from south to north. See our guide to Chinese New Year for the festival itself.
In the twelfth lunar month the temple holds a Laba porridge ceremony, cooking the porridge in a large copper pot near the drum tower. Yonghegong also has a tradition of Cham, a masked ritual dance of Tibetan Buddhism, first recorded here in 1746. It was traditionally performed on the 28th day of the twelfth lunar month and the 4th day of the first; the tradition was revived in 1987.[1][2][6][7]
Nearby, and other temples in Beijing
The Temple of Confucius and the Guozijian, the old Imperial College, are also in Dongcheng District, on Guozijian Street. For more of the city’s temples, from Tanzhe in the western hills to the Big Bell Temple, see our guide to temples in Beijing. For China’s oldest temple by tradition, see the White Horse Temple in Luoyang.[8][9]
Questions readers ask
What is the Lama Temple in Beijing?
It is Yonghe Temple (雍和宫, Yōnghé Gōng), a Tibetan Buddhist monastery of the Gelug school in Dongcheng District. It was built from 1694 as the residence of Prince Yinzhen, later the Yongzheng Emperor, and converted into a monastery in 1744. ‘Lama Temple’ is its usual English name; monks still live there.
Why is it called the Lama Temple?
Because it is a lamasery, a monastery of Tibetan Buddhism. Since 1744 many Tibetan and Mongolian monks have lived and taught there. Its Chinese name, Yonghe Gong, means ‘Palace of Harmony and Peace’ and recalls its origin as an imperial residence.
How old is the Lama Temple?
Building began in 1694, under the Kangxi Emperor of the Qing dynasty. It became a monastery in 1744, so it has been a temple for nearly 300 years.
What is the Lama Temple famous for?
Above all for the 18 m Maitreya in the Pavilion of Ten Thousand Happinesses, carved from a single piece of white sandalwood and listed by Guinness World Records as the tallest statue carved from one piece of wood. It is also known for its imperial yellow roofs and the Five Hundred Arhats Hill.
How do I get tickets for the Lama Temple?
Book online through the temple’s official WeChat account, 雍和宫游客信众服务, choosing a morning or afternoon slot, and bring your ID or the booking QR code. The temple says it has authorised no third-party sellers. We could not confirm the current ticket price from an official source.
How do I get to the Lama Temple?
Take Beijing Subway Line 2 or Line 5 to Yonghegong Lama Temple station. Beijing’s official tourism site says the temple is about 300 m from Exit B.
Is the Lama Temple busy at Chinese New Year?
Very. In 2026 it sold up to 40,000 tickets a day online over the Spring Festival, opened at 7:00 on the first day of the new year and ran a one-way route through the halls. Book early, or pick another date if your day is sold out.
Can you burn incense at the Lama Temple?
Yes. The temple hands out free incense and does not allow visitors to bring their own. It suggests three sticks, and asks that lit incense is not carried into the halls.
Sources
- Wikipedia, Yonghe Temple · accessed 1 Nov 2026
- Wikipedia (Chinese), 雍和宫 · accessed 1 Nov 2026
- Visit Beijing (Beijing Municipal Culture and Tourism Bureau), Yonghegong Lama Temple · accessed 1 Nov 2026
- Visit Beijing (in Chinese), 北京拜佛好去处 雍和宫 · accessed 1 Nov 2026
- Guinness World Records, Tallest statue carved from a single piece of wood · accessed 1 Nov 2026
- Beijing Daily (京报网), Yonghe Temple Spring Festival notice: 40,000 online tickets a day (6 February 2026, in Chinese) · accessed 1 Nov 2026
- The Beijing News, Yonghe Temple Spring Festival arrangements (6 February 2026, in Chinese) · accessed 1 Nov 2026
- Wikipedia, Dongcheng District, Beijing · accessed 1 Nov 2026
- Wikipedia, Beijing Confucius Temple · accessed 1 Nov 2026
Update log. 1 November 2026 — reviewed. Next review due 1 February 2027. Suggest a correction