Hello, my dear fellows in the Hive universe!
I hope you are doing well and enjoying your day in full swing. The weekend just passed was an amazing day for me to visit one of the best tourist spots in Beijing City, Lama Temple which is a place for the Buddhists but a lot of tourists visit the place for the beauty and the colorful decoration of these pagodas. In Beijing in December, the weather is much colder, it is around -3 degrees Celsius now and was as below as -10 last week. But I went on a trip to the temple with three of my friends from Thailand and Laos, especially since one of my friends who is leaving China and we wanted to make a day enjoyable together again as a good memory. The Lama Temple is a great choice for such weather as high altitude in many places is more windy and very cold. The temple ground is a beautiful collection of Tibetan Buddhist temples in the middle of the Beijing city.
We started our trip from Huairou by taking a cab to Beijing at around 9:00 AM. The cab ride from Huairou was worth it, even though it was cloudy and windy. The trip took an hour and a half, and we talked and got to know each other better and more. We got to the temple just before 10:30 a.m. We were quickly taken to a world of peaceful beauty as soon as we walked through the grand main gate. With its huge, finely designed buildings, tall pagodas, and bright colors, the huge complex had a riveting air that promised an out-of-the-ordinary experience. We were amazed by how big it was and how many people were there when we got into the city. It was very different from our relatively calm lives in Huairou.
We visited the exhibition center there regarding the history which tells the full history but I am going to talk about the major event regarding the temple as it was a royal home from history.
A brief history
The Lama Temple, whose full name is 'Yonghegong', is a beautiful Tibetan Buddhist temple in Beijing's Dongcheng District. Not only is it a place of prayer, but it is also a historical site that shows how the Qing Dynasty and Tibetan Buddhism interacted over many years. In 1694, Emperor Kangxi of the Qing Dynasty had a house built for his fourth son, Prince Yong, who later became Emperor Yongzheng. This is where the story of the Lama Temple starts. The house was made in the traditional Han Chinese style, and the yellow painted tiles show that it was a royal home.
When Emperor Yongzheng took the throne in 1723, he chose to turn a part of the house into a Tibetan Buddhist temple. He made this choice for several reasons, including his loyalty to Tibetan Buddhism and his desire to keep good ties with the Tibetan people. In 1744, Emperor Qianlong, who was the son of Emperor Yongzheng, made the temple even bigger and publicly named it a center for the Tibetan Buddhist government in China. During this time, the temple grew and became an important place for learning about and practicing religion.
The Lama Temple is still a busy place for Tibetan Buddhism today. There are still monks living in the temple and practicing their religion. Many people from all over the world come to the temple to learn about Tibetan Buddhism and enjoy its beauty. The Lama Temple is an important religious site, but it is also an important historical and cultural icon. It reminds us of how complicated the relationship was between Tibetan Buddhism and the Qing Dynasty. It also shows us more about China's long and interesting past.
As we walked around the temple grounds, we were amazed by how big and grand the buildings were. The buildings were mostly made of wood and were painted bright red, yellow, and green. They had elaborate carvings and other designs on them. There were times when the temple's golden roofs sparkled in the sun, adding to its royal feel.
All the major halls of the temple were one by one you can move forward by visiting each. But I knew that most of the time it is not allowed to take photos of the inner side of the building, so I didn't take inside photos. But I have taken a secret photo of the 7-meter statue that I will add later in the blog.
We started our tour by going to the Hall of Heavenly Kings. There, four huge figures of guardian gods stood watch. The next room we went into was the Hall of Harmony and Peace, a huge room where monks prayed and held events. The air was thick with the smell of incense, and the monks' soft singing made it feel very peaceful.
We went inside the building and looked around the inner rooms before coming out into the lively courtyard. There were a lot of people here. Pilgrims were kneeling in front of statues, praying, and burning incense sticks. Tibetan prayer flags flew in the wind, and their bright designs made the mood even happier.
The Hall of Eternal Protection, which held the temple's holiest object—a huge gold figure of Maitreya Buddha—was without a doubt the best part of our trip. The figure, which was more than 7 meters tall, gave off a peaceful and kind vibe. We were amazed by it and prayed quietly in front of it. The spiritual energy in the hall filled us.
The Lama Temple is more than just a place of prayer. It tells the story of Tibetan culture and customs through its many threads. As we walked around the grounds, we saw people selling prayer wheels, incense sticks, and other holy items.
Seeing how dedicated the people were was one of the most interesting things about our trip. We saw old people going on long trips to pray and ask for blessings. We saw young couples trying to make their relationships happy and successful. It was truly moving to see how much faith and loyalty the guests showed.
When we took a cab back to Huairou around 5 p.m., the sun was going down over Beijing, giving the city a golden glow. We thought back on our day at the Lama Temple and how amazed we were by the beautiful building, peaceful atmosphere, and rich cultural tapestry we had seen.
Going to the Lama Temple is an event you'll never forget. The temple's beautiful building, calm atmosphere, and lively religious practices give visitors a unique look into the heart of Tibetan Buddhism. If you're interested in history, religion, or just a beautiful, quiet place to get away from the noise of the city, the Lama Temple is a must-see in Beijing.
The address of the Lama Temple is 12 Yonghegong Street, Dongcheng District, Beijing, China. It's open every day from 9 AM to 4:30 PM. It costs 25 yuan for people to get in and 10 yuan for kids. You can take tours in both English and Chinese.
I hope you liked my visit to the Lama Temple and enjoyed some of the photos I took there. If you have any queries, you are welcome to ask in my comments area. Thank yu so much for your time and attention.
Have a nice day!