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Photo: Yonghegong Lamasery
On the eastern side
of Yonghegong Street in Dongcheng District,
Yonghegong Lamasery was built in 1964 (the
33rd year of the Kangxi reign period
of the Qing Dynasty) to serve as a residence for
Prince Yinzhen. It is the largest lamasery
in Beijing and it was resided in by the eunuches
in the Ming Dynasty. In the third year of the
Yongzheng reign period, its name was changed to
Yonghe Palace. However, in the ninth year of the
Qianlong reign period, it was rebuilt as a
lamasery and became the center for the Qing
Government to take charge of the Lamaism
affairs. Five main halls can be found in the
Yonghegong Lamasery along a north-south axis and
three memorial archways.
In the Wanfu Tower, the largest
architecture in the lamasery, there is a
standing statue of the Buddhist saint Maitreya,
26 m tall (18 m above the ground) in the Ten
Thousand-Happiness Pavilion. Well
proportioned, the Buddhist statue is majestic
which is eighteen meters above the ground and
eight meters below ground. Listed in the
Guinness Book of Records, it is the largest
wooden Buddha statue in China and it is
carved from a single tree trunk of white
sandalwood.
Opening times:
9.00am to 4.00pm (except Monday)
Admission: 15 yuan
Transport: It
can be reached by public bus Nos. 13, 62, 116,
406, 606, 807 and Te 2. Tourists can also
take the subway to the Yonghegong Lamasery.
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