Yonghegong was built by Chinese emperors who harbored a deep fascination for the Tibetan version of Buddhism. Over the years, many Tibetan and Mongolian monks lived and taught here, and there are still monks in the residence today. The temple is famous for its 18m statue of Maitreya Buddha carved from a single piece of sandalwood.

Built initially in 1694 in the early Qing dynasty, this lamasery was once the residence of Emperor Yongzheng when he was just a prince and his son, Emperor Qianlong when he lived with his prince father Yongzheng. However, in 1744 the Qing dynasty formally changed the status of the dwelling to that of a lamasery, and so it became the national center of Lama administration.

Yonghegong Lama Temple, located at the northeast corner of Beijing City, is considered the largest and most perfectly preserved lamasery in China today. Nowadays tourists can visit the lamasery to experience the feel of the Tibetan Buddhism and tour the whole mansion to admire the exquisitely designed Buddha statues and magnificent wooden structures.

Admission: 25 RMB

Getting there: Take Subway Line 2 to Yonghegong (Exit B; 雍和宫) and walk about 300 meters.