Praying for luck and happiness is an ancient tradition in China for Spring Festival. With its long history, there are many places to worship in Beijing on the first day of the Chinese New Year.

Yonghe Temple

The Yonghe Temple, also known as the Yonghe Lama Temple, is a Tibetan Buddhist temple and monastery. The temple's architecture and artwork is a combination of Han Chinese and ethnic Tibetan styles. Before becoming a Tibetan Buddhist temple, it was the house of Emperor Yongzheng and Emperor Qianlong before they inherited the throne in Qing Dynasty (1616-1912). Now the Yonghe Palace is the most magnificent historical landmark along the Chinese capital's 2nd Ring Road.

For a hundred years, Yonghe Palace has become one of the most prosperous temples for worshiping in Beijing. The number of prayers here has increased every year, with the first and fifteenth day of the lunar Chinese New Year being among the busiest. More than 80,000 people from across China visited Yonghe Palace for the blessing on the first day of last year's Spring Festival.

Location: 12 Yonghegong Dajie, Beixinqiao, Dongcheng District, Beijing. Lines 2 and 5 of the Beijing Subway both stop at Yonghegong Lama Temple Station, as do a number of city buses.