The Yonghe Temple (Chinese: "Palace of Peace and Harmony"), also known as the Yonghe Lamasery, or popularly as the Lama Temple. Formerly an imperial palace, later converted into a Tibetan Buddhist monastery, the Lama Temple is one of Beijing's most famous monasteries, located in the Dongcheng District, Beijing. The building and artwork of the temple is a combination of Han Chinese and Tibetan styles.
It was the second site visit we made during our holidays. The temple is not very far from Karin and Wei`s home and it was our first long bike ride and the main test of Filomena riding skills.
Building work on the Yonghe Temple started in 1694 during the Qing dynasty. It was then converted into the residence of Yinzhen (Prince Yong), the fourth son of the Kangxi Emperor. After Prince Yong ascended the throne as the Yongzheng Emperor in 1722, half of the building was converted into a lamasery, a monastery for monks of Tibetan Buddhism. The other half remained an imperial palace.
After the Chinese Civil War ended in 1949, the temple was declared a national monument and closed for the following 32 years. It is said to have survived the Cultural Revolution due to the intervention of Premier Zhou Enlai. Reopened to the public in 1981, it is today both a functioning temple and highly popular tourist attraction in the city.
