Beijing Yonghe Temple | The premier temple of the Qing Dynasty court, from which two emperors emerged.
After a hiatus of seven years, I find myself back in the imperial city of Beijing, where the rain continues to fall as it always has. The northern rain, which I last experienced at the Forbidden City seven years ago, now pours down on the Yonghe Temple. From the royal residence of Emperor Yongzheng to the highest-ranking Buddhist temple in the late Qing Dynasty, the Yonghe Temple, which shares the same grandeur as the Forbidden City, has now become a popular attraction on social media.
【History】
In the 33rd year of Emperor Kangxi's reign (1694), he built a mansion here and bestowed it upon his fourth son, Yin Zhen, which later became the residence of Prince Yong. In the ninth year of Emperor Qianlong's reign (1744), the Yonghe Temple was converted into a Lama Temple, becoming the center of the Qing government's control over Tibetan Buddhism nationwide. Because it was the birthplace of Emperors Yongzheng and Qianlong, it is known as the "Dragon's Hidden Land of Blessing."
【Layout】
The Yonghe Temple mainly consists of three exquisite archways and five grand halls. It covers an area of 66,400 square meters, with over a thousand halls and rooms. The front part includes seven buildings: Zhaotai Gate, Bell Tower, Drum Tower, Yonghe Gate, Yonghe Palace, Scripture Hall, and Tantric Hall. The halls in the back rise in succession, symbolizing the solemn auspiciousness of the Buddha's world.
【Highlights】
⭐Yonghe Palace: The palace has a yellow glazed tile roof with a hip and gable top. Inside, there are three bronze gilded Buddha statues and eighteen Arhat statues covered in gold leaf.
⭐Falun Hall: The "one large, four small" five Tibetan-style skylights on the roof of the hall symbolize Mount Sumeru surrounded by the four continents.
⭐Wanfu Pavilion: Standing 25 meters tall, it is the tallest building in the Yonghe Temple complex. Inside, there is a 26-meter-tall wooden statue of Maitreya Buddha, carved from a single piece of sandalwood.
⭐Three Woodcarving Wonders: The Five Hundred Arhats Mountain, the Sandalwood Buddha (Maitreya Buddha in the Wanfu Pavilion), and the Nanmu Buddha Shrine.
PS: The popular "Yonghe Temple Incense Ash Glazed Bead Bracelet" (around 380 yuan) can be purchased at the "Second Dharma Logistics Outlet". After purchase, you can have it blessed in the consecration room.
🚘Address: No. 12 Yonghegong Street, Dongcheng District, Beijing
💵Ticket: 20 yuan
📣Nearby: The Imperial College, Confucius Temple, Bailin Temple, etc.
"Jing Zhuangyuan" Li explained very carefully, which greatly exceeded my expectations. Teacher Li's patient and meticulous explanation made me and my friends gain a lot, and really understood the greatness of the Lama Temple. Recommend Mr. Li again! ! !
Today, I was very fortunate to follow the teacher to swim to the Lama Temple. The teacher explained very meticulously and vividly. I feel that this trip is very worthwhile. I have learned a lot of historical knowledge that I can't get to school in textbooks. I hope that next time I can bring my children to visit the Lama Temple again with the teacher.
The tour guide is very powerful and worthwhile. The whole 2-hour explanation, vividly explained the historical religion and other content, greatly popularized some knowledge that everyone can't find on the Internet!
The Lama Palace is located in the northeast corner of Beijing, Qing Kangxi 33 (1694), where Kangxi Emperor built the mansion and gave four sons, later Prince of the Prince. Three years (1725), the palace was changed to the palace, called the Lama Palace, 13 years (1735), the Lama Emperor died, once parked the Lingyu, so the main palace of the Lama Palace original green glazed tiles changed to yellow glazed tiles. The Lama Palace, because the Qianlong Emperor was born here, the Lama Palace has two emperors, become "long Qianfudi", so the temple is yellow tile red wall, the same specifications as the Forbidden City Palace. In the nine years of Qianlong (1744), the Lama Temple was changed to the Lama Temple, and the Prime Minister's Affairs was appointed to manage his affairs and became the center of the Qing government's control of Tibetan Buddhist affairs. The Lama Temple was the highest-standard Buddhist monastery in the country in the middle and late Qing Dynasty.
Jing Zhuangyuan Li's explanation of the Lama Temple is very detailed, so that these tourists have a new understanding of the development of the Lama Temple's history, and a new understanding of Tibetan Buddhism. It is a very impressive history class. I highly recommend Mr. Li's explanation.
"Jing Zhuangyuan" teacher for the history of the Summer Palace is very detailed professional, the other two friends who participated in other platforms were also invited to listen to the lecture for free, and the harvest was quite rich. Unfortunately, because we didn't have enough time to catch the plane that day, we left the group early, and I hope that we can have the opportunity to participate in the teacher's group next time.