雍 和 宫 (the Lama Temple)

Yonghegong (the Lama Temple) is the largest and best-preserved lamasery in Beijing. Built in 1694 it was originally a residence for Prince Yongzheng before he ascended the throne. Later in 1744 his successor Emperor Qianlong rebuilt and converted the palace into a temple devoted to the cult of the living Lama. It is now a functional lama temple with more than 130 monks still working and living there.

Yonghegong Lamasery is a combination of mainstream Han and ethnic Tibetan Buddhist architectural styles. Covering an area of 66 000 square meters the temple has 1 000 rooms altogether. There are five main buildings lying on the north-south axis in the temple-the Gate of Harmony the Hall of Harmony the Hall of Eternal Blessing the Hall of the Wheel of the Law and Wanfuge (Ten-Thousand-Happiness Pavilion).

Wanfuge (Ten-Thousand-Happiness Pavilion) is the largest pavilion in the temple. In the center of the pavilion is a huge standing statue of Maitreya Buddha of the Future carved out of a single trunk of white sandalwood tree presented by the Seventh Dalai Lama. It is 26 meters high 18 meters above the ground and 8 meters under the ground and 8 meters in diameter. According to the Guinness Book of World Records the Maitreya is the tallest and biggest in the world today. Behind the Great Buddha there are ten thousand small Buddhist statues on three storeys hence the name Ten-Thousand-Happiness Pavilion.