Buddhist site

Lama Temple (Yonghe Temple)

#4of 10 places to visit in BeijingBeijing, Beijing Municipality, China

Also known as Yonghegong · Yonghe Lamasery · 雍和宫

Quick answer

Opening hours: 09:00–17:00 and 09:00–16:30. Entry: CN¥25. Allow 1.5 hrs. Best time: 09:00-10:30.

Updated 18 September 2026 · Compiled by Traveliac, AI-assisted · 4 min read

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Photo: XiaYZ2023 / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

Opening hours: 09:00–16:30; 09:00-17:00 from April to October (enter before 16:30); 09:00-16:30 from November to March (enter before 16:00), per a Beijing travel guide; verify at the entrance.
Entry fee: CN¥25; Ticket from
Time needed: 1.5 hrs
Best time of day: 09:00-10:30
Best months: Apr – May, Sep – Oct
Address: 12 Yonghegong Street, Dongcheng District, Beijing 100007, China

About Lama Temple (Yonghe Temple)

Lama Temple (Yonghe Temple) charges CNY 25 for entry, as of 2026, and is the largest and best-kept Tibetan Buddhist monastery in Beijing, running for about 480 metres along a north-south axis. Red-walled courtyards, glazed yellow-tiled roofs and five main halls lead visitors toward the Pavilion of Ten Thousand Happinesses, which holds a Maitreya Buddha carved from a single piece of white sandalwood and standing 18 metres above ground with a further 8 metres below, 26 metres in all. Monks of the Gelug school still chant in the halls, and incense smoke hangs over the courtyards, so the temple functions as a place of worship rather than a museum. Lama Temple sits just inside the Second Ring Road, beside the Confucius Temple and the Guozijian lane.

Best time of day: 09:00-10:30. On a weekday, when the incense smoke is thin and worshippers outnumber tour groups.

Lama Temple (Yonghe Temple) timings

Opening hours: 09:00–16:30; Mon–Sun 09:00–17:00 and 09:00–16:30; 09:00-17:00 from April to October (enter before 16:30); 09:00-16:30 from November to March (enter before 16:00), per a Beijing travel guide; verify at the entrance.
Closed on: Open every day

Mon–Sun	09:00–17:00 and 09:00–16:30

Good to know: The 1st and 15th of each lunar month and the first days of Chinese New Year draw large worshipper crowds and long incense queues.

Opening hours compiled from r.visitbeijing.com.cn and public records, last updated 18 September 2026. They change without notice — confirm before you travel. How we write these guides

Lama Temple (Yonghe Temple) ticket price

Entry fees for Lama Temple (Yonghe Temple)
Ticket	Price
Standard ticket	CN¥25
Concession (student / senior)	CN¥12
Children	CN¥12

Adult entry is CNY 25, as of 2026, per Beijing travel guides; the temple's own channel was not reachable during research, so verify the price and whether an advance reservation or passport check applies at the entrance. Concession rates for children, students and seniors are not confirmed; the CNY 12 figure is an estimate of half price, so treat it as unverified.

Prices compiled from r.visitbeijing.com.cn and public records, last updated 18 September 2026. They change without notice — confirm before you travel. How we write these guides

Best time to visit Lama Temple (Yonghe Temple)

Quiet
Moderate
Busy
Very busy

09:00 - 10:30
Morning worshipBest time to go
Devotees light incense as the gates open; the courtyards are quiet and the smoke is thin.
Quiet
10:30 - 13:00
Tour group wave
Groups arrive from nearby Beijing hotels and coaches; the Maitreya pavilion fills and queues form at the main incense burners.
Busy
13:00 - 15:30
Afternoon peak
Weekends and lunar 1st/15th days bring the heaviest foot traffic through the central axis.
Very busy
15:30 - 16:30
Closing window
Crowds thin but staff begin closing halls; the last entry is around 16:00-16:30.
Moderate

History of Lama Temple (Yonghe Temple)

Lama Temple began in 1694 as the residence of Prince Yong, a son of the Kangxi Emperor. After the prince became the Yongzheng Emperor in 1722, part of the compound was kept as an imperial palace and part was given to lama monks. In 1744, the Qianlong Emperor converted the whole complex into a Tibetan Buddhist monastery, and its roof tiles were changed from green to imperial yellow to mark its former status as a residence of an emperor.

The monastery became a centre for Gelug-school monks from Mongolia and Tibet and, under Qing rule, a place for state ritual with Tibetan and Mongol elites. The 18-metre sandalwood Maitreya statue, which the Guinness Book of Records recognised in 1993, is commonly linked by temple tradition to a Tibetan gift to Qianlong, though that origin is legend rather than confirmed record. The temple closed after 1949, reopened to the public in the early 1980s and was designated a national key Buddhist temple. Some sources date the reopening to 1981.

Rules & etiquette at Lama Temple (Yonghe Temple)

Lama Temple is an active place of worship, so visitors dress modestly, avoid hats inside the halls and keep voices low. Photography is banned inside the main halls, where staff enforce it, though the courtyards are fine for photographs. Visitors walk clockwise around the halls and courtyards, do not point their feet toward Buddha statues and never touch the sculptures.

Lama Temple sells incense at official stalls inside, and many worshippers bow with three sticks toward each of the four directions before placing them in the burners. Touts on the street outside sell overpriced incense bundles, so buy inside or skip it. Tickets are checked at the gate, so carry a passport as a precaution, since reservation rules at Beijing's temples have changed in recent years and were not confirmed for this temple.

Tips for visiting Lama Temple (Yonghe Temple)

1
Lama Temple pairs naturally with a walk along Guozijian Street to the Confucius Temple next door and the Imperial College, followed by coffee and lunch in Wudaoying Hutong, five minutes on foot. Enter early, walk the axis straight to the Pavilion of Ten Thousand Happinesses before the coach groups, and then work back through the side halls, which hold Tibetan thangka paintings and bronze Buddhas.
2
Lama Temple crowds peak on the 1st and 15th of each lunar month and around Chinese New Year, when worshippers queue to light incense and sightseeing becomes difficult. The Line 2 and Line 5 interchange at Yonghegong Lama Temple station puts the entrance close to the exit, so no taxi is needed. Allow at least 90 minutes; the site is large, and the side halls reward a slower walk.

How to reach Lama Temple (Yonghe Temple)

The red star is Lama Temple (Yonghe Temple); the numbered pins are the 7 nearest places in our guides, each showing its rank in its city. Tap a pin for details.

12 Yonghegong Street, Dongcheng District, Beijing 100007, ChinaDirections in Google Maps

From Beijing Capital Airport (PEK)
20 km · 40-50 min
CNY 25 Airport Express plus CNY 3
From Tiananmen East
6 km · 20-25 min
CNY 3
From Nanluoguxiang
2 km · 15-25 min
CNY 3 or free on foot

Nearest airport

From Beijing Capital International Airport (PEK), about 20 km; Beijing Daxing International Airport (PKX), about 50 km.

Nearest station

From Yonghegong Lama Temple (Line 2 and Line 5), a 3-minute walk from Exit C.

Lama Temple (Yonghe Temple) FAQs

How much is the Lama Temple ticket in 2026?

CNY 25 for adults, as of 2026, according to Beijing travel guides; verify at the entrance because the temple's own channel could not be checked.

Can you take photos inside Lama Temple?

No. Photography is banned inside the main halls, and staff enforce it, though courtyards and exteriors are fine to photograph.

How tall is the Buddha at Lama Temple?

The Maitreya Buddha stands 18 metres above ground and 26 metres in total including the part below ground. It is carved from a single piece of white sandalwood and housed in the Pavilion of Ten Thousand Happinesses.

How do you get to Lama Temple by metro?

Take Line 2 or Line 5 to Yonghegong Lama Temple station and leave by Exit C; the entrance is a three-minute walk away.

Compiled with AI assistance from official sources and public records, and published only after the checks in How we write these guides. Nobody from Traveliac has visited this place. Last updated 18 September 2026. How we rank and check places