The temple is said to have survived the Cultural Revolution, due to the intervention of Prime Minister Zhou Enlai. It was reopened to the public in 1981. Previously an imperial palace, later converted into a Tibetan Buddhist monastery, the Lama Temple is one of the most famous monasteries in Beijing. . After Yongzheng's ascension to the throne 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 Yongzheng's death in 1735, his coffin was placed in the temple. The Qianlong Emperor, Yongzheng's successor, gave the temple imperial status signified by having its turquoise tiles replaced with yellow tiles that were reserved for the emperor. Subsequently, the monastery became a residence for a large number of Tibetan Buddhist monks from Mongolia and Tibet, so the Yonghe Lamasery became the national center Lama administration. There are five main halls which are separated by courtyards: the Hall of Heavenly Kings (Tian Wang Dian or Devaraja Hall), the Hall of Harmony and Peace (Lama Temple) Hall of Everlasting Protection (Yongyoudian) Hall Wheel of the Law (Falundian), and the Pavilion of Ten Thousand congratulations (Wanfuge).
The temple is said to have survived the Cultural Revolution, due to the intervention of Prime Minister Zhou Enlai. It was reopened to the public in 1981.
Previously an imperial palace, later converted into a Tibetan Buddhist monastery, the Lama Temple is one of the most famous monasteries in Beijing.
. After Yongzheng's ascension to the throne 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 Yongzheng's death in 1735, his coffin was placed in the temple. The Qianlong Emperor, Yongzheng's successor, gave the temple imperial status signified by having its turquoise tiles replaced with yellow tiles that were reserved for the emperor. Subsequently, the monastery became a residence for a large number of Tibetan Buddhist monks from Mongolia and Tibet, so the Yonghe Lamasery became the national center Lama administration.
There are five main halls which are separated by courtyards: the Hall of Heavenly Kings (Tian Wang Dian or Devaraja Hall), the Hall of Harmony and Peace (Lama Temple) Hall of Everlasting Protection (Yongyoudian) Hall Wheel of the Law (Falundian), and the Pavilion of Ten Thousand congratulations (Wanfuge).