One of my favourite things about Asia is the abundance of temples. Each is unique but they all have similar mystical, ornate and historic qualities about them which I love. The detail in the roofs and gates is amazing. A number of temples are even constructed without a single nail or drop of glue!! Insane.
Perhaps the most famous in Beijing is the Yonghe Temple (also known as Lama Temple), a Tibetan Buddhist temple. It’s located in the Dongcheng district, just a few subway stops north-east of the Forbidden City. There is an entrance fee but it’s only CN¥25. I wish I could tell you more exciting things about the temple itself but to be honest I don’t know a lot and it all seems to be on Wikipedia so I’m going to point you in that direction instead… (Blogging mistake 101).
In short, Lama Temple is definitely worth a visit. I’m sure there’s some kind of tour you could do, free or otherwise, that would tell you about the temple as you went around which is perhaps worth looking into. China Highlights is usually a good place to start.
Here are some pretty pictures. I say ‘pretty’ but all my Beijing photos seem to have a perpetual greyness about them, not matter what I click and slide in Lightroom. Ho hum, I guess it makes them seem that much more authentically Beijing-y.
Emma Exploring 