Yonghegong Lama Temple, located in central Beijing, is the largest lamasery in China. The building, with its unique blend of Chinese and Tibetan architecture, was originally constructed in 1694 as a home for court eunuchs. Once completed, however, it served as a court for Prince Yong, who later became Emperor Yongzheng. In 1744 the palace was converted into a lamasery and quickly became the national center of Lama administration.

The main gate of the monastery, the Gate of Peace Declaration, lies at the southern end of the compound. This gate has three arches, and, as was typical of tri-arched gates, the central one was reserved for the sole use of the emperor.

The lamasery itself has five main halls. The Devaraja Hall, once the entrance to the lamasery, contains four statues of the Heavenly Kings – one with a snake and treasure, one with a mouse and umbrella, one with a sword and one with a pipa. This hall also houses a smiling statue of Buddha.

The Hall of Harmony and Peace is the main hall. It houses three Buddha statues and 18 arhats. The west wall is covered by a picture of Avalokitsevara, with its thousands of eyes and hands. Several other halls contain more statues of Buddha and his arhats. Prince Yong’s crystal coffin lies in his old room, now the Hall of Everlasting Protection, along with a huge statue of the healing Buddha.

The temple’s most prominent feature is the 18-meter high statue of Buddha in the last building. Unbelievable though it sounds, the enormous statue (and its base, buried beneath the ground) was carved from a single piece of sandalwood, given to Emperor Qianlong by the Dalai Lama in 1750. It took three years just to ship the giant tree from Nepal to Beijing, not to mention carving the statue and building the building that houses it around it. Today, the statue holds the world record for the largest Buddha statue carved from a single tree.

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