Overview: Between work, Chinese class and the occasional writing session at a nearby cafe, it's easy for me to forget the long-standing history of this seemingly modern city. Especially in the Haidian District, popular stores, shopping malls and chrome-lined subway stations are part of daily life. But just a subway transfer away, on Line 2, sit a collection of temples and shrines that show this capital's cultural heritage. Most popular among these is the Yōnghè Gōng (LamaTemple).
Built for Emperor Yongzhen, work began during the Qing Dynasty in 1694. It was then converted into a lamasery a few decades later. The civil war that struck China from 1946 to 1950 took its toll on Beijing, as elsewhere, damaging or nearly destroying temples across the capital. At the war's end, the temple was secured as a national monument. Thanks to years of restoration efforts, the temple was then reopened to the public in the 1980s. The beautiful rooftops, twisted trees and old shrines lure Buddhists and tourists alike, all looking to spend a few hours absorbing this part of Chinese and Buddhist history.
Expected duration: Allow for 2-3 hours, especially if you in tend to walk through to most buildings and
shrines within the complex.
Expected cost: An admission ticket is ¥25, or ¥50 for an English audio guide.
Solo-savvy: If you have a friend who is fluent in Chinese, knowledgeable about the temple and its history, (or both), bring them along for an English narration as you walk. (I myself have one such friend, who narrates the abbreviated history or significance of each building as we walk through. Expat groups seem to usually have at least one friend who can provide such a service.) But this temple is also a great spot to wander alone and learn about Tibetan Buddhism in Beijing.
Requirements: The temple is open from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. all week. The best times to visit are midday or early afternoon, especially for those hoping for the best photographs. It's also best to look ahead and watch for high AQI days. Clearer days are best to see the sites and avoid extended time in high pollution.
The plan: For subway-goers, take Line 2 to the Yōnghè Gōng Lama Temple station. The temple is only a short walk away from Exit C. Most taxi drivers will recognize the name of the temple if said correctly. Make sure you use the correct tones! Use a translation app to listen to the correct pronunciation and practice before you go.
Located in the Dongcheng District, you'll find the Yōnghè Lamasery is nestled among the hutongs. The smell of incense wafts over the gates and into the streets, especially on clear days. Once you purchase your ticket, you'll pass it off to a gatekeeper who will tear a part off and admit you into the compound. A long, garden-lined walkway leads you to the first of the buildings, where the intricately carved rooftops and bold red paint greet you.
From there, it's a self-guided tour between buildings and shrines inside. There are six halls, all with plaques outside with their name and what is inside. Like most of the signage in Beijing, though, the English translations – if included at all – often hold typos or grammatical errors. They are also far less descriptive than those written in Chinese. My friends who are literate in Chinese characters tell me the English is often the bare-bones of what more expansive Chinese signs detail. Without the audio guide, you walk away with less information than someone who can read characters. So if you are looking for a more educational experience, do consider spending the extra RMB on the audio guide.
There is a sort of museum that houses artifacts and bronze Buddhas from the site. You will also see the Maitreya Buddha, an 18 meter-high statue, in the Wanfu Pavilion. Built from a single piece of sandalwood, it is one of the larger Buddhas in China. Gazing up at the head of the statue, almost lost near the ceiling's carvings, I couldn't help but wonder how such a thing was even carved, and how long it must have taken to create. Great prayer wheels stand outside the buildings, as do great statues of dragons. Looking out, you'll see modern apartment buildings towering above the lamasery's roofs, reminding you of the city just outside. (Though oddly enough, you rarely hear city sounds inside the compound itself.)
Keep in mind: This is still an active temple and many come to pray, so be respectful of this as you walk through the compound. Be sure to move out of the way for those hoping to kneel before each shrine, and keep your conversations to a minimum until outside again. There are also ledges at the entrance of each building, and in archways to the temple. Be careful not to step on these as you enter, but step over them. They are there to keep spirits from entering – if you step on them, they say spirits will attach to your shoes and be able to move about the buildings. Photography isn't allowed in any of the lamasery's buildings, so if you're toting your camera around, be sure to cap the lens or place it in your bag. Those keeping watch over the rooms will ask you to leave if you attempt any photography. However, feel free to snap photos while outside.
Hungry or thirsty after? Not far from the temple are dozens of bars and restaurants worth a visit. But for the discerning foreigner, sometimes a craft beer and familiar dish are just the ticket. If you wander through the neighboring hutongs, you will soon find Stuff'd, “home of hand stuff'd sausages and home brew'd beer”. True to its slogan, this small, cramped restaurant has a menu replete with various ingredients (like chorizo, chilies, etc.) stuffed into sausages and paired with chips, a small salad, baguette and carmalized onions. There are also pies and pizzas with just as much flavor. This vegetarian ordered the falafel pita, and was thrilled with the flavor of the mint yoghurt sauce and hummus. (They're closed on Tuesdays, so plan accordingly.) Next door, Arrow Factory Brewing serves up a selection of craft beer as good as any native Coloradan could hope for. There's the Two Birds Helles – a favorite for a light-beer fan like me – or The Bitter End Rye P.A. for those looking for more hops. You're welcome to pick up the pint of your choice and walk it back to your table at Stuff'd, paying the bills in each location accordingly.
Pronunciation Guide:
Yōnghè Gōng – yohng-huh-gohng || This word uses the first and second tones. The “o” in “yōng” and "gong" are both sustained high tones, said with your mouth in an "o" shape. The "hè" is more clipped, said in a downward accented way.
Dictionary:
Lamasery – A monastery (a house or place of residence occupied by a community of persons, especially monks, living in seclusion under religious vows) of lamas, or the teacher of Dharma in Tibetan Buddhism.
AQI – The Air Quality Index is a number used by government agencies to rate how polluted the air is, and what the forecast is for the pollution levels. The higher the AQI level, the more likely it is that larger percentages of the population will experience adverse health effects.
Hutong – Alleyways, often reminiscent of older Beijing architecture and design.
Resources:
Lama Temple: http://www.yonghegong.cn/#_=_)
Arrow Factory Brewing: http://www.arrowfactorybrewing.com/
Stuff'd: http://www.stuff-d.com/
Download the “Beijing AQI” app, or another like it, for your phone or tablet to receive up-to-date air
pollution levels across Beijing.
One of the best apps for translation on the fly is Pleco, a free Chinese to English dictionary that does not require a WiFi or data connection. This also includes some proper nouns – eg: Yōnghè Gōng – and can give you the proper pronunciation.
Built for Emperor Yongzhen, work began during the Qing Dynasty in 1694. It was then converted into a lamasery a few decades later. The civil war that struck China from 1946 to 1950 took its toll on Beijing, as elsewhere, damaging or nearly destroying temples across the capital. At the war's end, the temple was secured as a national monument. Thanks to years of restoration efforts, the temple was then reopened to the public in the 1980s. The beautiful rooftops, twisted trees and old shrines lure Buddhists and tourists alike, all looking to spend a few hours absorbing this part of Chinese and Buddhist history.
Expected duration: Allow for 2-3 hours, especially if you in tend to walk through to most buildings and
shrines within the complex.
Expected cost: An admission ticket is ¥25, or ¥50 for an English audio guide.
Solo-savvy: If you have a friend who is fluent in Chinese, knowledgeable about the temple and its history, (or both), bring them along for an English narration as you walk. (I myself have one such friend, who narrates the abbreviated history or significance of each building as we walk through. Expat groups seem to usually have at least one friend who can provide such a service.) But this temple is also a great spot to wander alone and learn about Tibetan Buddhism in Beijing.
Requirements: The temple is open from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. all week. The best times to visit are midday or early afternoon, especially for those hoping for the best photographs. It's also best to look ahead and watch for high AQI days. Clearer days are best to see the sites and avoid extended time in high pollution.
The plan: For subway-goers, take Line 2 to the Yōnghè Gōng Lama Temple station. The temple is only a short walk away from Exit C. Most taxi drivers will recognize the name of the temple if said correctly. Make sure you use the correct tones! Use a translation app to listen to the correct pronunciation and practice before you go.
Located in the Dongcheng District, you'll find the Yōnghè Lamasery is nestled among the hutongs. The smell of incense wafts over the gates and into the streets, especially on clear days. Once you purchase your ticket, you'll pass it off to a gatekeeper who will tear a part off and admit you into the compound. A long, garden-lined walkway leads you to the first of the buildings, where the intricately carved rooftops and bold red paint greet you.
From there, it's a self-guided tour between buildings and shrines inside. There are six halls, all with plaques outside with their name and what is inside. Like most of the signage in Beijing, though, the English translations – if included at all – often hold typos or grammatical errors. They are also far less descriptive than those written in Chinese. My friends who are literate in Chinese characters tell me the English is often the bare-bones of what more expansive Chinese signs detail. Without the audio guide, you walk away with less information than someone who can read characters. So if you are looking for a more educational experience, do consider spending the extra RMB on the audio guide.
There is a sort of museum that houses artifacts and bronze Buddhas from the site. You will also see the Maitreya Buddha, an 18 meter-high statue, in the Wanfu Pavilion. Built from a single piece of sandalwood, it is one of the larger Buddhas in China. Gazing up at the head of the statue, almost lost near the ceiling's carvings, I couldn't help but wonder how such a thing was even carved, and how long it must have taken to create. Great prayer wheels stand outside the buildings, as do great statues of dragons. Looking out, you'll see modern apartment buildings towering above the lamasery's roofs, reminding you of the city just outside. (Though oddly enough, you rarely hear city sounds inside the compound itself.)
Keep in mind: This is still an active temple and many come to pray, so be respectful of this as you walk through the compound. Be sure to move out of the way for those hoping to kneel before each shrine, and keep your conversations to a minimum until outside again. There are also ledges at the entrance of each building, and in archways to the temple. Be careful not to step on these as you enter, but step over them. They are there to keep spirits from entering – if you step on them, they say spirits will attach to your shoes and be able to move about the buildings. Photography isn't allowed in any of the lamasery's buildings, so if you're toting your camera around, be sure to cap the lens or place it in your bag. Those keeping watch over the rooms will ask you to leave if you attempt any photography. However, feel free to snap photos while outside.
Hungry or thirsty after? Not far from the temple are dozens of bars and restaurants worth a visit. But for the discerning foreigner, sometimes a craft beer and familiar dish are just the ticket. If you wander through the neighboring hutongs, you will soon find Stuff'd, “home of hand stuff'd sausages and home brew'd beer”. True to its slogan, this small, cramped restaurant has a menu replete with various ingredients (like chorizo, chilies, etc.) stuffed into sausages and paired with chips, a small salad, baguette and carmalized onions. There are also pies and pizzas with just as much flavor. This vegetarian ordered the falafel pita, and was thrilled with the flavor of the mint yoghurt sauce and hummus. (They're closed on Tuesdays, so plan accordingly.) Next door, Arrow Factory Brewing serves up a selection of craft beer as good as any native Coloradan could hope for. There's the Two Birds Helles – a favorite for a light-beer fan like me – or The Bitter End Rye P.A. for those looking for more hops. You're welcome to pick up the pint of your choice and walk it back to your table at Stuff'd, paying the bills in each location accordingly.
Pronunciation Guide:
Yōnghè Gōng – yohng-huh-gohng || This word uses the first and second tones. The “o” in “yōng” and "gong" are both sustained high tones, said with your mouth in an "o" shape. The "hè" is more clipped, said in a downward accented way.
Dictionary:
Lamasery – A monastery (a house or place of residence occupied by a community of persons, especially monks, living in seclusion under religious vows) of lamas, or the teacher of Dharma in Tibetan Buddhism.
AQI – The Air Quality Index is a number used by government agencies to rate how polluted the air is, and what the forecast is for the pollution levels. The higher the AQI level, the more likely it is that larger percentages of the population will experience adverse health effects.
Hutong – Alleyways, often reminiscent of older Beijing architecture and design.
Resources:
Lama Temple: http://www.yonghegong.cn/#_=_)
Arrow Factory Brewing: http://www.arrowfactorybrewing.com/
Stuff'd: http://www.stuff-d.com/
Download the “Beijing AQI” app, or another like it, for your phone or tablet to receive up-to-date air
pollution levels across Beijing.
One of the best apps for translation on the fly is Pleco, a free Chinese to English dictionary that does not require a WiFi or data connection. This also includes some proper nouns – eg: Yōnghè Gōng – and can give you the proper pronunciation.