The smell of incenses

You can't travel to Beijing without seeing and visiting one of the many Buddhist temples which can be found in the city and all over the country. Many of them are not only architectural masterpieces but also an important part of China's history and culture. With about 50 – 80 % of the population practicing this religion Buddhism is still the dominant faith in China today. One of the most beautiful and famous temples in Beijing is the Yonghegong Lama Temple in the northeast of the city. It's one of the largest monasteries in the world and not only visited by foreign tourists but mainly by Chinese people. For that reason it's pretty crowded on a holiday what I personally liked because it's full of people praying and burning incenses. That way you feel the spirituality of this place and the smell of the incenses really contributes to this special feeling. The impressive artwork of all the smaller and bigger halls and pavilions is a combination of different architectural styles of the Han, the Mandschu, the Mongolian and the Tibetan. This place was initially built in the early Qing dynasty, in 1694, as a residence for the emperor Yongzheng. Only in 1744 it became the national center for lama administration. At the entrance there is a big map where you can see the outline of the place and you'll realize that the whole temple is built symmetrically. In the center there are five main halls and by walking through the first you will get to the next one that is a little bigger than the one before. After the Hall of the Heavenly Kings comes the second one, called The Hall of Harmony and Peace which contains the three statues of Sakyamuni (Buddha of the Present), Kasyapa Matanga (Buddhist of the Past) and Maitreya (Buddha of the Future). Moreover, it holds an original copper cooking vessel from 1747, a very unique relic. The Hall of Everlasting Blessings which is the next building used to be the residence of the Emperor in earlier times. The fourth hall is called Hall of the Dharma Wheel and is the place where lamas hold ceremonies. The last pavilion, which is also the biggest one, is the Pavilion of Infinite Happiness. Inside you'll find the huge statue of Maitreya with a height of 85 feet (26 meters). It's really impressive to be standing at the bottom of this statue which reaches all the way up to the roof of the three-storey building. It is carved out of a single piece of white sandal wood. You can easily get to this temple by subway. Just take line number 2 to Yonghegong station which is right next to the temple although you have to walk half way around it to get to the entrance. Anyone really interested in experiencing the Tibetan Buddhism should nevertheless travel to Tibet. It's worth a trip especially since the flights are affordable and you can book Tibet tours with a complete program so that you won't miss any of the must-sees in that area. from China Travel Blog http://blog.chinatraveldepot.com

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