The Lama Temple (Yong he gong) is an island of Buddhism in the heart of the concrete jungle. Monks in wine-colored robes live, study and pray in its pleasant gardens and halls. Decorated with delicate scrolls and massive icons, its buildings are a hybrid of Tibetan. Mongolian and Han architectural styles.

This compound was orginally built for Count Yin Zhen who resident here until 1723 when he moved to the Forbidden City, to become Emperor Yongzheng. After his death, his devout son, Emperor Qianlong, converted the site into a Buddhist lamasery of the Yellow Hat sect, a sect that's mainly associated with Tibet.

A walkway leads from the ticket booth through the garden and several archways to the temple grounds. After passing through the gateway at the end of the garden, visitors will notice a small Bell Tower on the right, and Drum Tower on the left. Ahead is the first of first of five worship halls, the Hall of Heavenly Kings that contains a large statue of Maitreiya, the Future Buddha with a bronze mandala depicting the Buddhist paradise. Next is the Hall of Harmony, which is filled with prayer wheels and Buddhas of the Past, Preasent and Future, flanked by statures of 18 arhats, Buddhist "saints" who have reached Nirvana but have returned to helps. Formerly the emperor-to-be's living room, the Hall of Eternal Blessing houses statures of the Buddha of Longevity and Buddha of Medicine, to who believers appeal for long lives and good health.

The fourth hall, the Hall of the Wheel of Law is where the monks study scripture and pray in the presence of a 12m-tall bronze statue of Tsong Khapa, the founder of the Yellow Hat sect. Behind this staue is a sculpture of a hill on which stand 500 arhats made of gold, silver, copper, iron and tin. Elegant frescos illustrating life of the Buddha adorn the east and west walls and there's a rare sand mandala preserved under glass on the west side of the building.

The Lama Temple's crown awaits in the Pavillion of 10,000 Blessings, the last and tallest worship hall. Inside is an extraordinary statue of Buddha standing 18m-tall, with an additional 8m underground, which was carved from a single Tibetan sandalwood tree. Satin prayer scarves flow from his giant hands.