[Photo via VCG]

Dating back to the Qing Dynasty, Yonghe Temple originally served as the residence of Prince Yong before being converted into an imperial Buddhist monastery. With an intact layout, this magnificent architectural complex includes more than 20 wooden halls featuring upturned eaves. The halls house numerous treasures, including Buddha statues and thangkas. Among them, the Five Hundred Arhat Mountain (五百罗汉山) carved from red sandalwood, the Buddha niche carved from the wood of Phoebe zhennan, and the 18-meter-high statue of Maitreya Buddha carved from white sandalwood are known as Yonghe Temple's "Three Masterpieces of Wood Carving".

Address

12 Yonghegong Street, Dongcheng District

Opening Hours

Winter and spring: 09:00–16:30 from November 1 to March 31 (ticket sales end at 16:00)

Summer and autumn: 09:00–17:00 from April 1 to October 31 (ticket sales end at 16:30)

Ticket Prices

Full-price: 25 yuan per person

Discounted: 12 yuan per person

(Sources: Official website of Yonghe Temple, www.beijing.gov.cn)