The capital of China, Beijing has been recognized as the political, cultural and educational centre of the country. Second only to Shanghai in size, Beijing has earned the name as one of the worlds great cities. It is a prominent tourist destination that has a combination of modern and ancient monuments which will satisfy any kind of traveler. The Forbidden City, surrounded by gardens and parks that are masterpieces of the Chinese gardening art, Tiananmen Square, the Temple of Heaven, the well looked after stone Pagodas are some of the attractions that Beijing has to offer. The city also has over a hundreds of museums that will give the traveler some insight into the citys glorious past.
The Lama Temple is the biggest and the most well preserved lamasery in Beijing. Those who visit the temple will be greeted with the smell of burning incense sticks and the soft chanting of prayers by devotees kneeling in front of large Buddha statues. One such statue is the Big Buddha; the statue is 18m high and depicts the Buddha in Tibetan form in yellow silk robes. The entire statue has been carved using one block of sandalwood. The temple was built in 1694 during the Qing Dynasty. It was also the residence of the Emperor Yongzheng, thus this lamasery takes the style of an imperial palace making it very different from the others. The temple has five main halls and courtyards with richly worked decorative archways, the temple also has a treasury of Buddhist art, sculpted images of Buddhas, demons and gods and also Tibetan style murals. The white candlewood Buddha statues, the rosewood Arahat sculptures and Buddha niche carved with silk wood are a must see at the Lama Temple.
If you are planning on a visit to Beijing, staying at a
Beijing hotel will make it more convenient for you to visit all the places of interest. Visitors can choose from a variety of options when looking for accommodation in Beijing, but among the
Beijing hotels, the China World Hotel Beijing stands out with luxury amenities and exceptional service.
