Discover Chinese Religious Practices in the City Center
This Tibetan Buddhist temple was once the residence of a Qing Emperor. It was converted into a lamasery after his ascension to the throne, and that Imperial connection is marked by use of yellow ceramic tiles on the rooftops. It is a working Buddhist temple, though one crowded by pilgrims—and plenty of tourists. You will see full religious expression here, with burning incense held high on the forehead, the supplicant bowing in each cardinal direction. Glittering statues, clattering prayer wheels, fragrant incense, grotesque statues overload the senses.