Lama Temple, Beijing’s foremost Buddhist temple, is on our daily walk between the hotel and the subway station. From the street, there is one ornate gate, with the rest standing behind a wall of shops and masonry, giving no hint to exquisite architecture contained within these walls. Once we were on the grounds, we realized that we were standing over the Lama Temple subway station.

Originally the residence of a count, the grounds were converted to a monastery in 1744. An actively practicing temple, many buildings were open and available for visits and prayers. The many courtyards were filled with clouds of incense and people are prayer.

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