Three Storey High Pavillion of Ten Thousand Happinesses 万福阁
The last of the major halls in the Beijing Lama Temple was the Pavillion of Ten Thousand Happinesses or Wanfu Pavillion 万福阁. This name is quite common in temples and I can’t count the number of times I have seen this in a hall. The Forbidden City probably has several of them. Of all the halls in the Yonghe Temple, this pavillion is probably the largest as this is three storeys tall. There is a reason why the pavillion is so tall. There is a tall statue of Buddha housed in this pavillion. The interesting thing is that the statue was carved from a single piece of sandal wood. Imagine that, one mistake and you have to do everything all over again.
Small Plaza Behind the Pavillion of Ten Thousand Happinesses 万福阁 in the Beijing Lama Temple 雍和宫
The pavillion here is not as busy as the first three halls as I was able to wander a little more freely in here. However, there were still ushers inside to guide you to the exit, that means no photo taking. I would have loved to take a photo of that tall Buddha statue but I still need to respect the rules of the temple. Behind the pavillion is a small courtyard with a little more shade as a result of the tall pavillion. The morning sun was already quite high and I was beginning to forget that it was already autumn.
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