Lama Temple

This guide to the Lama Temple in Beijing opens in 1735, when the Yongzheng Emperor's coffin came to rest in the princely house where he'd once lived, and where his son, the future Qianlong Emperor, had been born. For two years officials argued over what to do with the building while the coffin sat inside. You'll hear why Qianlong overruled a minister's plan to hand it to another nobleman, and the decision he made instead in 1744. Look up at the roof tiles as you walk through the courtyards.