Lama Temple, Beijing The Yonghe Gong, usually called the Lama Temple in English, was built in 1694 as an imperial palace. It was converted to a Tibetan Buddhist temple in 1744. The hall seen here is the Yonghe Dian, a 7-bay hall that contains 18 sculptures of arhats, as well as altars to the 3 Buddhas of the Past, Present, and Future.