Photography Ritual at the Yonghe Temple

A black-and-white photograph showing Lamaist monks worshipping at the Yonghe Gong 雍和宫 or “Temple of Tranquility and Harmony” in Beijing. During the Qing Dynasty (1644–1911), it was the seat of dignitaries of Tibetan Buddhism and home to nearly a thousand monks of the Gelugpa Order (Gelupai 格鲁派), the so-called Yellow Hat School. One of the main ceremonial halls of the temple complex is dedicated to the founder Tsongkhapa (1357–1419). The monks at the ceremonial altars wear a long yellow headdress with a strip of furry “mohawk” in the middle. When the sect was founded, the yellow colour of the headdress represented a new departure from the red colour of the older sect. The monks are wearing winter coats over their traditional robes. Behind them, a large crowd of visitors is streaming through the inner courtyard. In the background, the richly decorated joints of the supporting columns and connecting beams stand out. The top of each column is adorned with a dragon’s head wreathed in clouds. Buddhist rituals were held in the temple every year to celebrate the New Year. On the first day of the new year according to the lunar calendar (nongli 農曆), monks chanted ritual prayers from two in the morning until sunrise. Later, crowds of people joined them in prayer. The most important holiday was the week of prayers to Buddha, which started one month after the New Year celebration.

The Manchu rulers promoted Tibetan Buddhism (or Lamaism) and encouraged the visits of high religious dignitaries and the construction of numerous Tibetan temples in and around Beijing.

The photograph is the 196th of 449 photographs of Beijing and its surroundings in the album of Ivan Skušek Jr., purchased during his stay in Beijing (1914–1920). In the handwritten inventory of the album, the photograph is referred to as Lama-Kloster: Gottes-Dienst im Hoffe. (DZ, MV)