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The Yonghe Temple, or Lama Temple, is a temple and monastery that is still a functioning temple today.  The building and artwork are a combination of Han Chinese and Tibetan styles.  We took the metro in to the Dongcheng District to explore this temple on a beautiful Saturday afternoon.  The buildings were gorgeous  and it was interesting to see the worship that still occurs all over the temple.  The girls enjoyed exploring, but struggled a bit with the intense smell of the incense.  Outside the walls of Lama Temple are Hutongs, which are narrow alleys formed by traditional courtyards.  We spent some time exploring the narrow streets of Hutongs after we left Lama Temple.  It was an amazing day getting to experience real Chinese history close up.

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