In the pavilion there is a stone stele erected in 1792. On the stele are inscriptions in four languages: Manchu on the front side; Mongolian on the eastern side; Tibetan on the western side and on its back Han language written by Emperor Qianlong. It records the origin of Lamaism and the Emperor’s attitude towards it. That’s why the pavilion is called Imperial Handwriting Pavilion. The inscriptions are in four languages, so it is also known as the Pavilion of Four Languages.
Lamaism was quite popular in the Qing Dynasty. Lama means “teacher” or “superior being.” At the very beginning only the monks on the top ranks were called lamas. Later it became an honorable title for all the monks.
