While Yonghegong (Lama Temple) remains closed to the public, its less-visited but just as inteesting neighbor, The Confucian Temple, remains open to visitors with advance reservations via their official WeChat Account (Search for kongmiaoheguozijianbowuguan)
Initially built in 1302, the Confucian Temple is one of the few major sites in Beijing which dates back to the days of Mongolian rule and the Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368) and served as both an academy and an important site for rituals venerating the Great Sage during the Ming and Qing eras. The complex is divided into two halves (both accessible with one ticket). The eastern section is the actual Temple to Confucius. The courtyard to the west is the former location of the 国子监 Guozijian (Imperial Academy), where scholars sweated over their studies in the hope of passing the final round of imperial examinations that could grant them a place in the emperor’s bureaucracy.