11th Panchen Lama holds prayer ritual for Ya'an quake victims

The 11th Panchen Lama Bainqen Erdini Qoigyijabu held a prayer ritual for victims of the earthquake, which struck Ya'an city in southwest China's Sichuan Province three days ago, in Yonghegong Lama Temple in Beijing, April 23, 2013.

Monks from the High-level Tibetan Buddhism College of China and Yonghegong Lama Temple prayed for the victims' souls and for the survivors to overcome the hardships caused by the disaster.

According to Buddhist belief, death marks the start of the souls' reincarnation.

Located in downtown Beijing, Yonghegong, a Tibetan Buddhist temple with a history of more than 300 years, attracts thousands of pilgrims and visitors every day.

The 7.0-magnitude earthquake that hit Lushan County, Ya'an of Sichuan Province, left 193 dead, 25 missing and 12,211 injured as of 6 a.m.on April 23, the Ministry of Civil Affairs announced.