Top Monasteries in Qinghai: There are numerious beautiful and Buddhist Monasteries existing in Qinghai Province China which attract tourists from all over the globe because of their rich and varied collections of religious objects and artifacts.
Kumbum Monastery, a Holy Place for the Gelug Sect
The Kumbum Monastery is located in Lusha’er Town, Huangzhong County, 25 kilometers from downtown Xining. It is a national AAAA tourist attraction.
Construction of the temple started in 1560 in the Ming Dynasty. As the birthplace of Tsongkhapa, the founder of the Gelug Sect of Tibetan Buddhism, the Kumbum Monastery is one of the six most important monasteries of the sect. It also holds an important place in the history of Chinese architecture.
In 1749, Emperor Qianlong of the Qing Dynasty bestowed on the temple a horizontal board to be placed above its main gate, on which the emperor wrote the words, “Fanzong Temple”. Butter sculptures, murals and embossed embroidery are the three most famous art forms of Kumbum Monastry.
Transport: There are many buses, which can reach to Kumbum Monastery, near the No. 9 Bus of Xining Railway Station.
Martsangdrak Monastery
The Martsangdrak Monastery is located on the north ern bank of the Huangshui River, Huzhu County, 25 kilometers from Xining. A key historical site under provincial protection, the monastery boasts cultural relics from the Song Dynasty. The Martsangdrak Mon astery was first built in the late 10th century. The main hall of the monastery stands on a hill, with the beams set in holes chiseled out of rocky cliffs. The building looks like as if it were hanging in the air. It has three stories.
The highest one is for worshipping the Buddha, which houses the statue of Gongba raosai, forerunner in the later development stage of Tibetan Buddhism. The middle one is for keeping scriptures, and the lower one serves dormitories of the monks. West of the main hall is a stone grotto, which shelters a stone statute of Jingang Buddha. For this, the monastery is also called the Jingangya monastery.
Transport: Take a bus from Xining, or take a taxi or a chartered bus.
Rongwo Monastery
The Rongwo Monastery is situated on the bank of the Longwu River at the foot of Xishan Mountain in Longwu Town, Tongren County. It is a key historical site under national protection. The monastery is one of the six most famous Tibetan monasteries in Qinghai and Gansu provinces, occupying an area of 330,000 square meters.
First built in 1301, the 5th year of the Dade Period of the Yuan Dynasty, the monastery originally belonged to the Sakyapa Sect, and was later converted to the Gelug Sect. It is now the largest Tibetan Buddhism monastery in southern Qinghai.
In 1625, the 5th year in the Tianqi Period of the Ming Dynasty, Emperor Xizong (1605-1627) inscribed a horizontal board with the words “Wonderland in West China,” which was hung above the front door of the grand Scripture-chanting Hall, making the monastery famous far and wide. Inside the hall is a statue of Tsongkhapa, master of the Gelug Sect, standing 11 meters tall on a bed that is 26 meters in diameter. The statue is coated and inlaid with gold, jade and gems, which make it glitter and glow.
Transport:Take a long-distancebus from Xining to Tongren, or take a minibus heading for Zeku, and then get off at Tongren.
Bimdo Monastery oldest monastery of the Gelug Sect
Located in Ladai Village, Wendu Town, 17 kilometers to the southwest of the county seat of Xunhua, the monastery is adjacent to the former residence of the 10th Panchen Lama who used to study Buddhism classics in the temple in his childhood. The monastery also serves as a major venue for the 10th Panchen Lama to host Buddhist activities when he returned to his hometown. Built in 1402, it is the oldest monastery of the Gelug Sect in Qinghai Province.
In the middle of the gigantic scripture hall is a bronze statue of the 10th Panchen Lama sitting on a lotus rostrum. The spectacular memorial hall commemorating the 10th Panchen Lama was built in 1991. The steles and photos on display in the hall show Panchen Lama’s love of his country and Buddhism, as well as his brilliant achievements.
Transport: Take a long-distance bus from Xining to Liaxiaor Hezuo and then get off from Xunhua County.
Shazong Ritod Monastery
The Shazong Ritod Monastery located in Sitai Township, 28 kilometers to the south west of the county seat of Ping’an. Built in the Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368), the temple was where Tsongkhapa, the founder of the Gelug Sect of Tibetan Buddhism, was initiated into monkshood at the age of three.
In 1359 a well-known Tibetan monk sent Rolpe Dorje, the Fourth Karmapa, or the Living Buddha, to pay a visit to the emperor of the Yuan Dynasty in Dadu, the capital of the Mongolian Empire. On his way to Dadu, Rolpe Dorje stayed in the temple.
A famous shrine of Tibetan Buddhism, the temple enjoys a great reputation in Qinghai Province. Many noted monks in Qinghai have practiced Buddhism there. At its zenith, the temple had more than 400 halls and rooms for monks. It was built on a mountain, with spectacular grottos in the mountainside.
The Pavilion of the Eight Diagrams, built under the reign of Emperor Qianlong (1736-1796), rises high behind the scripture chanting rooms. It is a good spot to watch the surrounding landscape.
Jakhyung Monastery “Land of Merit and Prosperity”
The Jakhyung Monastery is located 9.5 kilometers south of Chafu Township, Hualong County. It is also known as the Xiaqun Temple, the Xiazhong Temple and the Shazhong Temple. The Tibetan name of the temple means “Land of Merit and Prosperity”. It faces the Yellow River to the south and is surrounded by mountains on three sides. The mountain behind it resembles a soaring eagle.
The temple is one of the oldest in Qinghai. It was originally a temple of the Kadam Sect of Tibetan Buddhism and later was taken over by the Gelug Sect. Construction of the temple began in 1349 in the Yuan Dynasty. Its founder Choje Dondrup Rinchen was the first teacher of Tsongkhapa, the founder of the Gelug Sect. The Jakhyung Monastery, where Tsongkhapa studied Buddhist classics in his early years, is regarded as the birthplace of the Gelug Sect.
Transport:Take a bus from downtown Xining to Hualong, and then go to the temple by taxi or take a bus from Hualongto Chafu.
Bimdo Monastery oldest monastery of the Gelug Sect
Located in Ladai Village, Wendu Town, 17 kilometers to the southwest of the county seat of Xunhua, the monastery is adjacent to the former residence of the 10th Panchen Lama who used to study Buddhism classics in the temple in his childhood. The monastery also serves as a major venue for the 10th Panchen Lama to host Buddhist activities when he returned to his hometown. Built in 1402, it is the oldest monastery of the Gelug Sect in Qinghai Province.
In the middle of the gigantic scripture hall is a bronze statue of the 10th Panchen Lama sitting on a lotus rostrum. The spectacular memorial hall commemorating the 10th Panchen Lama was built in 1991. The steles and photos on display in the hall show Panchen Lama’s love of his country and Buddhism, as well as his brilliant achievements.
Transport: Take a long-distance bus from Xining to Liaxiaor Hezuo and then get off from Xunhua County.
