Amdo Attractions

Kumbhum Monastery

 

Kumbhum Jampa-ling Monastery, one of the six major monasteries of Gelugpa sect of Tibetan Buddhism was founded in 1583 by the Third Dalai Lama, Sonam-gyatso (1543-1588). It was built in a narrow valley close to the village of Lusar, at the site where Tsongkhhapa (1357-1419), the founder of the Gelugpa Tradition of Tibetan Buddhism, had been born. The monastery was situated at 25km from Xining city in Rashar county (Huang zhong in Chinese )of Amdo Tibet.

It was believed that a drop of blood fell from Tsongkhhapa’s umbilical cord when it was cut after his birth. From this drop grew a wondrous sandalwood tree. It has a very broad trunk and 100,000 leaves, which it never sheds. In Tibetan, the number 100,000 merely signifies a very large number, and is not meant literally. There appeared an image of the Buddha Sinhanada on each leaf. On the bark of the branches and trunk are the designs of the seed syllables and hand implements of this Buddha. In 1379, Tsongkhhapa’s mother, with the help of the local faithful, built a small temple with a stupa around this tree. It stands to this day. This was the first temple at Kumbum. In 1481, the nobility and nomads of the Kokonor region built a larger temple for making offerings at the holy tree. In 1560, the meditator Rinchen-tsondru-gyeltsen built a small monastery there, called Gonpalung for intensive meditation practice. At first, it had seven monks at a time, but soon expanded to hold fifteen.

Later The Third Dalai Lama, on his way to meet Altan Khan near Kokonor, Gyelwa Sonam-gyatso stopped at the isolated retreat by the holy tree marking the spot where Tsongkhhapa had been born. He requested Rinchen-tsondru-gyeltsen to construct a larger monastery at this site and appointed him as the head lama. The monatsery was completed in 1583 and an annual Prayer Festival was inaugurated like that held in Lhasa.

The new monastery was called Kumbum Jampa-ling. “Kumbum” means 100,000 enlightening bodies of the Buddha. It is named after the 100,000 images of the Buddha Sinhanada on the leaves of the holy sandalwood tree. “Jampa-ling” means “Maitreya Cloister.” This refers to the Maitreya temple built by Rinchen-tsondru-gyeltsen to the right of the precious tree. Presently It has about 500 monks and five monastic colleges.

 

Chuzang Monastery

 

This old sacred monastery is one of the Four Northern Grand Monasteries.The monastery is situated in a small beautiful landscape, about 28km from nearest Gonlung county ( Huzhu in Chinese ) of Amdo Tibet and 44km from Xining city. Chuzang monastery is Gelugpa sect monastery, founded in 1649 by first lineage of Chuzang Rinpoche.

 

Shachung Monastery

Shachung monastery is one of the oldest monasteries in Eastern Tibet and the oldest of Four Northern Grand monasteries. It was founded in1349 by Chojye Dhondup Rinchen and situated in Palung county of Amdo Tibet, about 113km from Xining city. Paradise on earth, Shachung was built on a mountain ridge shaped like a Garuda bird, overlooking the zig-zag follow of great Yellow River through Tibetan farming fields on both side. Monastery provide a nice hiking on your way up into the mountain along with the beautiful views scenic forest, hills and the paradise of the landscape.

Gonlung Jampaling Monastery

 

Gonlung monastery is situated far away in northeastern Gonlung County ( Huzhu in chinese ) of traditional Amdo Tibet and 70km from Xining city. It was founded in 1604 by Gyelse Donyo Chokyi Gyatso, being asked by fourth Dalai Lama. After several prominent Tibetan Lamas visited the area including 3^rd Dalai lama in 1584 and the 4th Dalai Lama in 1602 while they were on their way to Lhasa, the area was revered before the monastery was built. Gonlung monastery having the history of over 400 years is one of the Four Northern Grand Monasteries. Four Northern Grand monasteries are the most contributing monasteries and the keepers of the flame during the second revival of Tibetan Buddhism after its demolition by 42^nd king Lang Dharma of Tibet. At that time they were home to thousands of monks and were well known by the title “ Four Northern Grand monasteries” Over the years many important scholars lived and studied here. Now there are between 200-300 monks living and studying at the monastery. Local Tibetans, Tu and Mongolian people patronize the monastery.

 

However, this gem old monastery is not well known to foreign explorers. The site was only visited by a handful of foreigners every year. Being among the first to explore and spend some time looking at the extraordinary Tibetan Buddhist art on various murals on outside of the main hall. The building is decorated in the traditional Tibetan Buddhist arts in bright colors, adorned with dharma wheel and kneeling deer motifs. There are eleven buildings in total to explore. And Inside the main prayer hall are places in rows for monks to pray and along the walls are yak butter candles burn. At the back of the hall, teaching thrones are dedicated to a current spiritual leader and the previous Panchen Lama. Monastery provide a good hiking up into the hills to visit the other main buildings of the monastery. Gonlung monastery is free of entrance fee.

 

Labrang Monastery

Labrang Tashi Kyil, located in northeastern of Amdo Tibet at the strategic intersection of four major Asian civilizations—Tibetan, Mongolian, Chinese, and Muslim—was one of the six major monasteries of the Gelugpa Tradition of Tibetan Buddhism. In the early twentieth century, it housed several thousand monks. Labrang was also a gathering point for numerous annual religious festivals. It was founded in 1709 by the First Jamyang – Zhaypa, Ngawang – Tsondru (1648-1722), in the Amdo province of northeastern Tibet.It has six monastic colleges for different studies and history of over 200 years. The first Jamyang-zhaypa, a disciple of the Fifth Dalai Lama, Ngawang Lobsang Gyatso (1617-1682), was from Amdo and had studied sutra at Gomang College of Drepung Monastery at Lhasa and tantra at Gyumay Lower Tantric College. He authored the Kunkyen textbooks, later used at Gomang, Drepung Deyang College and Labrang.

 

When he was Abbot of Gomang, Jamyang-zhaypa was requested by Ganden Erdene Junang, the Mongol King of Kokonor to return to Amdo, where many Mongols lived among the Tibetans. Jamyang-zhaypa accepted, and on the eve of his departure, the Gadong State Oracle prophesied that he would found a monastery in Amdo called Tashikyil. In establishing this monastery, Jamyang-zhaypa adopted the Drepung rules of discipline and chanting style for the main temple, and the Gomang style of debate. Labrang monastery had produced hundreds of learned scholars and experts in Tibetan Buddhism. It is presently in Sangchu Tibetan County, south of Gansu province of China. In 1970s, it was opened for tourism since its close in 1958. It was reopened as a functioning monastery by the Seventh Panchen Lama, Chokyi Gyeltsen Trinley Lhundrub (1938-1989), in 1980. At present there are about 500 monks, divided among the six colleges in the same proportions as before. The study program is only a fraction of what it previously had been.

 

Rongwo Gonchen or Rongwo monastery

 

Rongwo Gonchen is in Rebkong ( Tongren in Chinese ) County of traditional Amdo Tibet and is about 186km from Xining city. Rongwo monastery was initially established as a three temple site in 1341 in by Rongwo Samten Rinpoche. The first reincarnation of Rongwo Samten Rinpoche, Shartsang Kaldan Gyatso (1607-1677) founded the monastery at the temple sites. And the monastery is named after the Rongwo river upon which it was located. The Tibetan name of the monastery is Rongwo GonPa, which means “Monastery of Rongwo”, where GonPa means monastery. Initially Rongwo monastery was founded as the Sakyapa sect monastery but later it was converted to Gelugpa ( Yellow hat sect of Tibetan Buddhism). And these days Rongwo monastery is one of the six major monasteries of Gelugpa tradition.

Rongwo monastery is main monastery in Tongren County. Its huge and rambling maze of renovated chapels and monk’s residences. It’s well worth a wander, and you’ll need one or two hours to see everything. Your ticket includes entry into six main halls, although you may be able to take a peek inside others, too. There are more than 500 resident monks and every day dozens of them go into the courtyard outside the Hall of Bodhisattva Manjusri to take part in animated, hand-clapping debates. There’s a map in English on a wooden board just inside the main gate.

 

Drakar TreDzong Monastery

 

Drakar TreDzong monastery-The White Monkey Fortress is a rarely visited remote monastery in Amdo Tibet. It is one of the most famous monastery in Amdo and brings many pilgrims each year. The monastery is located at the base of 5000m mountain and earlier it had close to 1000 monks but around 400 monks there at present. Drakar Tredzong has one of the few evergreen forests on the northern Tibetan Plateau. Wildlife such as wolves, deer, foxes, gazelle and a large variety of birds all live above the monastery. There is a pilgrimage kora winding around the mountain that takes 5 or 6 hours to complete. The mountains above the monastery offer abundant hiking routes and have excellent views of the area.

 

Hor Monastery Tucked into a narrow, rocky ravine below rounded hills, Hor Monastery is a monastic center for the grasslands of western Tsekog county. On a hilltop above the monastery lie the famous Hormani walls, which contain (it is said) a complete copy of the Tibetan Buddhist canon carved in stone! Other monasteries worth visiting include Dzongmar Gonpa (mentioned above in the Maixiu Forest Park section) and Dorjedzong Gonpa which is located in an undisclosed location deep within a spectacularly remote forested gorge.

 

Sangngak Mingye Ling

Sangngak Mingye Ling is a Geluk monastery in Amdo that was founded in 1644. It is the seat of the Konseng and Gungri Khandro incarnations and is affiliated with Labrang.