Basic Fact
Tibetan Name: Dkar mdzes dgon pa, meaning White & Beautiful Monastery
Location: Northern hillside of Ganzi Town, Northern Kham, beside G317; altitude ~3390m
Sect: Gelugpa (Yellow Hat), head temple of famed Thirteen Hor Mongol Monasteries (Hor Thirteen Gompas)
Founded: 1662, by disciple of the 5th Dalai Lama, Hor Chökyi Ngawang Phuntsok, backed by Khoshut Mongol (Hor Tribe) power
History
Built under the patronage of Qing-dynasty Mongol rulers who expanded Gelug faith across north Kham. In its golden age, over 1500 resident monks governed dozens of branch shrines across Ganzi grassland; its full outer kora pilgrimage ring stretches nearly 8km long. Damaged in mid-20th century, large-scale reconstruction launched in 1981, now around 700 monks reside here. It once sheltered the mortal remains of the 9th Panchen Lama during his cross-Kham pilgrimage in the 1930s, lifting its sacred prestige regionwide.
Core Highlights
Tiered Hillside Architecture
Layered crimson-walled monk quarters pile upward along the mountain slope, golden-roofed main assembly hall tops the compound; rare mixed Tibetan-Han timber roof design stands out among Kham monasteries. Four-floor main shrine: ground large chanting hall, second protector deity chapel, third Maitreya Buddha hall, top tier enshrines precious Jowo Buddha statue brought from India.
Unique Sacred Collection
Distinctive preserved antique Tibetan matchlock guns & ritual blades donated by local clans as vows to abandon hunting, a rare relic feature exclusive to northern Kham Hor-region gompas. Thousands of clay Buddha statues, hand-copied Kangyur scrolls and ancient thangka art stored inside scripture archives.
Valley Panorama Spot
Rear hilltop overlooks entire Ganzi basin, Yalong River winding through grassland; ideal sunrise & aerial photography site.
Annual Ritual
Tibetan 1st Month Great Prayer Festival: grand cham masked dances, mass pilgrim circumambulation and scripture recitation, the biggest religious gathering in north Kham’s Ganzi valley.
Travel Info
Access: 2km north of Ganzi downtown, easy stop on G317 North Sichuan-Tibet Route (Kangding–Dege itinerary)
Open daily 08:30–17:30, free entry
Best visit: May–Oct for mild plateau weather
Perched cascading up the grassy hills above Ganzi’s valley, Karze (Ganzi) Monastery ranks as the foremost of Kham’s iconic Thirteen Hor Mongol Gelug shrines, erected in 1662 under Fifth Dalai Lama’s spiritual lineage. Stacked red-walled monk dwellings climb toward its gilded main hall, where rare ancient firearms rest as devotional offerings alongside revered Buddha relics. Pilgrims trace its eight-kilometre outer kora ring, making this sprawling hilltop gompa the enduring spiritual anchor of northern Kham grassland.
