Basic Profile
Full Tibetan Name: Byams Chen Chos ’Khor Gling, literally Maitreya Dharma Wheel Monastery
Location: Northern hillside of Litang Town, Garzê, Sichuan; elevation 4,014 m, core spiritual hub of southern Kham
Sect: Gelugpa (Yellow Hat), the largest & most influential Gelug monastery across southern Kham
History
Founded in 1580 by the 3rd Dalai Lama Sonam Gyatso during his pilgrimage back from Mongolia, reconstructing an older Bon shrine into formal Gelug institution.
It earned a famed Tibetan saying: Above Lhasa’s Three Great Seats, below Amdo’s Ta’er, middle stands Litang Gonchen, marking its top-tier religious rank in Tibetan Buddhism. At its golden age, the compound housed over 7,000 resident monks and ruled dozens of branch monasteries throughout Kham grasslands. The 7th Dalai Lama was born near Litang, further lifting the monastery’s sacred status.
Core Highlights
Grand Main Assembly Hall
Gilded roof & thick crimson Tibetan walls dominating the hillside; inner hall holds giant Maitreya bronze statue, sacred footprints of 3rd & 5th Dalai Lamas, rare ancient thangka collections and Ming-era Buddhist relics.
Afternoon Buddhist Debate
Daily scripture debating among young monks around courtyard from 3 PM, iconic living Tibetan monastic custom.
Panoramic Overlook
Rear hilltop overlooks entire high-altitude Litang old town and endless Maoya Grassland, prime photography spot.
Key Annual Ritual
1st–15th of Tibetan 1st Month: Great Prayer Festival with grand masked Cham dance and large-scale pilgrim gathering
Early August: tied to Litang Horse Festival, regional Tibetan tribes converge for worship & folk celebration
Travel Info
Free admission, open 08:00–18:00 daily
Access: on G318 Sichuan-Tibet Highway, 285 km west of Kangding, 3hrs drive from Daocheng Yading
Litang Gonchen crowns the high hills of 4,000m Litang, the paramount Gelug sanctuary of southern Kham built in 1580 by the Third Dalai Lama. Nicknamed the middle pillar of Tibetan monasticism between Lhasa and Amdo, its gilded roofs and deep red ramparts overlook vast Maoya Grassland and the highland “Sky City” below. Pilgrims circle its outer kora, watch monks’ lively afternoon scripture debates, and venerate preserved Dalai Lama footprints and antique sacred art inside the main hall, making it Litang’s beating spiritual heart.
