Tradruk Monastery, also known as Tradruk Ttsug Lakhang, it is a Gelug pa monastery of Tibetan Buddhism
It is located at the southern foot of Gongri Mountain in Chang-zhu Town, Shannan City.
It was originally built around 650 AD under the supervision of the 33th Tibetan King Songtsen Gampo, making it one of the first monasteries built during the Tubo Dynasty.
Initially, it consisted of only six pillars (each with an area of 25 square meters); Songtsen Gampo and Princess Wencheng once resided here.
In the 14th century, during the Phagmo Drugpa Regime (12th-17th century), the Da-Si-Tu(meaning “Prime Minister”) – Yangchub Gyaltsan (1302 AD – 1364 AD) oversaw a large-scale expansion of the monastery, laying the foundation for its current size.
The 4th Panchen Lama (1567 AD – 1662 AD) and the 7th Dalai Lama (1708 AD – 1757 AD) both provided funds for extensive renovations of the monastery; it later evolved into a fully equipped monastery of the “Three Jewels” (Buddha, Dharma, Sangha).
Tradruk Monastery’s Legend
“Tradruk Monastery” in Tibetan means “Great Roc and Dragon”. According to the legend from the time of the Tibetan King Songtsen Gampo, the area was submerged under water inhabited by an evil dragon. Songtsen Gampo wanted to drain the water and build a monastery, so he employed the strategy of a “shaman”. He transformed into a Great Roc to subdue the evil dragon, drained the water in 7 days, and began laying the foundation for the construction of the monastery.
Another legend is that at Princess Wencheng’s arrival in Tibet, where she observed the celestial signs and examined the terrain. She discovered that the entire Tibetan landscape resembled a reclining demoness, which was unfavorable for the establishment of the Tibetan Kingdom. It was deemed necessary to build monasteries at the heart and four limbs of the demoness to control her. The location chosen for the construction of the Tradruk Monastery was exactly on the left arm of the demoness in order to effectively subdue her
Tradruk – Main Buildings
Tradruk Monastery covers an area of approximately 4600 square meters, divided into front and rear sections.
Opposite the main hall of Tradruk Monastery is a small hall named “Naiding Lakhang,” commonly referred to as “Naiding Shul” (first floor) and “Naiding Tang” (top floor).
The “Naiding Shul” is considered the oldest hall of Tradruk Monastery, measuring 10.2 meters in length from east to west and 7.3 meters in width from north to south, with six pillars inside. The back of the hall originally housed many Buddha statues, with the main statue being Songtsen Gampo.
The “Naiding Tang,” with the same dimensions as the “Naiding Shul,” houses the main statue of Padmasambhava.
This early building was originally constructed using “bema” grass, while the current structure is made of stone and wood.
Front Courtyard
The front area is a small courtyard, located right after entering the main gate of Tradruk Monastery; the small courtyard is 23.6 meters long and 16 meters wide, surrounded by a corridor with a monk’s room built on top.
On the north side of the courtyard is the “Sam-ah Podrang,” which was likely built after the 17th century by the Nyingma sect for the convenience of their monks to pay respects to the Dalai Lama who came to worship here. It includes facilities such as a tea room, woodshed, grain warehouse, dining area, and living quarters. In 1938, the central rooms on the ground floor was transformed into a three halls'”Tantric Lakhang.”
There is a secret passage underground in “Sam-ah Podrang,” which starts from a corner outside the southwest of “Sam-ah Podrang” and exits near the north end of the west wall inside the hall; the passage also contains two narrow storage rooms.
Rear yard- The Lakhang area
At the rear of the Tradruk Monastery lies the “Lakhang Courtyard,” centered around the “Assembly Hall,” which is referred to as “Lakhang – in Tibetan, meaning “Holy temple,” and is connected by a circumambulation corridor to various “Lakhangs”; this area is where the main buildings of the monastery are located.
The front of the “Lakang Courtyard” features a tall porch with two guardian deity statues on each side outside the porch; inside the porch, four Heavenly Kings are sculpted with two on each side standing apart on the left and right. The ends of the porch connect to the circumambulation corridor surrounding the entire main hall, known as the outer circumambulation corridor.
On the walls of the south, north, and west sides of the outer circumambulation corridor, there are murals depicting Buddhist legends and stories on the south and north walls, while the west wall features three images of the Fifth Dalai Lama, Güshi Khan, and Depa·Sanggye Gyatso. (“Depa” means chief or leader, and also means the chief of the Dalai Lama system). The murals here look like works from after the Qing Dynasty.
Inside the “Lakhang Courtyard,” the front central area features a courtyard, followed by the Assembly hall, surrounded by an inner corridor for circumambulation around the courtyard and Assembly Hall.
Around the inner circumambulation corridor, there are 12 different “Lakhangs” arranged in an orderly manner, forming a structured path for worshipping the Buddhas, similar to the layout of the Jokhang Temple.
The inner circumambulation corridor is supported by “single arch pillars” or “cross arch pillars,” with variations in the design of the pillars over time, reflecting different architectural periods.In the early period, the foundation stones under the arches were shaped like basins, engraved with lotus patterns, while in the later period, the foundation stones were left plain without any carvings.
Tradruk Monastery – 12 Lakhangs
The “Assembly Hall” is a unique two-story brick and wood structure with 64 wooden columns, measuring 45 meters east to west, 29 meters north to south, covering a total area of 1300 square meters. It serves as the main location for monks to chant scriptures and conduct important religious activities. The ground floor of the hall is shaped like a “convex” character, with a central courtyard inside that is not enclosed but rather open with beams and columns forming partitions, creating a semi-open, well-lit hall, contrasting with earlier architectural styles and suggesting later additions.
The main Buddha halls are located on the east side, consisting of three rooms; the walls on the west, south, and north sides are very thick, resembling “cave halls” due to the walls used to construct the Buddha halls.
Around the central corridor of the Assembly Hall, there are twelve Buddha Lakhangs including the Gandan Lakhang, Guardian Deity Hall, Shedrup Gyel Lakhang, Pagoda Hall, Dakin Lakhang, Chog Gyle Lakhang, Tsochen Lakhang, Tob Gyal Lakhang, Tripal Lakhang, De-she Lakhang, Wu Gyn Lakhang, and Tongcho Lakhang, each of those is dedicated to different deities, Buddhas, and Bodhisattvas.
Tsokchen Lakhang serves as the main hall located in the central rear, with “Chog Gyle Lakhang” on the left and “Tob Gyal Lakhang” on the right, all facing west. The three Lakhangs form a group, surrounded by a corridor.
The depth and width of Tsokchen Lakhang are both three rooms, with the main enshrined figures being the “Three Buddhas” (namely the past Buddha-Dipamkar, present Buddha-Shakyamuni, and future Buddha-Maitreya). These statues were crafted entirely in bronze unlike other monasteries where the statues are only covered in bronze, and making them exceptionally rare. The facial features of the bronze statues appear to have absorbed certain styles of mainland of China, with simple backlighting and headgear, yet the casting is finely detailed.
On both sides of the “Three Buddhas” bronze statue, there are total ten bronze-cast Bodhisattva statues, beautifully crafted.
Between the “Tsokchen Lakhang” and the “Assembly Hall,” there is a connecting corridor consisting of three sections and five rooms, with short columns in the middle. On the left and right door pillars in the middle, there are wooden carved guardian deity statues which are short and stout, with peculiar forms, resembling inland craftsmen (meaning “practicing esoteric arts, communicating with spirits, seeking enlightenment and liberation from the cycle of life and death”). These sculptures represent early artistic creations.
In the left and right rooms of the corridor, there are several smaller stupas built at different times, indicating successive additions.
The main statue in the “Chog Gyle Lakhang” is Songtsen Gampo, with Princess Tritsun statue on the left and Princess Wen Cheng statue on the right. Adjacent to the left side is a standing statue of Gar Tongtsen Yulsung, and in front of the right side is a standing statue of Thonmi Sambhota. Beside Sambhota, there are also Amitabha statue and other statues. The sculptures are quite ancient and vivid, especially the statues of the Tibetan queens, which are full and elegant, considered exquisite works of art.
There is only one pillar inside the “Tob Gyal Lakhang”. This Lakhang dedicated to the “Thousand-Armed Avalokiteshvara” statue, which is quite tall and is depicted with a thousand arms on its back, flanked by two attendant statues on each side, representing an early work.
The walls surrounding the interior of Tob Gyal Lakhang are adorned with murals, including one of “Zedan Lhas Buddha,” according to the legend that “Zedan Lhas Buddha” was to have helped Songtsen Gampo when he was young. Interestingly, in the southwest corner of the Lakhang stands a pillar-shaped earthen stove with a basin-shaped pottery vessel on top, believed to have been used by Princess Wencheng. In Tibetan, “Tob Gyal” means “thank you” or “gratitude.”
In the front porch of “Tsokchen Lakhang”, there are four small Lakhangs located at the ends on the left and right sides. On the right side, from back to front, there are “Dakin Lakhang” and “Zoden Lakang“, while on the left side, a pair named “Tripal Lakang” and “Deshe Lakang” are symmetrically arranged. Each of these four Lakangs is relatively small, with only one pillar (an area of approximately 25 square meters.)
The main statue in “Dakin Lakhang” is Shakyamuni Buddha with a peacock feather canopy on top. On the sides of Shakyamuni are statues of Hayagriva and a guardian deity.
In “Zoden Lakhang,” the main deity is an eleven-faced Avalokiteshvara, with patriarch statues on the sides and various forms of stupas painted on the walls.
The main statue in “Tripal Lakhang” is the Buddha of Longevity, with three Bodhisattva statues on the left and two guardian deity statues on the right.
“De-she Lakhang” features a clay statue of the Medicine Buddha, with a total of nine Buddha statues sculpted on the central and side walls.
Among these four “Lakhang”, “Dakin Lakhang” and “Triba Lakhang” seem to be original constructions, while the other two “Lakhangs” appear to be later additions in terms of architecture and statues.
Towards the middle of the north side of the main courtyard, there is another chapel called “Shedrup Gyel Lakhang.” This Lakhang has two sections, 3 rooms and houses a statue of an eleven-faced Avalokiteshvara, different from the usual depictions. On the left side of the Avalokiteshvara statue is a statue of Bodhisattva, and on the right is a statue of Padmasambhava. The walls of the Lakhangare adorned with images of Gelugpa lineage masters like Tsongkhapa, and his two disciples of Gyaltsha Je, and Khedrup Je.
Wu Gyn Lakhang, located in the middle section of the southern wall of the Lakhang courtyard; This Lakang was built by the first generation of “Reting Renpoche” and consists of two big halls, front and back. In the front hall, a statue of the Buddha of Longevity is placed in the middle of the right wall, with a protective deity statue on its right. In the back hall, there is a shrine in the center, housing a statue of Padmasambhava that is about one floor high. Behind the Buddha shrine, against the wall, there is a deity altar with a statue of Padmasambhava, as well as many other forms of Padmasambhava. On the front wall of the back room, there is a protective deity statue on each side.
On both sides of the main entrance of the Lakhang courtyard, there are two smaller Lakhangs built during the time of the Fifth Dalai Lama. To the right is the “Aba Lakhang“, and to the left is the “Tongcho Lakhang“
The “Aba Lakhang” consists of three halls, with the main statue of the Fifth Dalai Lama on the main floor. On the left side of the Fifth Dalai Lama’s statue, there are sculptures of Tsongkhapa and other Gelug Pa masters, while on the right side, there are sculptures of the Atisa and successive Dalai Lamas.
The main statue in the “Tongcho Lakhang” is Tsongkhapa, with sculptures of Gelug pa masters and successive Dalai Lamas on either side.
North of the “Aba Lakhang“, there is a small Lakhang called “Gon-khang” with a large statue of a fierce protector deity in black, with claw-like hands and feet; The statue is majestic in shape. In front of the walls, there are several layers of platforms displaying various protector deities, crafted exquisitely with an ancient and peculiar style, possibly early works contemporary to this building
Near the “De-she Lakhang“, there used to be stupas in the Sutopa style, with the northern stupa being the older one.
Additionally, in the southeast corner of the Lakhang courtyard, there is a “Padmasambhava Hall” with three sections and a west-facing entrance. Although this hall is a later addition, its well-preserved state has made it one of the popular places for worship in Tradruk monastery.
Second floor of the main hall
On the second floor of the main hall of Tradruk Monastery: surrounding the courtyard and the ceiling are large platform walkways. Around the walkways, several Buddha halls were built in the upper part of the original lower-level Buddha halls.
In the south, there are two Lakhang, with the “Protector Deity Lakhang” on the west side and the “Gandan Lakhang” on the east side.
The “Protector Deity Lakhang” is located right above the “Wu Gyn Lakhang,” with two sections and three rooms. Inside, between the last two pillars, there is a shrine with statues of protector deities. Behind the shrine, there is a narrow passage with a statue of Tsongkhapa. In front of the right wall, there is a scripture cabinet which originally housed over two hundred sutras. In the front part of this Lakhang, there are two-columned gallery rooms with murals on all three walls depicting various protector deities.
The “Gandan Lakhang” is located right above the “De-she Lakhang.” On both sides and the back wall of this Lakhang, there are altars with statues of protector deities. In the center of the back wall, there is a statue of Kalacakra Vajra, with two more double-bodied protector deity statues on the right side. On the altars in front of the walls on the left and right, there are single or double-bodied protector deity statues. The four-bodied protector deity statues are uniquely designed, with four different protector deities stacked within a Gajabawa-shaped vessel, a rare sight in protector deity statues. The “Gandan Lakhang” belongs to the esoteric sect, and the statues inside are mostly early works.
In the east section of the 2nd floor of the main hall, above the “Tob Gyal Lakhang,” is the “Drup-tob Lakhang,” consisting of inner and outer chambers. The back and side walls of both chambers have Buddha shrines with eighty statues of Gelug pa masters, known as the “Eighty Mahasiddhas.” The outer chamber features the main statue of Padmasambhava, while the inner chamber features the main statue of Tsongkhapa. The statues are about a foot tall. The clay sculptures are coated with colored paints such as yellow, brown, and green, resembling glazed porcelain, a rare technique in sculpting. Adjacent to the “Drup-tob Lakhang” is the “Ga-gya Lakhang,” located directly above the “Chog Gyle Lakhang,” with three sections and three rooms, primarily housing a hundred clay statues of the Nyingma Pa’s main deity.
On the western side of the second floor of the main hall, in the center, it lies the Dalai Lama’s palace. To the north of the palace are two smaller houses, known as “Gye-yo Khang,” which are believed to be resting places for nobles. Inside, there are many copper utensils and tools. One particularly valuable item is a large copper basin from the Ming Dynasty, with the Xuande-reign mark of Ming dynasty（1426 AD – 1435 AD）. Unfortunately, it was lost during the Cultural Revolution in1960’s. However, the Cultural Relics Bureau of Shannan region has a similar copper basin collected during that time, matching the era, which is an original item from Tradruk monastery’s collection.
Tradruk Monastery’s Cultural Relics
Changzhu Monastery’s Treasures – Pearl Thangkas: This is a rare treasure in the world, a “Guanyin Bodhisattva Resting” image created using pearls strung together in lines. It was made during the Phagmo Drugpa Regime in Tibet (12th-17th century), funded by the queen of the then King Naidong. Originally a precious thangka offered to Zisuo Temple, it was later housed in the second-floor Buddha hall of Changzhu Monastery, becoming the treasure of the monastery. The thangka is 2 meters long, 1.2 meters wide, using 26 taels of pearls, 4.1 taels of coral (1997 pieces), 15.5 grams of gold, one diamond, two rubies, one sapphire, 0.55 taels of amethyst, and 0.91 taels of turquoise (185 pieces). The Guanyin image alone on the thangka is made up of 29,927 small pearls in various colors like red, yellow, green, black, and white, surrounded by clouds, flowers, birds, and petals.
Shakyamuni Thangka: Also known as the Shakyamuni Silk Thangka, it is said to be embroidered by Princess Wencheng herself. The silk Shakyamuni image is 2.92 meters high, 1.72 meters wide, with Shakyamuni wearing a red robe, exposed right shoulder, adorned with the Eight Auspicious Symbols (Dharma wheel, conch shell, white umbrella, victory banner, lotus flower, water jar, golden fish, and endless knot) on the robe; golden skin, blue topknot, surrounded by lotus flowers in the background, sitting in a lotus position.
The right hand is in the earth-touching mudra, the left hand in the meditation mudra. At the top left of the image is the sun, in the center is the three-legged golden crow, and on the right is the moon, with a jade rabbit pounding medicine under a cassia tree. There are two lines of Sanskrit at the top. The thangka is finely woven, tight, and extremely exquisite, a masterpiece of Ming Dynasty silk images.
Both the Shakyamuni Thangka and the Pearl Thangka are kept in the rearmost room on the second floor of the main hall.
Bronze Bell: Inside the doorway of Changzhu Monastery hangs a bronze bell with two circles of Tibetan inscriptions, similar in style to the bell of Sangye Temple. According to research, the bell was cast during the reign of King Trisong Detsen of the Tubo Dynasty (the 37th Tubo King, in power from 755 AD to 797 AD). The donor who provided funds for the bell’s casting is the same person as the donor of Sangye Temple’s bell, Boza Tri Gyalmotsen.
Tradruk Monastery – A Brief History
In 1961, it was listed as one of the first national key cultural relics protection units.
During the “Cultural Revolution” of the 1960s, Changzhu Monastery also faced great difficulties. Apart from a few buildings used as granaries and residences for monks that survived, the main hall and most of the Lhakhangs, prayer halls, and other buildings were left empty, and many other cultural relics were lost.
In 1981, after the local government implemented religious policies, the original monks of the monastery and local people started fundraising for its reconstruction.
In 1982, the main buildings were repaired and opened to the public.
The willow forest surrounding the temple is said to have been planted by Princess Wencheng herself.
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