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Ganden Monastery

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Ganden Monastery’s full name is Ganden Namgyeling Monastery which is translated as, “Continent of Completely Victorious Happiness.” It was traditionally considered the seat of Gelug pa administrative and political power. It used to house about more than 2,000 monks, and now there are about 200-300 monks

Brief

Ganden Monastery was founded in 1409 AD by Tsongkhapa – the founder of the Gelug pa. After Tsongkhapa died there in 1419 AD. His preserved body was entombed at Ganden by his disciples in a silver and gold encrusted tomb.

Location

Ganden monastery is about 57 km East of Lhasa along the road that follows the south bank of the Kyi Chu river. The road turn-off is at road marker “4591” where a small village is at the road junction. From here a curved road leads onto the mountain for approximately 15-17 km. The monastery is near the top of Wangbu Ri on the mountain ridge of Gokpo Ri . Its altitude is 4,750 meters. It is one of the ‘Great Three’ Gelug pa monasteries in the central Tibet. The other two are Drepung monastery and Sera monastery. It denotes the Paradise of Tushita and the abode of Jampa, which is the future buddha.

Buildings

Ganden contained more than 18 major chapels, each is with large Buddha statues. Among of which, the four main chapels are

  • Serdung Lhakhang, the chapel contains The Gold Tomb of Tsongkhapa
  • Ser Tri Khang, the chapel of Tsongkhapa’s Gold Throne. It also contains one Kagyu Library
  • Ngam Cho Khang, the chapel where Tsongkhapa taught
  • Amdo Khangtsen, the chapel used by monks coming from Amdo. This chapel contains wall paintings of 35 Buddhas of confession and the 16 Arhats, and the protector of Amdo which is called “Anima Ja”
full view
Ganden Monastery
main hall
ganden-monk
ganden-monastery

Ganden Monastery Data

Address & Contact

Add : Wang Po Ri , Dagze District
Contact : +86 891 614-2077

Opening hour

09:00am – 16:00pm

Altitude

3,800 meters

Entrance fee

RMB 40 per person

How to get to there

There are 4 buses to Ganden monastery daily departured from Lhasa East Bus Station,
The 1st departure: 06:30 am
The last return bus: 15:00-16:00 pm
Ticket Rates: RMB 10 per person – one way | Round trip – RMB 20 per person

Or, you surely can choose to rent a taxi to this monastery, the price for renting a vehicle is about RMB 200-300 round trip, private transportation

Lhasa East Bus Station

Add: No. 3, Jiang Su Road, Lhasa
Phone: +86 0891 634-0523
Altitude: 3,600 meters

Lhasa Gonggar Airport

Address: Jia Zu Lin Town, Gongga Xian
IATA Code: LXA
Altitude: 3,600 meters
Contact: +86 891 6216465 / 6827727


The Four Major Sects of Tibetan Buddhism

Ganden Monastery
Gelug pa
Pelpung Kagyupa
Kagyu pa
Larung Gar Monastery
Nyingma pa
Sakya monastery
Sakya pa

Tibetan Buddhism Icons

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Kirti Monastery

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Kirti Monastery is one Gelug pa monastery, was founded in 1870 and being built on the northwestern corner of Aba (Ngawa) City, Sichuan Province.

Brief

It occupies an area of 18,000 square meters, houses about 1,800 monks, and one attached monk school; It is the largest Tibetan Monastery in Ngawa. There are many (approximately 30-40) smaller monasteries affiliated with the Kirti Monasteries spread throughout Aba county.

Different names

The name of “Kirti” in Tibetan also pronounce “Ger-deng”, in Chinese Pin Yin, it is called “Ge-Er-Deng”. Local people use “Kirti” or “Ge-Er-Deng” to refer this monastery. Its altitude is about 3,300 meters above sea level.

Why become popular

It becomes well-known for its 30 meters high white chorten known as the Dudul Chorten which has chapels on various floors respectively dedicated to Shakyamuni Buddha, Mahakarunika, and the Three Deities of Longevity, Tsongkhapa and Sitatapatra. This enormous pagoda has 120 pillars, and some of the statues are 8 meters height

Kirti Monastery
kirti Monastery monk teachers
kirti monastery
pilgrims in aba county

Kirti Monastery Data

Address

Add : Near the 503 village road

Opening hour

Full day

Altitude

3,300 meters

Entrance fee

Free of charge

How to get to there

Kirti Monastery is actually located in the center area of Aba county, which the No. 503 road passing through; you will first need to get to Aba county by either flight or bus

Aba Hong Yuan Airport

Add: 48 kilometers from Hong Yuan county
Contact: +86 837 7735566
Airport code: AHJ
Altitude: 3,535 meter above sea level

Aba Bus Station

Add: Qia Tang Middle Road, Aba County
Contact: +86 837 248-1528
Altitude: 3290 meters above sea level
Working Hours: 06:00 am – 21:00 pm

Mt. Minya Gangkar

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Eastern Tibet – Mt. Minya Gangkar (also Gangkar mountain, Mt. Gongga or Mt. Gangkar)
Mt. Minya Gangkar
Minya Gangkar – Highest Peak on the Globe – 30,250 feet”, wrote American explorer Joseph Rock in the late 1920s after setting eyes on the stunning truncated summit of Minya Konka. The National Geographic Society, which funded Rock’s expeditions to the peak, regarded the report with skepticism and listed the peak at 24,000 feet (7,500 meters). Their guess was closer to the mark. Several years later, in 1932, during the chaotic warlord period in China, Americans Terri Moore and Richard Burdsall climbed the peak, after spending almost a year traveling through China just to reach its base. Their measurement of Minya Konka came in at 24,891 feet. Internal conflict in China cut the mountain off from the outer world until 1980. In 1981, Americans again climbed the peak, this time known as Gongga Shan, a name given by the Chinese who had climbed it in the late 1950s.

The Tibetan word ‘Minya’ refers to an ancient kingdom that formerly controlled the region. ‘Gangkar’ is a corruption of the Tibetan words ‘Gang kar’, meaning white snow. Thus the mountain’s name means “White Snow Mountain of the Kingdom of Minya.” Minya Gangkar is the highest peak in the Da Xue range, which runs in a north-south direction through Sichuan province. Surrounding the peak are countless lesser peaks, many above 19,200 feet in elevation.

A Trek in Mt. Minya Gangkar will bring you into this mysterious land to explore its beauty!

Luding Bridge

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Luding , climate here is mild and the natural resources are abundant. it is about some 49 km from Kangding, the gateway ton of entering Tibetan Plateau.

Luding Iron Chain Bridge is a interesting site to visit, it was built in 1706 according to the requirement of Kangxi Emperor in Qing Dynasty, which is the first chain bridge over the Dadu River. The design of bridge is ingenious and its structure is peculiar. The bottom of the bridge floor is made up of nine iron chains, and place wooden plates on the surface. Two iron chains are used as protection fence separately on both sides. The bridge is 102 meters long and 3 meters wide. The vigorous and original 3 big letters Luding Bridge written by Kangxi Emperor in Qing Dynasty, which is well preserved so far. The Chain Bridge is not only famous for its traffic strategic pass but also famous for the Luding Bridge Battle launched by the Chinese Red Army in 1935 on the Long March. Luding Bridge was classified as the State preserved cultural relic by the State Council in 1961.

Curious Animal

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Curious Animal, a new online magazine for adventure travel, photography, arts, gear and world affairs, is now online.

BBC Radio this week said “The world has a new center and that center is Curious Animal!”

Please check out the site, including interviews with Irvine Welsh, Meena Kandasamy, Soren Solkaer…, travel ideas, reviews…

Jorkhang temple

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Jorkhang templeThe Great spiritual and historical Site of Jorkhang Temple, was the first Buddhist temple in Tibet, located on Barkhor Square in Lhasa. It was built during the reign of king Songsten Gampo (605?-650 CE) to celebrate his marriage with Chinese Tang Dynasty princess Wencheng, who was a Buddhist.

The temple was, and sometimes still is, called the ‘Tsuklakang’ (Tsulag Khang) — ‘House of Religious Science’ or ‘House of Wisdom.’ The term tsuklak refers to the ‘sciences’ such as geomancy, astrology, and divination which formed part of the pre-Buddhist shamanistic religion now referred to as Bon religion, the original generated Tibetan relifious. It is more commonly known today as the Jokhang, which means the ‘House of the Buddha’.

This temple has remained a key center of Buddhist pilgrimage for centuries. It was sacked several times by the Mongols, but the building survived. In the past several centuries the temple complex was expanded and now covers an area of about 25,000 sq. meters.

The Jokhang temple complex has several decorated shrines and rooms. The main hall of the temple houses the Jowo Shakyamuni Buddha statue, perhaps the single most venerated object in Tibetan Buddhism. There are also famous statues of Chenresig, Padmasambhava and King Songtsan Gambo and his two famous foreign brides, Princess Wen Cheng (niece of Emperor Taizong of Tang China) and Princess Bhrikuti of Nepal. Many of the statues were destroyed during the “cultural revolution” but have since been remade – often including broken pieces of the original statues.

Auspicious day

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Feburuary 15th – One Special day of Tibetan

Today is February 15th on Tibetan calendar, and also is April 15th in Gregorian calendar. It means the Auspicious day of a hard-won, Usually in the Tibetan calendar, 8th, 10th, 15th, 25th, 30th, are those, of which belong to a special days, and in these dates with our lineage, those are the days of doing good deeds, such as the release, chanting, to pray for world peace, brotherhood beings including animals, Busch（offering）, vegetarian, etc., to help us wash away the dirt that is on our mind, and the thinking of our own value, to reflect our lives, and to save our souls. I am very grateful to the ancestral heritage so good in our lives these days, there will be a month to remind you of being a good and responsible person, regardless if you may or may not have faith, our life are inseparable to Cause and Effect. Love is one thing you can’t give away – it comes back to you…