Dongzhulin Monastery

Gaden Dongzhulin Monastery (Gadan • Dondrub Ling Monastery) is located on the eastern slope of Nanyongganding, south of Shusong Village, Benzilan Town, Deqin County, Diqing Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, Yunnan Province. Sitting at an altitude of approximately 3,000 meters, it is the largest and most influential Gelug pa (Yellow Hat) monastery within Deqin County and one of the renowned “Thirteen Great Monasteries (Thirteen Ling)” of the Kham region.

The Yunnan–Tibet Highway (G214) runs along the mountainside behind the monastery, providing convenient access, with roads generally passable year-round and rarely blocked by snow. Sheltered by the Baima Snow Mountains and located within the extended valley of the Jinsha River, the monastery enjoys a mild climate, often described as having “no severe cold in winter and no extreme heat in summer.”

Historical Development

Scholars generally propose two theories regarding the founding date of Dongzhulin Monastery: one dates it to the second year of the Wanli reign of the Ming dynasty (AD 1574), while the other places it in the sixth year of the Kangxi reign of the Qing dynasty (AD 1667).
Originally named Chongchong Cuogang Monastery, meaning “Monastery by the Crane Lake,” it initially belonged to the Kagyu school of Tibetan Buddhism. At the time of its founding, the monastery housed only a little over ten monks and was located about three kilometers northwest of the present site.

During the Kangxi period of the Qing dynasty, the monastery became involved in religious conflicts between the Kagyu and Gelug schools. After its defeat, it was compelled to convert to the Gelug tradition and was merged with seven nearby smaller monasteries, including Kangsa, Zhiyong, and Shusong. In the fifteenth year of the Kangxi reign (AD 1676), the Fifth Dalai Lama bestowed upon it the name “Gaden Dongzhulin,” signifying the accomplishment of the “two benefits” (benefiting oneself and benefiting others), and symbolizing the strategic importance of the Gelug school’s presence in the Kham region.
Thereafter, the monastery expanded rapidly. By the late Qing dynasty, it housed more than 700 monks and ten reincarnate lamas, gaining widespread renown.

Because the reincarnate lama Pabala Mibang Gyeltsen of Chamdo once petitioned the Qing court to conduct a longevity prayer ceremony for the emperor—and received imperial approval—Dongzhulin Monastery enjoyed sustained attention and patronage from the central authorities beginning in the Kangxi era. It was granted silver, plaques, and official titles, attaining a prominent status both politically and religiously.

During the Cultural Revolution, the monastery suffered severe destruction, with only parts of the original structures surviving. In 1985, with the support of the local government, it was relocated and rebuilt, a process that took seven years and gradually restored it to its present scale. In 1986, the 10th Panchen Lama, Erdeni Chökyi Gyaltsen, personally visited the monastery and donated funds in support of its reconstruction.

Architectural Layout and Artistic Treasures

The rebuilt Dongzhulin Monastery is laid out along the mountainside, rising in tiers with a grand and well-ordered design. Its core structure is a four-story scripture hall constructed of earth and timber, supported by 82 massive columns. The hall can accommodate up to 2,000 monks chanting simultaneously.

At the center of the first floor are enshrined Tsongkhapa, founder of the Gelug school, together with his two principal disciples, Gyaltsab Je and the First Panchen Lama, Khedrup Je—collectively known as the “Three Masters.” Flanking them are statues of Shakyamuni Buddha, Avalokiteshvara, Manjushri, Tara, Samantabhadra, and other Buddhas and bodhisattvas.
The second floor houses a 6.8-meter-tall statue of Jampa (Maitreya Buddha), whose head reaches into the third floor. The third floor contains the Juewo Lhakhang (Hall of Shakyamuni Buddha), enshrining a gilded bronze statue approximately 10.5 meters high, respectfully presented by Sera Monastery in Lhasa. The halls are richly adorned with intricate wood carvings, polychrome paintings, and murals of exceptional craftsmanship. The monastery preserves a large collection of religious treasures, including gilt Maitreya statues, White Tara images, representations of the Buddhas of the Three Times, Manjushri statues, as well as thangkas, embroidered sutras, and ritual implements.
Most notable among them is a monumental protector-deity thangka, measuring 8.5 meters long and 5.2 meters wide, meticulously woven from multicolored silk threads. Displayed only once a year during the most important cham (masked dance) ritual, it is regarded as the monastery’s supreme treasure.

Monastic Organization and System of Practice

Dongzhulin Monastery follows the complete Gelug tradition that integrates both exoteric and esoteric teachings. Its practices and disciplinary codes inherit the system of the Upper Tantric College in Lhasa and have been refined through strict regulations established by generations of eminent masters.
The monastery oversees seven Anqu (branch monasteries or practice centers), located in Benzilan, Shusong, Xiaruo, Tuoding, Zetong, Lapu, and Yeri, serving the religious needs of monks and lay believers in mountainous areas with difficult transportation.

A debate college operates within the monastery, where formal debate serves as a central method of study and evaluation. Debates take the forms of “paired debate” and “thesis debate,” constituting a core component of the Gelug scholastic system. Through long-term, systematic study, monks may attain degrees such as Lharampa Geshe, ultimately qualifying them for senior ecclesiastical positions, including that of Ganden Tripa.

Major Rituals and Religious Festivals

Ritual activities are held throughout the year at Dongzhulin Monastery. The most influential is the Gegui Duimu Festival (Cham Mask Dance Festival), celebrated from the 27th to the 29th day of the eighth month of the Tibetan calendar. During this period, monks perform esoteric cham dances wearing ritual masks, combining chanting, music, and dance in a solemn and grand spectacle that draws devotees from surrounding villages. In addition, the monastery regularly conducts major prayer assemblies and important tantric practices, including those of Vajrakilaya, Yamantaka, and Chakrasamvara, as well as traditional observances such as the summer retreat, Tara offering ceremonies, and year-end protector practices—forming a complete and rigorous annual religious calendar.

Lineage of Reincarnate Lamas

Since its founding, Dongzhulin Monastery has developed a complete system of tulku (reincarnate lama) lineages, historically including the Qionggu, Gada, Zhatang, Shezi, and Luzhu lineages. Among them, the Seventh Gada Rinpoche, Chökyi Wangchuk (1931–1995), was one of the most respected abbots in modern times. He devoted his life to the revival of Buddhism and to patriotic religious service, earning deep reverence throughout Tibetan regions.
The current abbot, Shezi Danzeng Qüpei Rinpoche, is fluent in both Tibetan and Chinese and has actively promoted monastery development and the propagation of Buddhist teachings, making outstanding contributions to the monastery’s contemporary growth.

Current Status and Cultural Significance

Today, Gaden Dongzhulin Monastery maintains a stable monastic community of several hundred monks, with a well-established tulku system and orderly continuation of religious activities. It serves not only as the spiritual center of Tibetan Buddhism in the Deqin region, but also as an important living site for the study of the history of the Gelug school in Kham, as well as of religious art and ethnic culture. As a key protected cultural heritage site of Yunnan Province, Dongzhulin Monastery holds irreplaceable value in religious, historical, and cultural terms. It is widely praised as a distinguished monastery in northwestern Yunnan’s Tibetan areas, embodying both majestic grandeur and a serene, refined atmosphere.

Dongzhulin Monastery Data

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