Surmang Monastery

Surmang Monastery is also called Zurmang monastery in Tibetan, or Su Mang Si in Chinese Pinyin.

Location

It is located in a vast alpine nomadic and farming region of Mao-zhuang village, some 220 km southwest from Yushu county.

Brief

It is the seat of the Trungpa Tülkus, also known as the Surmang Kagyu, is a sub-sect of Karma Kagyu, it even includes a unique synthesis of Nyingma teachings. Surmang also refers to a complex of nine or ten Kagyu monasteries in that area, those of which were lead by the Trungpa tülkus and the Gharwang tulkus.

Surmang Namgyal Tse

Among of the nine Kagyu monasteries in that area, Surmang Namgyal Tse located in Mao-zhuang village. Founder was Luo Dan-Ren Chen, who learned from the 5^th Karmpa, then after he traveled and worked in the areas of Yushu, Nangqian, founded Surmang Kagyu in the Yong-Le Year of Ming Dynasty. This monastery had magnificent temples and architectures, and used to housing more than one monks at the most. Renpoche Ga-wen was also the lcoal Lord rules Five hundreds-family village and six monasteries;

Surmang Dutsi Til

Surmang Dutsi Til is located some 60km from Surmang Namgyal Tse at a road junction on the north bank of Dsequ river overlook the valley; This monastery was founded by Trungpa Karma Gyaltsen the student of Luo Dan-Ren Chen, whom founded Surmang Namgyal Tse. All recarnations of Dzongba Karma Gyaltsen is also called “Trungpa”.

The renpoche “Ga-wen” was also the chief of “Bai-hu” (means hundreds of family) administrating Political and religious affairs. Ruling 550 fmailies, and 5 assembly halls, of which separately has 80, 94, 32, 24, and 16 pillars; and 200 acres of land,
102 cattle. it housed hundreds of monks in the 1940s’ of 20^th century, now there are about 60 monks live and study in this monastery

The “Surmang monastery”

Surmang Namgyal Tse and Surmang Dutsi Til, both two monasteries are called “Surmany monastery” which was one of the three major theocracy monasteries in Yushu region

Surmang Monastery Data

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How to get to there

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The quickest way is to take the flight from Xining to Yushu airport, then hire one local vehicle, drive to Surmang monastery, which may take 4-5 hours, the road is about 200 kilometers, approximately 50% is paved, the rest of the road is dirt road