Labrang Temple

Labrang Temple means the mansion of Living Buddha in Tibetan language. It is one of the famous six Gelug temples (a sect of Tibetan Buddhism) in China. Labrang Temple is in the west of Xiahe County, Gannan Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, Gansu Province. Now Labrang Temple keeps the best teaching system of Tibetan Buddhism in China.

Development of the Temple

Labrang Temple is one of the highest Buddhism institutions in Gelug Tibetan Buddhism. It was built in 1709 of Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) by Living Buddha Jia Muyang in first generation, and meanwhile Wensi Academy and Xubuxia Academy were created. The Buddhist hall in Xubuxia Academy is the only and the most ancient Buddhist hall built by Living Buddha Jia Muyang in first generation.

Large Scale

With the development of 280 years, Labrang Temple is a comprehensive temple that has six academies, 108 attached temples, eight parishes, 48 Buddhist halls, 500 Buddhist monasteries. Six academies include one academy for Esoteric Buddhism and Exoteric Buddhism, and other five for Esoteric Buddhism.

Great Scripture Hall

Architecture style of Labrang Temple is mainly Tibetan style. Six academies have scripture halls each. As the center of Labrang Temple, scripture hall in Wensi Academy (also called as Great Scripture Hall) is the largest one. Great Scripture Hall can hold 4,000 to chant sutras at the same time in its peak time.

Front and Main Hall

There are hundred of large and small buildings distributed in front hall, main hall and back hall. Front hall shrines the statue of Sontzen Gampo (a famous king of Tibet in ancient times), and the front courtyard with 32 rooms surrounded is a place for students of Wensi Academy to exchange sutras and to take the exam. There is a stele hanging on the main hall bestowed by the Emperor Qianlong (1735-1795) of Qing Dynasty, and here shrines statures of Sakyamuni and Tsongkhapa (the founder of Gulug Tibetan Buddhism) etc.

Maitreya Hall

Back Hall of Great Scripture Hall is also called as Maitreya Hall. It was first built in 1788 and has six layers. In the center of the hall shrines gold plating bronze stature of Maitreya, which is about ten meters high, and in the left are 14 stupas.

Buddhist Festivals

Labrang Temple has Buddhist festivals and ceremonies nearly in every month. For example, the most important one is Praying ceremony in the first month of the lunar year. It lasts 15 days from Jan.3 to 17, and in this period, all monks chant sutras in Great Scripture Hall six times a day to pray a peaceful world, or other beautiful wishes. Besides, there are activities like “Free Captive Animals”.

During Parinirvana (death) days of the five generations of Living Buddha Jia Muyang, Labrang Temple has commemorative activities.

Rich Cultural Relics

Labrang Temple is one of the Tibetan Buddhist temples kept plenty Buddha statues. There are ten thousand cultural relics including famous murals and Tangka, and many Buddha statues, classical sutras and books of 60 thousand involving history, biography, and medicine and so on, which has a great influence in Tibetan Buddhism