Tholing Monastery

Hours & Admission Price Peak Season
Jan. - Dec.
08:00-19:00
50 Low Season
Jan. - Dec.
08:00-19:00
50 Address & Phone in Zhada County, Nagri Region, Tibet. Transportation Rent a car from the county to the scenic spot. Notes

Located in the northwest of Zanda County, Ngari Region, Tholing Monastery is the first Buddhism monastery built by the Guge Kingdom (10th century-17th century).

 Tholing Monastery, located on the bank of the Sutlej River, the northwest of Zanda County, Nagri Region, Tibet, is the first Buddhism monastery built by the Guge Kingdom during its campaign (10th century-17th century). Tholing Monastery was built by the second king of the Guge Kingdom in 996 in the architectural style of the Samye Temple. Tholing means 'hovering in the sky forever' in Tibetan, and this indicates the imposing position occupied by the monastery. Tholing Monastery was used to be the Buddhism center at that period. For centuries, although suffered from the natural and man made destruction, Tholing Monastery was still a grand temple with standing places and high pagodas. In 1996, it was listed as the national first level cultural protection unit.

Overview

With the building layout of the ribbon, the Tholing Monastery consists of three parts, including the palace, the living place of the monks and the forest of the pagodas. The main buildings here consists the Jiasha Hall, White Hall, Pagoda, Luohan Hall, Maitreya Hall, Buddha Hall and the Assembly house, etc. Served as the symbol of the monastery, the Jiasha hall is divided in to inner part and the outside part. The inner part includes a central hall and four small halls. The center hall takes a shape of square and worshiped with the main Mandala and the statues of the Buddha. The outside part consists of 16 halls. On the four corners of the outside parts, there are built with four pagodas with a height of 13 meters. The white pagoda lies on the northeast of the Assembly house. The walls of the hall are decorated with exquisite murals, which attract many artists here to see the masterpiece of the ancient labors. As the forest of the pagodas, they can be divided into two groups. Each of the group includes three long pagodas and each of the pagodas is cascaded with dozens or hundred of pagodas with the same style, which looks amazing and spectacular.

The Three Treasures in Monastery

There are three treasures in the Monastery. One is the Elk antlers, which is said to be brought from the Atisha. Another one is the Five Buddha Crown, which symbolizes the coronet of the five Buddha. It is said to be the crown of the first Kampo. The left one is a block of black turning stone. On the stone, there indented a clear step with a depth of several inches. It is said to be the footprint of the honorable Atisha.