Ta'er Monastery (Kumbum Monastery)
Brief Introduction
Ta'er Monastery is one of the six major monasteries of the Gelug School of Tibetan Buddhism in China, and it is also a leading scenic spot in Qinghai Province and a Major Historical and Cultural Site Protected at the National Level, with a history of more than 400 years. It is one of the most popular tourist destinations in Xining with its magnificent architecture, rich treasures, and strong religious atmosphere. The butter sculptures, colorful murals, and embossed embroidery are known as the "Three Artistic Wonders", which have a unique national style and high artistic value.
The architectural style of the Ta'er Monastery is a combination of the Han palace and Tibetan flat-roofed style. The main buildings are distributed on two slopes of Lianhua Mountain, forming a complex of Tibetan and Han combined, covering an area of 450,000 square meters. The brilliant Grand Golden Tiled Hall is the main building of Ta'er Monastery, located in the center of the monastery, with green walls and gold tiles.
The temple holds a series of religious activities every year, the most famous of which is the "Four Big Dharma Assemblies". In these religious activities, the monks and priests will chant sutras, sacrifice, and other important ceremonies, which are grand and mysterious. Therefore, you can enjoy the architectural art and cultural heritage here but also feel the Buddhist culture.
Sightseeing Overviews of Ta'er Monastery
There are obvious differences in the architectural layout between the Ta'er Monastery and the Han Buddhist temples in China, For instance, the architectural complex of the Ta'er Monastery is not axisymmetrical and penetrates in depth. Ta'er Monastery is an ancient building composed of many halls, sutras, pagodas, and colleges, every academy, hall, and pagoda is irregularly distributed on a small hill.
If you don't enter the sutras or halls and just hang out outside, you don't need to buy a ticket, but when you enter some open sutras or halls, you have to buy a ticket to visit. It has more than a dozen courtyards and halls open to visitors now.
The Great Golden-tiled Hall
The Great Golden-tiled Hall is the center of the whole complex, it is said that on the site where Zongkaba was born, now stands the Great Golden-tiled Hall, an umbrella-shaped Bohi tree came out as a result of red nectar dripping into the soil when his umbilical cord was cut. Later, the pagoda and the temple were built, hence the name of Ta'er Monastery. Nowadays, many Believers think that the tree and the tower are the embodiment of the Master.
"Three Artistic Uniques" of Ta'er Monastery
Ta'er Monastery is not only a holy center of Buddhism but an artistic treasure house of Han and Tibetan cultures. It is well known for its sumptuous architecture, Precious relics, and religious artifacts of superb workmanship with a strong nationality style.
There are also some precious gifts granted by emperors and famous visitors and a vast accumulation of ancient Tibetan literature as well. Butter sculptures, murals, and embossed embroidery are known as the "Three Artistic Uniques". Additionally, in recent years, woodcarvings, another unique work of art, are viewed as"the Fourth Unique in the lamasery". The pagodas, stupas, red walls, green tiles, golden roofs, green trees the wheel of laws, colorful flags, the emblems of the wheel of dharma, and the Golden Deer all make it a monastic center richly endowed with faith, mystery, and awe.
Religious Activities
The best time to travel to Ta'er Monastery is from June to September, at this time the four religious activities are held in the Chinese lunar calendar of 8th to 18th January, 8th to 15th April, 3rd to 9th June, and 20th to 23rd September respectively. On these occasions, tourists both from home and abroad swarm here to enjoy such various and colorful religious activities as "the Grand Buddha Basking in the Sun", "Lama Dance", "Praying for Buddha", and so forth.
Features
Chinese Name: Ta Er Si（塔尔寺）
Location: Jinta Road, Huangzhong District, Xining City, Qinghai Province
Scenic Spot Level: National 5A Level Scenic Spot
Travel Information
Opening Time: peak-season 6:00-20:00, off-season 7:30-19:00
Ticket Price: peak-season 70CNY, off-season 40CNY
Opening Time: 07:30-18:30
1. In Ta'er Monastery, the Turret and the Prayer Wheel are clockwise.
2. As a kind of respect for the local customs, visitors are not allowed to take photos in Ta'er Monastery.
3. The altitude of Ta'er Monastery is about 2700 metres, although it is not too high, some tourists may have a slight altitude reaction, so they should have a mental preparation.
4. There are many hotels in Rushal Town where Tar Temple is located, but most tourists will return to Xining after visiting Ta'er Monastery. Although there are many restaurants in the small town, but the food condition is not as good as Xining, so the travelers are suggested to bring some drinks and snacks.
