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PLACES
OF INTEREST
Xining,
Yushu, Nangchen
The world's largest mani pile, in
Yushu
There
are countless places of interest between Xining and Nangchen, in
fact in the entire Eastern Tibet of Amdo and Kham. But it is quite
unlikely for us to arrange a tour to visit each and everyone of them,
this is because the main activities of His Holiness the Twelfth
Gyalwang Drukpa's first visit to Nangchen will be happening mostly in Nangchen. Nonetheless, we have highlighted a few of the
interesting places and monasteries that we will definitely visit
in this trip. Some of the participants may be interested to extend
their tour or to return in the future to visit many of such holy
places and places of interest. If you like, you can take the
recently launched Qinghai-Tibet Railway from Xining to Lhasa.
We will be taking the National
Highway 214 from Xining to Nangchen. Along the way, there are also
some magnificent sceneries.
XINING (Ziling 2275m)
Xining is the only large
city in Qinghai and is the capital of the province. It has been a
military garrison and trading center since the 16th century. The population of Xining is
mostly Muslim (25%), Chinese, Mongolian, and very few Tibetans
live in the town. However, it has become an important center for
Tibetan Studies. The city developed through trade between China
and Persia, linking with the famous Silk Road to the north.
Buddhist masters such as Fa Xian passed this way en-route to India.
Kumbum Jampaling
26km
southwest of Xining, about 40 minutes' bus ride, is the county of
Huangzhong (Tib. Rushar), where Kumbum Jampaling or Ta-er
Si in Chinese, one of the greatest monasteries of Tibet is
located. Kumbum Jampaling Monastery, covering 41 hectares in total
area, was founded in 1560 to commemorate the birthplace of
Tsongkhapa by Rinchen Tsondru Gyaltsen. The monastery was built
around the tree that marked Tsongkhapa's actual birthplace, where
his mother, Shingza Acho, had constructed a stupa (kumbum)
in 1379. QINGHAI LAKE (Tso-ngon
3205m) Qinghai Lake,
known as Tso-Ngon in Tibetan and Kokonor in Mongolian, is the
largest salt water lake on the Tibetan Plateau,
renowned for its breathtaking scenery and thriving bird sanctuary
for cormorants, bar-headed geese, black-necked cranes, etc. 
HEKA
(3246m) MADUO (Mato
4610m)
YUSHU (Jyekundo 3700m)
The Gesar King statue in Yushu town center
During the Tang Dynasty, Yushu was part
of the ancient Tang-Tibet trade route from Chang'an (the present day Xi'an,
the capital of Tang Dynasty) to Lhasa, Tibet. Yushu prefecture or Jyekundo was
named after the town's illustrious hill-top monastery, Jyekundo Dondrubling.
The monastery was constructed on the site blessed by the great Sakyapa master,
Drogon Choygal Phagpa, who taught here while he was on his way to Mongolia.  About
20km south of Yushu is the famed Bida gorge, surrounded by four sacred peaks.
There are rock inscriptions, some of which were self-arisen. According to
legend, after King Songtsen Gampo received Princess Wencheng, they stayed here
for a month before continuing southwest towards Lhasa. Princess Wencheng had
the craftsmen accompanying her carved nine images with Buddha Vairocana as the
central figure, flanked by eight Bodhisattvas. The statue of Vairocana
apparently contains the relics of Buddha Kashyapa and the remains of Princess
Wencheng's deceased child.
Subsequently
when Princess Jincheng (the mother of King Trisong Deutsan) passed through in
710 AD, she commissioned a shrine hall to be constructed and this was expanded
in 730 AD. This temple was traditionally maintained by the Drikung Lineage,
but it is currently in the care of the neighboring Karma Kagyu's Thrangu
Monastery. NANGQIAN (Nangchen between
3500 to 4000m) There are over 30
monasteries and their branches, affiliated with the Drukpa Lineage, in
Nangchen. Among
them, H.E. the Eighth Trulshik Adeu Rinpoche's Tshechu Monastery is the most
revered. H.E. the Eighth Satrul Rinpoche's Trulshik Monastery and Choesin and
Lhamchok Rinopches' Jamme Monastery are also very important Drukpa monasteries
in Nangchen. The famed Gechak Nunnery and its branches are also located here.
This nunnery and its branches belong to Drubwang Tsoknyi Rinpoche of the
Drukpa Lineage and about less than a century ago, in its hey day, had over
3000 yoginis spending their entire life in strict retreat. 
The holy mountains near Trulshik Gompa
About
the holy mountains related to the Drukpa Lineage  In
the Tibetan Himalayas, there are six important mountains
"discovered" and consecrated by great masters of the
Drukpa Lineage. Among them, four are located in Nangchen, one is
the famed Mount Kailash where Gotsangpa charted the route for
circumambulation of the Mountain and the Lakes and started the
tradition of circumambulation, and the other one is Tsari in
southern Tibet, located very close to Druk Sangag Choeling
Monastery. It was Tsangpa Gyare who discovered part of the holy
pilgrimage site of Tsari, a powerful palce sacred to
Chakrasamvara. At this unusual site, he personally saw his yidam
Chakrasamvara who prophesized that he would be the future Buddha Möepa.
According to the secret instructions of the dakinis, he also made
accessible many hidden treasures of Dharma (terma) in
southern Tibet. The four holy
mountains of the Drukpa Lineage in Nangchen are:
|
1 |
Sarma
Yang Dzong (gsar.ma.yang.rdzong) - located near Trulshik
Monastery, discovered by the Tenth Gyalwang Drukpa and Choegyal
Dorje. |
|
2 |
Zi
Gyal (gzi.rgyal) - located at the border of Qinghai and
Tibet Autonomous Region, discovered by the Third Khamtrul
Rinpoche Ngawang Kunga Tenzin |
|
3 |
Pa
Gyal (pa.rgyal) - located near Tshechu Monastery,
discovered by the Third Khamtrul Rinpoche Ngawang Kunga
Tenzin |
|
4 |
La
Dzo (bla.rdzo) - located near Tshechu Monastery,
discovered by the Six Trulshik Adeu Rinpoche and the First
Drubwang Tsoknyi. |
We
are in the midst of compiling the history of various sacred monasteries of the
Drukpa Lineage that we will be visiting in Nangchen. Should you wish to be
updated once this information is available on this website, please contact us
at info@nangchen.org. |
