Jampaling Monastery – A Hidden Gem of the Gelug Yellow Sect in the Mountains

Written by Clementine | Updated May 11,2024

Jampaling Monastery locates at the intersection of Angqu River and Zaqu River (two branches of Lantsang River in Tibet), back the Hengduan Mountains and stands on the red earth layer which was cut by ancient glacier. That gifts the Jampaling Monastery with beautiful natural scernery.

Jampaling Monastery bears its fame as the biggest monastery in the east of Tibet and one of biggest monastery in the whole Tibet. There are 5 branch Dratsang governed by Jampling Monastery which bear similar use as school in Chinese for people to learn Buddhism.

About its name, there is a small tale: The primary great master of Gelugpa Tsongkhapa passed by here on his journey from Qinghai to Lhasa to learn Buddhism in his 16 years old, viewing the fair looks here, he foretold that it was bound to be the place to preach and spread Buddhism. Later, his student built the Monastery in 1444 and the abbot of it in that days was Jampaling, hence the name.

From its birth to today, there are so many monks living there. With the long-time’s accumulation of the effort form these monks, hundreds of Buddha images and statues of famous monks as well as more than 1000 km² frescos and Tangkas have being conserved well in this Monastery. All of these artworks collected the intelligence and wisdom of the skillful craftsman here and representing the high level of the arts in Chamdo.

The scenery here mostly deserves your visit is “Qing mu (god dance called Shen wu in Chinese)”. This dance is an ancient and traditional ritual dance in Tibet, featured with neat and elegant dancing postures, famous for its grand and gorgeous scenes in snowy plateau, showing their sincere belief for the religion with its all dancers wearing special grisly masks. Travelers who plan to witness the holy scenes are suggested arranging their tour in Butter Sculpture Festival holding at New Year in Tibetan calendar (one month after the New Year in Gregorian calendar). There also is other grand Festival worthy a visit, for example, in 15^th, February of Tibetan calendar (March to April in calendar year) Jampaling Monastery will celebrate the most important religious festival which has more than 500 years’ history. In the Festival, a huge Buddha Image with 18m tall and 13 wide will be show to people. Meanwhile many people will pour into the square in front of the Monastery for pilgrimage.

Open time: all time

Entrance fee: free

Travel Tips:

1. If travelers would like to take beautiful pictures of the temples surrounded by the two rivers and the lined folk houses and monks’house here, they’d better to stop at the mountainside of Damara Mountain when passing there by cars, where allow travelers easily find a good angle for photographing.
2. Butter sculptures here earn quitebig fame, especiallyin the Butter Lantern Festival in the 15^th of January in Tibet calendar, and travelers may not miss it.