Kumbum Monastery, also known as Ta’er Monastery in Chinese, sits in Xining City, the capital of Qinghai Province in China. It was founded in 1379, named after the Great Silver Pagoda built in memory of Tsongkhapa, the founder of the Gelug school of Tibetan Buddhism, the Yellow Hat Sect. It is called Kumbum Jampa Ling in Tibetan, which means the sacred temple with 100,000 roaring lion statues.
Kumbum Monastery is one of the six greatest Gelug Sect monasteries of Tibetan Buddhism in China. It is also one of the top scenic spots and historical sites in Qinghai Province and a national key cultural relics protection unit. It has been listed as one of China’s “100 Wonders of the Northwest.”
Kumbum Monastery Overview
Kumbum Monastery is well-known for its “Three Arts,” butter sculpture, murals, and barbola. In addition, many Buddhist classics and academic monographs on history, literature, philosophy, medicine, and legislation are collected in the temple. The Ta’er Monastery is also one of the high educational institutions that produced a large number of Tibetan intellectuals.
Ta’er Monastery is the center of Tibetan Buddhism in Northwest China. It also enjoys a good reputation in Southeast Asia. The central government of past dynasties highly praised the religious status of Kumbum Monastery. Many Dalai Lamas and Panchen Lamas have conducted religious services here.
Kumbum Monastery is a Buddhist complex with over 1,000 courtyards, 4,500 temples and monasteries. It is large in scale with palaces, Buddhist halls, sutras halls, sleeping quarters, and courtyards where lamas live. The architecture of the temple integrates both Han and Tibetan styles.
Fast Facts about Kumbum Monastery
- Location: No. 56 Jinta Road, Lushaer Town, Huangzhong District, Xining, Qinghai
- Area: 143 hectares (0.55 square miles)
- Altitude: 2,680 meters (8,793 feet)
- Hours: 7:30 am-6:30 pm
- Tickets: CNY 70
- Recommended Visit Time: 2-3 hours
- Best Time of the Year: April to October
- Suited to: culture lovers, spiritual travelers, anyone interested in Tibetan Buddhism
Main Structures of Kumbum Monastery
1. Pagodas of Buddha Shakyamuni
These white pagodas are the symbols of Kumbum Monastery, built to commemorate the eight major events of the Buddha Shakyamuni from birth to Nirvana. The towers are made of bricks, and decorated with shapes of flowers and clouds. The eight towers are like the eight guardians of the holy site.
2. Grand Golden Tiled Hall
The Grand Golden Tiled Hall is placed in the center of the Monastery ground. It was built in 1560 AD. Its golden roof was constructed with 1300 taels of gold and more than ten thousand taels of baiyin (silver). The eaves are decorated with gold-plated clouds, and dripping lotus petals. Grand Golden Tiled Hall is certainly the most magnificent structure of Kumbum Monastery.
3. Main Assembly Hall
The Main Assembly Hall is the largest structure of Ta’er Monastery. It is a large sutra hall with 168 columns, first built in 1606 in the Ming Dynasty. It is the place where lamas chant sutras. The hall can contain more than 1,000 lamas at the same time.
Interior furnishings are very elegant, decorated with yellow, red, green, blue, and white streamers and curtains. You’ll also see large and precious works of barbola of the Buddha. The beams are painted with Tibetan-style patterns that are delicate and vivid. It is a magnificent sight that you can’t miss on your Qinghai tour.
The “Three Arts” of Kumbum Monastery
1. Butter Sculpture
The Butter Sculpture Exhibition Hall showcases the “best art of Ta’er Monastery.” The making and displaying of butter sculptures at Kumbum Monastery has been a tradition since 1612. They are vivid and colorful sculptures of the Buddha, flowers, birds and animals, pavilions and structures with oil extracted from butter.
The process of making a butter sculpture is incredibly difficult. It is usually made in the freezing winter because the shaping and coloring are done on frozen butter. Frozen butter is so particular about temperature, that even the temperature of the artisans’ hands might cause it to melt, so they have to constantly dip their hands in ice water in the sculpting process.
2. Murals
Murals are a distinctive art form at Kumbum Monastery. They are bright and expressive, painted with stone mineral pigments. The mural subjects are mostly drawn from the Buddhist sutra. Most of them are painted on drapes; some are painted directly on walls and beams. At the Sutra Meeting held in June each year, the drapes are put out on display, which is called “Shaidafo” (drying the Buddha).
3. Barbola
The subject of barbola is generally similar to the murals but in a different art form. Barbola is the art of trimming colorful silk and satin into various shapes of Buddha figures, flowers, and animals and filling them with wool and cotton. The embroideries are made three-dimensional and lifelike.
How to Get to Kumbum Monastery
To get to Kumbum Monastery, you need to travel to Xining first. Fly into Xining Caojiabao International Airport or take a train to Xining Railway Station. From Xining, take a bus from Xining Bus Station or Xining Railway Station to Huangzhong County. Or take a taxi from the city center to Ta’er Monastery, which is about 30 minutes away and costs CNY 100.
Attractions Nearby Kumbum Monastery
- Dongguan Mosque is the largest mosque in Qinghai Province. Its architecture demonstrates a skillful blend of traditional Chinese and Islamic styles. It is also renowned as the highest learning institution of Islam in the region.
- Qinghai Lake is the largest and most beautiful lake in China. You’ll find stunning scenery including mountains, grasslands, and fields of blooming flowers.
