Exploring Kumbum Monastery (Ta’er Monastery): A Key Stop on the Silk Road
The Kumbum Monastery, located in Huangzhong County, Xining, has a history of over 400 years. It is one of the important monasteries of the Gelug Sect of Tibetan Buddhism. Whether for its strong religious atmosphere or its unique architectural features, it is a place well worth visiting.
Kumbum Monastery Facts
- Location: No.56, Jinta Road, Lushaer Town, Huangzhong District, Xining, Qinghai, China
- Type: Religious Sites, Historical & Cultural Sites, Landmarks
- Altitude/elevation: 2696m
- Best Time to Visit: April – October
- Recommended Visiting Time: 3-4 hours
- Opening Hours: 08:00 – 17:00
- Tickets: 70 yuan from April to October, and 40 yuan from November to March
Introduction to Kumbum Monastery
The Ta’er Si Monastery, or Kumbum Monastery, is 25 kilometers southwest of Xining City, Qinghai Province. It is a famous Tibetan Buddhist monastery in China, and is the birthplace of Tsongkhapa, founder of the Gelug Sect of Tibetan Buddhism. Serving as the center for Buddhist activities in northwestern China, it has a grand scale.
At its peak, Kumbum Monastery had over 800 halls and covered an area of approximately 666.67 hectares. It is one of the six famous Tibetan Buddhist monasteries in China and enjoys a pretty high reputation not only in China but also in Southeast Asia. If you’re planning a China Silk Road tour, don’t miss the chance to explore Kumbum Monastery.
What Is the Meaning of Kumbum
The town of Lushar, where the Taer Monastery is located (now part of Huangzhong District), was known as “Foshan” and is called “Gönpa” in Tibetan, which means “one hundred thousand Buddhas.” It is said that Tsongkhapa (original name Losang Drakpa, 1357–1419), the great master, studied scriptures at the Xiaqiong Monastery in his early years and went to Tibet at the age of 16 to further his studies. He reformed Tibetan Buddhism and founded the Gelug Sect (Yellow Sect), becoming a great master of his time.
According to legend, after his birth, a white sandalwood tree grew from the spot where the blood from his umbilical cord had dropped. The tree had one hundred thousand leaves, and on each leaf, a Buddha image of Sakyamuni in the Simhanada form (a manifestation of Sakyamuni Buddha) naturally appeared. The name “Gönpa” originates from this story.
History of Kumbum Monastery
The Kumbum Monastery was originally established in the 39th year of the Jiajing Emperor’s reign during the Ming Dynasty (1560). It is one of the six great monasteries of the Gelug Sect of Tibetan Buddhism and the birthplace of Tsongkhapa, the founder of the Gelug Sect.
In 1949, Ma Bufang relocated the Eight White Yurts of Genghis Khan to the Ta’er Monastery due to the Chinese Civil War between the Nationalists and the Communists. In 1954, the People’s Republic of China moved the Eight White Yurts back to their original location in Ordos, Inner Mongolia.
Top Highlights & Attractions of Kumbum Monastery
Brilliant and unique architectural style
As an essential stop in a Silk Road travel, Kumbum Monastery showcases Tibetan Buddhist traditions. The walls of the halls and courtyards in the Kumbum Monastery feature several types of walls, including Tibetan-style walls, brick-carved walls, garden walls, and the walls of the northwestern village enclosures. Tibetan-style walls can be seen everywhere in the Kumbum Monastery, from the Great Hall of Scriptures to the Small Golden Tile Hall, the three great colleges, the Lhakhang Jigme New Palace, and even the mountain gate.
The architectural decoration of the Kumbum Monastery is also unique in style. There are exquisite and lively patterns of birds and animals, flowers and clouds, and human figures everywhere. This makes the entire Kumbum Monastery both magnificent and elegant, as well as quiet and refined.
Exquisite Relics
Apart from magnificent and grand architectural complex, Kumbum Monastery is also a cultural and artistic treasure trove where exquisite cultural relics converge and display a dazzling array of colors. A rich collection of cultural relics are housed here, including various ritual instruments, diverse and vivid Buddha statues, and an immense number of Tibetan, Mongolian, and Manchu Buddhist scriptures and inscriptions.
The Three Treasures of Ta’er Monastery
Butter sculptures
Included in the national intangible cultural heritage protection list in 2006. Butter sculptures are made from butter, which is extracted from the essence of yak milk, mixed with various natural pigments. This oil-based sculptural art integrates relief, pierced carving, three-dimensional carving, and painting. It tells complete Buddhist stories on the flower racks.
Murals
Included in the national intangible cultural heritage protection list in 2006. The murals of Kumbum Monastery inherit the painting style and school of the monastery’s master painter Qie Xi Luo Zang Xi Nian. They are characterized by rigorous composition, soft and natural color tones, delicate and smooth brushwork, and a unique system where the figures are both physically and spiritually depicted.
Butter sculpture appliqué
Included in the national intangible cultural heritage protection list in 2006. This is a special fabric appliqué art used for decorating the interior and exterior of the monastery’s Buddha halls. There are two types of appliqué in Ta’er Monastery: flat appliqué and three-dimensional appliqué, with the latter being an exclusive art form of the monastery.
Important Festivals and Events
Butter Lamp Festival
The Kumbum Monastery Butter Lamp Festival, also known as the Butter Sculpture Festival, is held annually on the 15th day of the first lunar month. It is a traditional festival of the Kumbum Monastery in Qinghai Province. The Buddha halls of the Kumbum Monastery will be adorned with colorful lanterns during festivals. Offerings of lamps, incense, clean water, grains, and dried flowers are made, and butter sculptures will also be displayed.
Religious Ceremonies
The Kumbum Monastery holds four major temple-wide religious ceremonies each year, in the first, fourth, sixth, and ninth lunar months, respectively. Visiting during these special dates allows for a more immersive experience of the local religious and cultural activities.
How to Get to Kumbum Monastery
- Public Transport: Take bus No. 2, No. 9, No. 12, or No. 13 and get off at Xinning Square Bus Stop to reach the Ta’er Monastery scenic area. Additionally, you can take bus No. 3, No. 4, No. 16, or other buses and get off at Management Station Bus Stop.
- By Car: Driving from Xining City to Taer Monastery will take about 45 minutes. The total distance is 30 kilometers.
- Taxi: The starting fare is 6 yuan for the first 3 kilometers. After 3 kilometers, the daytime rate is 1.3 yuan per kilometer, and the nighttime rate (from 22:00 to 6:00 the next day) is 1.5 yuan per kilometer.
Best Time to Visit
The Kumbum Monastery is suitable for visits all year round, but the experience will be better if you come here during some events mentioned above. Sure, if you also plan to visit other attractions, such as Qinghai Lake and the Chaka Salt Lake during a Xining tour, the best time to come is from April to October. If you want to avoid the crowds and high prices of the peak season, you can choose to visit in June or after late August.
Visitor Tips
- Buy tickets in advance, as queuing for tickets at Kumbum Monastery can take more than 40 minutes during the peak season.
- Ladies should not wear skirts above the knee; it is better to wear trousers.
- In Buddhism, never step on the thresholds of monasteries; you must step over them.
- Do not take photos of monks, Buddha statues, or worshippers (unless you have their explicit permission).
- Do not touch the items, Buddha statues, or other objects inside casually.
- Ta’er Monastery is a Tibetan Buddhist site. If you are an ordinary visitor paying respects to Buddha, do not burn incense; instead, light butter lamps.
- If possible, hire a tour guide for better understanding of the Kumbum Monastery history as well as the Silk Road history. The pricing is as follows: 80 yuan for 1–5 people, 100 yuan for 5–10 people, 120 yuan for 10–15 people, 140 yuan for 15–20 people, and 7 yuan per person for groups larger than 20.
Nearby Attractions
- Chaka Salt Lake: A famous natural crystallized salt lake in the Qaidam Basin. The lake is located in Haixi Mongol and Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, Qinghai Province, known as the Mirror of the Sky.
- Qinghai Xining Tibetan Culture Museum: The world’s only comprehensive national first-class museum themed around Tibetan medicine and distinguished by Tibetan culture.
