It turns out that Ganden Monastery in Lhasa is the legendary city in the sky!

Before I went to Ganden Monastery, I thought Drepung Monastery was the most beautiful temple I had ever seen. After visiting Ganden Monastery, I no longer want to recommend you to visit the several temples in Lhasa. I sincerely only recommend going to Ganden Monastery. Of course, if you really like natural scenery, but from a Buddhist perspective, the one just visited is not inferior to the several indoor temples. You may not know that there is actually a stupa inside Ganden Monastery. This is a mourning hall where the real body and bone relics of Buddha Sakyamuni and the belongings of Master Zhongkaba are enshrined. There are very few temples in the country that can enshrine the Buddha's real relics. The only one I know of in China is Famen Temple. The altitude here is about 4200m. If you have altitude sickness, it is recommended not to come here. If we don't have altitude sickness, we can go to the road in front of the Jokhang Temple Square in Lhasa at around 6:30 every morning. There we can take buses to various temples in the suburbs of Lhasa. These are large buses specially used for pilgrimages. The round-trip fare is 50 RMB. Remember not to pay via WeChat, as they only accept RMB. On the day I went to Ganden Monastery, I was the only tourist on the bus, the others were all Tibetans. This shows that this magical place is actually unknown to tourists from other places. On the way to Ganden Monastery, the Tibetans in the car chanted sutras the whole time, and it felt so sacred. When the bus passed the checkpoint at the foot of the mountain, I was the only tourist on the bus, so the bus driver said that all the people were Tibetans. Therefore, I was also exempted from the 50 yuan ticket fee, thank you very much. The major temples in Lhasa do not charge Tibetans for worship, but they charge fees for tourists from other places. The car followed the winding road up, and the altitude recorder on the mobile phone kept climbing higher. After getting off the bus, I saw Ganden Monastery in the distance looming in the fog. It really looked like a fairyland. Because we went there early, the indoor speakers were doing their homework. There is a cafeteria near the parking lot where you can pay to eat. They also have meat for you to eat, but the taste is just so-so and I’m not really used to it. Don't underestimate this place. I see many foreigners coming here to worship, including those from Nepal and India who come here specifically to worship. I really recommend everyone to come here, the scenery is really amazing and beautiful. Especially the hall where the Buddha's relics of Sakyamuni are enshrined, there are stupa souvenirs on display, as well as amulets, incense and other things next to them. A characteristic of Tibetan Buddhism is that unlike the temples in the mainland, they also accept offerings from Tibetan believers, but usually only 50 cents or 1 yuan, not 100 yuan like those often seen in the mainland. In short, I highly recommend everyone to come here. The drive takes about an hour and a half, but it will definitely make you unforgettable.