Labrang Monastery in Gannan is definitely worth it

Labrang Monastery in Gannan is definitely worth it❗❗ Hello everyone, happy May! This is Xiao Ding 🐳 just back from Gannan. During the 4-day trip, Labrang Monastery deserves a dedicated introduction. It is the highest institute of Tibetan studies in the world, known as the "Tsinghua University" of Tibetan studies, and also the filming location for the movie "A World Without Thieves." 🧵Recommended route: about 3 hours, ticket 40 RMB - Enter from the East Gate (Tourist Service Center, the starting point of the world's longest 1.4 km prayer wheel, and also the official starting point for guided tours); - Exit from the West Gate (there is a viewing platform opposite the West Gate parking lot where you can take panoramic photos, see pictures 16-18) ⭐Detailed walking route: Prayer Wheel → Gongtang Pagoda (20 RMB for full view photos) → Medical College → Lion’s Roar Buddha Hall (Shou’an Temple) → Manjushri Bodhisattva Hall → Butter Sculpture Exhibition Hall → Labrang Monastery Museum → Maitreya Buddha Hall (Great Golden Tile Hall) → Wen Si College (Great Scripture Hall) → Kalachakra College Here are some tips to share: 1️⃣ Labrang Monastery is very large, but only the following are open to the public: Great Golden Tile Hall, Butter Sculpture Exhibition Hall, Labrang Monastery Museum, Lion’s Roar Buddha Hall, Manjushri Buddha Hall. The six core areas: Wen Si College, Medical College, Kalachakra College are open (the three parts of continuation upper, continuation lower, and Vajra College are not open). 2️⃣ Gongtang Pagoda requires a separate ticket of 20 RMB. You can climb to the top floor for a full view, but the viewing platform at the West Gate parking lot also offers a good panorama. 3️⃣ The Tourist Service Center offers official monk-led explanations about every 15 minutes, highly recommended to listen. A Tibetan guide will first take you from the East Gate to the "Guide Assignment Office," where a monk takes over to start the tour; The route is: Lion’s Roar Buddha Hall (Shou’an Temple) → Manjushri Bodhisattva Hall → Butter Sculpture Exhibition Hall → Labrang Monastery Museum → Maitreya Buddha Hall (Great Golden Tile Hall) → Wen Si College (Great Scripture Hall); 4️⃣ Butter sculptures, thangkas, and murals are the three masterpieces of Tibetan Buddhism. The monastery’s museum has butter sculptures, and students from six major colleges make new butter sculptures every year on the 15th day of the first lunar month. 5️⃣ Labrang Monastery is usually combined with Sangke Grassland + Labrang Monastery + Gannan Secret Realm on the Gannan route ~ worth spending 1-2 days. When chatting with the guiding monks, I learned about their doctoral degrees: they need to master the entire monastery’s knowledge, which takes 10-20 years to read through once and another 10-20 years to master. The "doctorate" takes at least 20 years, with only one spot available each winter and summer, really requiring perseverance. - - -