[2025 Yushu Attraction] Travel Guide for Jiegu Monastery (Updated Apr)

✨You can see it at a glance in Yushu City 🔥Landmark/Landmark--Jiegu Temple Looking up at Jiegu Temple in Yushu City 🌈It was exactly 9 a.m. when we arrived. There were fewer tourists and it was relatively quiet. Local believers are gradually entering the entrance of the hall, and the monks are cleaning the ground and will start morning classes soon. 🌟The location of Jiegu Temple overlooks the whole city of Yushu. The scenery is quite good, and you can see the river flowing like a jade belt. 💫Aerial photography tip: You can take off in the open space with few people in the temple. The signal is strong throughout the whole process and the connection is stable! Shooting and sharing: 💫Panorama of Jiegu Temple: Panorama of Yushu City 🌟Create with Jiegu Temple as the main body and the city/mountain as the background

Surrounded by mountains and white clouds, the lotus platform is born; The red courtyard wall, the golden top, and the prayer flags are flying; The architecture is magnificent, there are many monks, and the cultural relics are rich; This is where the ninth Panchen Lama, who has maintained the unity of the motherland throughout his life, passed away; This is the Sakya Monastery in Yushu, Qinghai. Jiegu Monastery, with its unique religious atmosphere and long history, has become a spiritual land in Yushu travel. It is not only an important place for religious beliefs, but also an excellent place to experience Tibetan culture and scenery. Jiegu Monastery, Tibetan called "Jiegu Dunzhu Luo", means "Jiegu Yichengzhou", located on the Dongmuta Meima Mountain in Jiegu Town, Yushu Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, Qinghai Province, at an altitude of 3700 meters, is the Sakya Monastery of the local original Zawu tribe. Jiegu Monastery is famous for its magnificent architecture, many monks, rich cultural relics, and many famous monks in Tibetan areas of our country. The main buildings of Jiegu Monastery include: Dajing Hall, Lecture Hall, Dazhao Hall, Maitreya Hall, Jiana and Wenbao Living Buddha Courtyard, Monk House, etc. The main offerings in the Sutra Hall and the Hall are Sakyamuni Buddha, Lotus Master, Auspicious Goddess, Baozhang Hu Master, Sandalwood Carved Mother and Tibetan Sakya Five Ancestors and other types of copper and gold and high-quality wood carvings. There are more than 3,400 Buddha statues. There are nearly 10,000 volumes of classics such as "Ganzhuer" and "Danzhuer". There are also many precious cultural relics such as the Sakyamuni Thangka donated by Basiba, the Sandalwood Mother Statue, and the Zawu Baihu Ancestral Treasure Knife.

Jiegu Monastery is located on Jiegu Mountain in the northeast of Yushu. The monastery is built along the mountain, with temples and monk quarters arranged in an orderly manner. From a distance, it looks like a multi-story pavilion. Historically, it has always been the main monastery of the Sakya sect in the Yushu area. Before the disaster that shocked the world, Yushu was not very well-known. It was the earthquake in 2010 that brought national grief and imprinted this name in the hearts of the people. Today, Yushu has swept away the shadows of the past and rebuilt a beautiful homeland with the support of people across the country. Standing in this grand, majestic, and solemn monastery, with its red walls, golden roofs, white towers, and colorful prayer flags, you can hardly find any traces of the disaster. From the platform, you can overlook the entire city of Yushu, with blue skies, white clouds, surrounding mountains, meandering rivers, houses, villages, and bustling crowds. The magnificent scenery is all in view, and the quiet and peaceful atmosphere is enchanting. Speaking of the Sakya sect, one must mention the Liangzhou Alliance. It is an important turning point in Tibetan history, providing a legal basis for sovereignty and laying the foundation for the Sakya sect to be ranked among the four major sects. The two most famous masters of the sect, Sakya Pandita and Phagpa, made indelible contributions to the alliance and the completion of unification. As an important temple of the Sakya sect, Jiegu Monastery houses the Thangka of Shakyamuni and the sandalwood statue of Tara given by Phagpa. It is also the place where the Ninth Panchen Lama, who dedicated his life to maintaining national unity, passed away. The most famous monk of this monastery is the first Gana Rinpoche, the founder of the "World's Largest Mani Pile" ☞ Xinzhai Mani City. We visited Jiegu Monastery in mid-June. Unfortunately, the main hall was not open. We don't know if it was due to the summer retreat or some other reason. We could only wander around the monastery and soak up some Buddhist atmosphere.

Jiegu Monastery is located to the east of Jiegu Town, known far and wide in the Tibetan areas of China for its magnificent architecture, numerous monks, rich cultural relics, and many eminent disciples. In Tibetan, it is called 'Jiegu Dondrub Lha', which means 'Jiegu Righteous Island'. Situated on the north of Mita Memar Mountain in Jiegu Town, Yushu Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, Qinghai Province, it is a Sakya sect monastery of the local original Zhabu tribe. Located on Jiegu Mountain to the east of Jiegu Town in Yushu, its Tibetan name 'Jiegu Dondrub Leng' also means 'Jiegu Righteous Island'. It is the main monastery of the Sakya sect in Qinghai Province. The main buildings include: 2 scripture halls, 220 monk cells, and the main structure 'Duwen Zhou Jiacuo' can accommodate 100 monks chanting scriptures. The lecture hall, Dazhao Hall, Maitreya Hall, and the Jiana and Wenbao Living Buddha Institutes each have their own characteristics. Here lies the 'World's Largest Mani Stone Mound', made of mani stones engraved with the six-syllable mantra 'Om Mani Padme Hum', translated into Chinese as 'Ah! Holy Buddha on the Lotus Throne! Oh!'. Some mani stones are also engraved with scriptures or Buddha images, and countless 'mani stones' are arranged to form a wall of scripture stones. There are already 260 million mani stones, forming a city of mani stones. The stone walls and alleys are hung with colorful prayer flags printed with scriptures and Buddha images, and a red stupa stands in the center of the stone city. Jiegu Monastery is located to the east of Jiegu Town, famous for its magnificent architecture, numerous monks, rich cultural relics, and many eminent disciples in the Tibetan areas of our country. The halls and monk cells are scattered and stand tall on the hillside. The mani stone mounds of Jiegu Monastery are world-renowned. The first Jiana Living Buddha settled in the village of Xinzhai to the east of the town in his later years and built the mani mound here, known as 'Jiana Mani Mound' or 'Xinzhai Mani Mound'. As time passed, the volume of the mani stone mounds here grew larger and larger. Over 200 years, more than 2.5 billion mani stones have been accumulated, making it the 'World's Largest Mani Stone Mound', and an outstanding representative of Tibetan religious culture.

💎✨ Today I want to reveal to you a hidden gem in China - Yushu, Qinghai! This place is praised as more mysterious than Tibet and more pristine than Xinjiang, and its sacredness and solemnity are no less than that of western Sichuan. But the most shocking thing is that it is the only place in the country where all scenic spots are permanently open to the public for free! 🚫🎫 💖🤝 Why is it free? The story behind it is heartwarming. In 2010, Yushu experienced a major earthquake, and people from all over the country extended a helping hand. In order to express gratitude for this great love, Yushu decided to open all scenic spots in the area to tourists free of charge permanently, so that everyone can enjoy the purity and beauty of this land. 🌍💕 🚀🛫 Transportation Guide: To Yushu, you can choose to fly to Yushu Batang Airport, or take a train to Xining and then depart for Yushu. 📅🌡️ Best time to travel: July to August, when the weather is pleasant and the scenery is most charming. 🏞️🌟🎈 Recommended attractions: - **🏞️ Hoh Xil**: A mysterious treasure of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, known as the "roof of the roof of the world". Tibetan antelopes run freely on the vast grassland, and the majestic snow-capped mountains and blue lakes complement each other, forming an intoxicating natural picture. - **🏞️ Sanjiangyuan National Park**: China's first national park, where mountains and the Yellow River interweave into a natural painting, and rare wild animals such as Tibetan antelopes and Tibetan wild donkeys can be seen everywhere. - **🌊 Chumar River**: The river water under the sun is like "blood of the earth", strange and spectacular. - **🏯 Jiegu Temple**: The temple monks' quarters on a towering hill overlook the panoramic view of the town and feel the tranquility of the soul. - **🏰 Gar Monastery**: An ancient temple on a cliff. The prayer wheel at a high altitude is said to be the dowry of Princess Wencheng, full of historical atmosphere. - **🧂 Baizagu Salt Field**: A place with more history than Chaka Salt Lake, with infinite scenery and picturesque views in summer. - **🙏Xinzhai Mani Stone City**: A place for praying and making wishes at an altitude of more than 3,600 meters, shocking the soul. 🎉🎊 Recommended activities: Every year from July 25th to August 1st, the largest Tibetan carnival in Qinghai is held on the Zaxi Grassland. It is a cultural feast not to be missed! 📚🌿 Dear travelers, Yushu is not just a place, it is a precious book, every page of which is filled with the harmonious coexistence of nature and humanity. Here, you can feel the most primitive breath of nature and hear the longest echo of history. 🏞️🌬️ 🔍🧭 Yushu, this beautiful and mysterious place, is waiting for everyone who loves adventure. Let’s witness together the scenery that is more moving than words, and experience the spiritual journey that is more shocking than imagination. 🏔️🌅

🌟This is the only city in the country where admission is free. The name "Yushu" is a Tibetan transliteration, which means "ruins". The reputation of this place can be counted on one hand: "the ocean of singing and dancing", "the hometown of singing and dancing", "the ancestor of famous mountains", "the source of rivers", "the land of yak", "the world closest to the sky" … - 🌟Yushu occupies one-third of Qinghai’s area and one-third of Qinghai’s beauty. The average altitude is above 4,000 meters. Although it lacks oxygen, it does not lack faith. This is not Tibet, but you can feel the power of faith better than Tibet. ✅Four days and three nights travel guide 1⃣day 1 Yushu【Jiegu Temple】 You can fly directly to Yushu Batang Airport from Chengdu or Xining. The average altitude here is about 4,000. After arriving in the city, you can take a short rest and then visit the highest point in the city: Jiegu Temple Tourist Scenic Area, which is the highest temple in the city. The temple is built on the mountain, with halls and monks' houses scattered in an orderly manner. Accommodation: You can stay at the Gesar Palace Hotel, which should be one of the best hotels in the city. The accommodation conditions are not bad. - 2⃣day 2 Zhiduo County [First County on the Yangtze River] [Chumar River] In the morning, you can set off to Zhiduo County, which is two and a half hours' drive from Yushu city. You can see a lot of beautiful scenery along the way. "Zhiduo" means "the source of the Yangtze River" in Tibetan, and is also known as "the first county on the Yangtze River. It is known as the source of the Yangtze River, the animal kingdom, and the Chinese Water Tower. It is also the Sanjiangyuan National Park and the largest county in China. The first national park. In the afternoon, it takes about three and a half hours to set off from Zhiduo County to the Chumal River (Red River). The Chumal River belongs to the Yangtze River Source Nature Reserve, and the upstream area is the center of the Hoh Xil Reserve. The river here flows through the flat beaches, turning into colorful and ever-changing pictures. In an instant, you can take in the unspeakable beauty of nature and return to Zhiduo County to stay overnight. Accommodation: Queen Gesar Hotel, there are many restaurants nearby. - 3⃣day 3 Yushu [Xinzhai Mani Stone Pile] [Princess Wencheng Temple] Two and a half hours' drive back to Yushu from Zhiduo County, you can visit the Manidui, which are mostly piles of white stones used for praying, with Buddha statues or scriptures engraved on them. People in Tibetan areas here will circle around the Manidui, chanting words, calling the gods, and praying for God's gifts and blessings. In the afternoon, you can visit Princess Wencheng Temple. Near the airport, Princess Wencheng Temple was built in the Tang Dynasty and has a history of more than 1,300 years. It is one of the important cultural relics of the Tang-Tibet Ancient Road.

Jiegu Temple is located on the Dongjiegu Mountain in Jiegu Town, Yushu City, Yushu Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, Qinghai Province. It is a very famous Sakya sect temple in the Yushu area. In Tibetan, it is called 'Jiegu Dunzhu Leng', which means 'Jiegu Yichengzhou'. Jiegu Temple is built on the mountain, with majestic architecture, numerous monks, and well-arranged halls and monk houses. Looking up the mountain, it looks like multi-storey pavilions are dotted on the mountainside. The main building of Jiegu Temple, 'Duwen Sangzhou Jiaco' lecture hall can accommodate thousands of people chanting sutras at the same time. The main Buddha in the sutra hall and the main hall is Sakyamuni, Master Padmasambhava, Goddess of Auspiciousness, Sandalwood Carved Tara and the Five Ancestors of Sakya in Tibet, etc. There are more than 3,400 various types of copper gilt Buddha statues and wooden Buddha statues. Jiegu Temple also treasures nearly 10,000 volumes of Tibetan Buddhist classics such as 'Ganzhuer' and 'Danzhuer', as well as many precious cultural relics such as Sakyamuni and Tara statues given by Basiba, and a treasure knife handed down by Zawu Baihu. There is also a statue of Sakyamuni preaching to his five disciples under the Bodhi tree on Jiegu Mountain. When visiting, I was puzzled as to why there are so many elements of Han Buddhism here. It was not until I went to the Princess Wencheng Temple that I suddenly realized that it should have been brought by Princess Wencheng when she married. Jiegu Temple is a good place to understand the Tibetan Buddhist culture in the Yushu area. There have been many high monks in the history of Jiegu Temple. The most famous is the first generation Jiana Living Buddha. Jiana Living Buddha is talented and has created more than 100 dances of 'Duo Xiang Qiu Zhuo', making the Yushu area a famous Tibetan song and dance hometown. About 5 kilometers away from Jiegu Temple, the Jiana Mani Stone Sutra City, which was also created by Jiana Living Buddha, is very large and visually shocking. Every day, many devout Tibetan compatriots turn the scriptures here. The scale of Jiana Mani Stone Sutra City is the largest in the world, known as 'the largest place in the world for praying and making wishes'. The number of Mani stones here reaches tens of billions. 【✍🏻Tourist suggestion】It is recommended to leave half a day to a day for visiting. Yushu is high in altitude, so you need to visit according to your physical strength. The lecture hall, Dazhao Hall and Maitreya Hall are must-visit places. Whether to visit Jiana and Wenbao Living Buddha's courtyard depends on personal preference. The halls and monk houses of Jiegu Temple are well-arranged and towering on the hill. From Jiegu Temple, you can overlook Jiegu Town. 【📍Address】On Dongjiegu Mountain in Jiegu Town, Yushu City, Yushu Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, Qinghai Province 【⏰Tour time】8:00-17:00 【🎫Ticket】Free 【✈️Transportation】At present, there is no train service in Yushu, you can only take a plane or drive by yourself. There are not many flights, and it is more convenient to drive by yourself. You can also enjoy the beautiful Qinghai along the way. Just navigate to Jiegu Temple to arrive

This is the only city in China with free admission. The name "Yushu" is a Tibetan translation, meaning "ruins". The reputation here can't be counted with one hand: "Sea of Dance", "Hometown of Dance", "Ancestor of Famous Mountains", "Source of Rivers", "Land of Yaks", "The world closest to the sky"... -Yushu occupies one-third of Qinghai, and it also occupies one-third of the beauty of Qinghai. The average altitude is over 4000 meters. Although it lacks oxygen, it does not lack faith. It's not Tibet, but it feels the power of faith more than Tibet. The travel strategy is for four days and three nights 1️⃣day 1 Yushu You can fly directly to Yushu Batang Airport from Chengdu or Xining. I can fly from Chengdu to Yushu City in an hour and a half. Take a taxi to Yushu City for half an hour. The average altitude here is about 4000 pounds. After arriving in the city, you can rest for a while, and then visit the highest point in the city: Jiegu Temple tourist area. This is the highest temple in the city. The temple is built on the mountain, and the temple and the monks' houses are scattered together. Accommodation: You can stay at the Gesar Palace Hotel, which should be one of the best hotels in the city, and the accommodation conditions are also good. -2️⃣day 2 Zhiduo County You can set off to Zhiduo County in the morning, two and a half hours drive from Yushu City. You can see a lot of beautiful scenery along the way. In Tibetan, "Zhiduo" means "source of the Yangtze River", also known as "the first county of the Yangtze River". It is known as the source of the Yangtze River, the animal kingdom, and the water tower of China. It is also the Sanjiangyuan National Park, and China's first national park. In the afternoon, it takes about three and a half hours from Zhiduo County to Chumar River (Red River). The Chumar River belongs to the Yangtze River Source Nature Reserve, and the upstream area is the core area of the Kekexili Reserve. The rivers here flow through flat beaches, fantasizing about colorful and ever-changing gorgeous pictures. In an instant, nature cannot be captured in full view, and stay overnight in many counties. Accommodation: Ling·Gesar Queen's Hotel, there is more food around. -3️⃣day 3 Yushu It takes two and a half hours to drive back to Yushu from Zhiduo County. You can go to see the Mani pile, mainly the accumulation of white stones, used for prayer, carved with Buddha or scriptures. The Tibetans here will circle around the Mani pile, read words, call God, and pray for God's gifts and blessings. In the afternoon, you can visit the Princess Wencheng Temple. The Princess Wencheng Temple was built in the Tang Dynasty and has a history of more than 1300 years. It is one of the important cultural relics of the Tang Fan Ancient Road.