Longwu Temple, Tibetan Buddhist monastery in Tongren, China.
Longwu Temple spans approximately 100 hectares with multiple prayer halls, featuring an 11-meter gilded statue of Tsongkhapa mounted on a 26-meter circumference platform within its grand hall supported by 164 pillars.
Founded in 1301 during the Yuan Dynasty, Longwu Temple gained imperial recognition in 1625 when the Ming Emperor inscribed a board reading 'xiyushengjing,' meaning 'paradise in western China,' cementing its historical importance.
The monastery serves as the birthplace of Anduo Tibetan plays and houses four colleges dedicated to popular clan studies, closed clan studies, astronomy, and medical science, maintaining its role as a center for religious and scholarly pursuits.
Located 186 kilometers from Xining in Qinghai Province, visitors can access the temple via regional roads and observe daily religious activities, monastic education, and traditional Thangka painting demonstrations by local artisans.
Longwu Temple exhibits a distinctive fusion of Tibetan and Han Chinese architectural styles with silk-thread adorned gates, flying eaves, and pavilion-like arches, while housing the first monastic college established in 1630 called Tsennyi Tratsang.
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