Ani Tsankhung Nunnery, Buddhist temple in Barkhor district, Lhasa, China.
Ani Tsankhung Nunnery is a three-story yellow-walled structure located in Lhasa's Barkhor district. It houses a main prayer hall with a Chenresig statue, residential quarters for more than one hundred nuns, and several meditation spaces.
The nunnery was founded in the 15th century by Kujor Tokden on a site long associated with meditation. The location holds significance from the 7th century, when the Tibetan king Songtsen Gampo meditated there.
The nuns perform daily practices that give visitors a sense of active monastic life within the walls. You can observe them tending to the altars and moving through the courtyards during their routines.
The nunnery keeps limited visiting hours and occasionally closes for private ceremonies, so it is wise to check ahead. A simple outdoor restaurant serves local noodle dishes and dumplings during the lunch period.
A meditation cave associated with King Songtsen Gampo remains inside the nunnery and is tended daily by three nuns who maintain oil lamps. This quiet sacred space draws visitors interested in exploring the oldest layers of the site.
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