Zengke Monastery

Zengke Monastery

Zengke Monastery is a national AAA-level tourist attraction and a cultural tourism site.

Zengke Monastery is located on the banks of the Duoke River in Wuyi Village, Wuyi Township, Rangtang County, 26.5 kilometers from the county seat, covering an area of 2.5 square kilometers. The monastery was founded in 1954 by a lama named Nisheng and belongs to the Kagyu sect of Tibetan Buddhism. In the 1950s, Lama Jigme Oser, entrusted by the 16th Karmapa, built a nine-story Maitreya Stupa here, which came to be known as Zengke Monastery. Later, Lama Jigme Oser constructed a Kagyu "Naro Six Dharmas" retreat center, attracting many practitioners who came to receive empowerments and teachings from him. Gradually, Zengke Monastery flourished. It is the largest complex of temple-fortresses in the Tibetan region, featuring the Maitreya Stupa, colorful stupa forest, and distinctive residential architecture as its main sights. The main structures of Zengke Monastery are built with stone and wood, covering an area of 2,500 square meters.

Location: Zengke Monastery is situated on the banks of the Duoke River in Wuyi Village, Wuyi Township, Rangtang County, 26.5 kilometers from the county seat, covering an area of 2.5 square kilometers.

Climate: The area has a typical alpine climate—dry and cold in winter, long winters with no true summer, short springs and autumns, and large diurnal temperature variations.

Contact: 0837-2376222

Official Website: http://www.rangtang.gov.cn/ (Rangtang County Government Website)

Ticket Information: Free

Attraction Introduction: Zengke Monastery was founded in 1954 by a lama named Nisheng and belongs to the Kagyu sect of Tibetan Buddhism. It is the largest complex of temple-fortresses in the Tibetan region. The monastery features the Maitreya Stupa, colorful stupa forest, and distinctive local dwellings as its main attractions. Its main buildings are constructed from stone and wood, covering an area of 2,500 square meters.

The Maitreya Stupa at Zengke Monastery is the second-largest of its kind in the Tibetan region, with the first built in Tibet. The monastery’s abbot, Lama Jigme Osha, designed the stupa based on the Lhodrak Maitreya Stupa in Tibet and established it in 1954, later building four more identical Maitreya Stupas.

Surrounding the Maitreya Stupa are 1,108 colorful stupas of varying heights, sizes, and shapes. The Buddha statues within the monastery uniquely blend the sculptural art styles of Kham, Ü-Tsang (both front and back regions), while also incorporating distinct sect-specific and regional iconographic techniques. This has resulted in a distinctive style and self-contained system, making them highly influential masterpieces of the Semkhar school and truly exceptional works of Buddhist statuary art.