Longrong Monastery

Longrong Monastery

Longrong Monastery is a cultural tourism attraction.

Originally named Kagye Monastery, Longrong Monastery covers an area of over 100 acres and currently houses nearly 500 monks. The monastery was established by the Fifth Dalai Lama and has a history of more than 500 years. It belongs to the Gelug school of Tibetan Buddhism and is one of the thirteen major Gelug monasteries in Kham, exerting significant influence in southern Kham. It is also among the six major monasteries in the region and holds a seat in the three great monasteries of Tibet. Directly affiliated with the Pukhang Monastery under the great "Ganden" Monastery of Tibet, the monastery boasts a resplendent golden roof weighing 1,500 jin. Inside the main hall, there are three exquisitely crafted, lifelike statues of the founders of the Gelug school—Lorong Drakpa and his two disciples. The ancient, classic Buddhist scriptures include many important texts, such as the Kangyur and Tengyur volumes of the Tibetan Buddhist Canon, which collectively represent a classical masterpiece integrating Tibetan literature, religion, philosophy, astronomy, calendar systems, and literature.

Legends of Longrong Monastery

Legend has it that long ago, a lama planned to build a monastery on this site. Before construction began, he made an agreement with the head builder: the monastery must be built exactly to the lama’s satisfaction, and payment would only be made once he approved; the builders, on the other hand, would be paid according to the head builder’s decision, and their wages would only cease when he said he no longer wanted any more.

During construction, the lama frequently inspected the work, and the laborers worked exceptionally hard, with little unnecessary conversation between the two sides. After the workers’ diligent efforts, a magnificent and splendid monastery was completed. The lama carefully inspected the building from top to bottom and inside out three times and was finally satisfied, though he said nothing. On the day wages were settled, the lama hosted a banquet to thank the workers. As he paid them, he warmly urged the head builder to drink barley wine. Unable to refuse the lama’s hospitality, the head builder drank three bowls in a row. When the lama poured him another, the builder really couldn’t drink any more and quickly protested, “No more, no more…” The lama promptly replied, “Then we’ve settled the wages.” “What? I never said I didn’t want any more,” the builder argued. The lama said, “Didn’t you just say ‘no more’?” The builder realized he had indeed said those words. What could he do? He had no choice but to accept his misfortune. As he left the monastery, the head builder, furious, swung his axe and chopped at the main gate. That single strike changed the sound the door made when opened from “Tashi” (meaning “auspiciousness”) to “Kazhang” (meaning “misfortune”), and the sound when closed from “Yongke” (meaning “fortune arriving”) to “Duide” (meaning “ruin”).

Not long after, the monastery’s foundation was hollowed out by rats. Although many cats were brought in from elsewhere, the overwhelming number of rodents rendered them useless, and the monastery was eventually destroyed by the rat infestation. The lama then chose a new location to rebuild.

The lama took two stones, one from the upper and one from the lower part of what is now Longrong, and sent people to the holy city of Lhasa to seek divination in order to choose an auspicious site for the new monastery. The divination results indicated that the lower stone’s location was the blessed spot. However, the diviner harbored ill intentions; if his family could build a house on the blessed land, wouldn’t they prosper for generations? So he falsely reported to the lama: the divination showed that the lower area had a lucky “dragon” site, while the upper had a blessed “velvet” site, and that the upper one was better. Consequently, the monastery was built on the upper site, and it became known as Longrong Monastery (literally “Dragon-Velvet Monastery”).

Coincidentally, the diviner later built his own private home on the lower blessed land, and his family became the wealthiest in Derong County.