Changqingnianke’er Monastery

Changqingnianke’er Monastery

Changqingnianke’er Monastery is a national AAA-level tourist attraction and a key cultural relic protection unit in China.

Also known as Litang Monastery, Changqingnianke’er Monastery was founded in 1580 by the Third Dalai Lama, Lobsang Gyatso. It is the oldest and largest Gelug (Yellow Sect) Tibetan Buddhist monastery in the Kham region. The name “Changqingnianke’er” is a transliteration from Tibetan. “Changqing” means Maitreya Buddha (the future Buddha), “Nianke’er” means the Dalai Lama, and together they mean “Maitreya the Dalai Lama” (symbolizing the eternal turning of the Dharma wheel and the everlasting truth). The monastery covers an area of over 500 acres, facing south with its back against the Benre Sacred Mountain and Duowen Zheng Mountain. Legend has it that when the Third Dalai Lama, Lobsang Gyatso, was returning to Tibet from Amdo (Qinghai) after spreading Buddhist teachings, he encountered numerous auspicious signs along the way. At this spot, he witnessed a miraculous landscape — the mountain to the north (rear) rises high, resembling a wealth god sitting cross-legged, holding treasures; the mountain to the west (right) is spectacular, like a giant roc spreading its wings ready to fly; the mountain to the east (left) is wonderfully shaped like a huge elephant lying curled up, extending its long trunk from north to south, with clear springs at both cheeks flowing gently down either side of the trunk, the left being the nectar of longevity, and the right that of Padmasambhava; the southern mountains undulate with peculiar peaks, and on the mid-slope of the main peak naturally forms a depiction of the “Ten Symbols of Longevity.” Below the mountains flows the turbulent Litang River, winding like a green dragon, while the vast grassland in the middle emits a fragrant aroma. In the center stands the Bodhi White Pagoda, said to have been built under the instruction of Princess Wencheng when she entered Tibet. The breathtaking scenery matches the prophecy made over 900 years ago by the Indian master Atisha in his "Questions and Answers of the Kadampa Disciples." Delighted, Lobsang Gyatso built this monastery among the mountains that resemble the trunk of a giant elephant. Due to this legendary story, the monastery gained great fame and is reputed in Tibetan regions as “Above are the Three Great Monasteries of Lhasa, below is the Ta’er Monastery of Amdo, and in the middle is the Litang Changqingnianke’er Monastery.”

When the monastery was first built, there were just over a hundred lamas, few buildings, and limited economic resources. With the help and support of the Mongol King Chek A’deng and the Naxi chieftain of Lijiang in Yunnan, the Great Prayer Hall and Wuwang Hall were later constructed. As the monastery grew and flourished, during the tenure of Abbot Azha-Rinchen, the Upper Great Hall was also built, giving the monastery its initial scale. In the 18th year of the Daoguang reign of the Qing Dynasty (1838), Ngawang Lodro Yeshe Tenpai Drakpa, born in our county, was one of the candidates for the reincarnation of the Tenth Dalai Lama. Though he was not chosen in the lottery, he was conferred the title of “Xianggen” Living Buddha. After obtaining the Geshe degree at Drepung Monastery, he became the 51st abbot of Changqingnianke’er Monastery. Before his passing, he was conferred by the Thirteenth Dalai Lama, Thubten Gyatso, as the highest Xianggen of Southern Kham and granted authority over religious affairs in the region. At that time, the title of Xianggen became widely renowned in Southern Kham and has since been used by successive abbots of the monastery. In 1931, the Second Xianggen, Ngawang Lodro Tenzin Tseleg Gyatso, undertook major construction projects. While fundraising through preaching and donations, he also received financial support from the Tibetan local government, expanding the Upper Great Hall and renovating the Wuwang Hall and other public buildings except the Great Prayer Hall. To consolidate and expand the influence of Litang Monastery in Southern Kham, the Second Xianggen implemented a series of measures in politics, economy, and culture. Especially in politics, he adopted a policy of “maintaining friendly relations with neighbors, drawing close to Han and Tibet,” which led to rapid development of the monastery in all aspects. Even Liu Wenhui, Chairman of the Xikang Provincial Government of the Nationalist Government, once donated 500 loads of tea. Zeng Yan Shu, stationed in Litang, applied to the Xikang Provincial Government in 1941 for approval to establish a “Mediation Committee” within the monastery, granting it legal judicial authority. In 1944, together with his subordinate Shi Jianhou, he established a Han Monks' College within the monastery.

Through years of expansion, by the time of the Second Xianggen, the monastery had over 20 main structures including Buddha halls and scripture halls, over 20 living quarters for lamas, and more than 400 monk dormitories. These buildings, scattered across the hills, formed a unique, rigorous, and magnificent architectural complex. There were nearly 4,000 monks, and the monastery enjoyed extremely high prestige throughout the Tibetan region, becoming a sacred site of the Gelug sect of Tibetan Buddhism in the Kham area.

After the Cultural Revolution, the monastery was approved by the provincial government as a key reopened monastery. The provincial and prefectural governments allocated funds multiple times for its renovation. After more than ten years of restoration, monastery buildings such as the Maitreya Hall, Great Scripture Hall, Thousand Buddha Hall, Dharma College, Xianggen’s Quarters, and the Golden Roof Red Palace were restored. A 19-meter-tall statue of Maitreya and three thousand Buddha statues in the Thousand Buddha Hall were donated and sculpted by monks and laypeople. The Golden Roof Red Palace also houses the stupas of the First and Second Xianggen. The footprints of the Third and Fifth Dalai Lamas are the monastery’s most treasured relics.

When you walk into the sacred main hall, the mani stones in the corners tell the over 400-year history of the monastery. The golden saddle, the bronze rings on the qilin horn, the throne of the 10th Panchen Lama, the ancient woodblocks of the Kangyur and Tengyur turned by the monks, and the devout believers spinning prayer wheels all evoke memories of the monastery’s storied past. Today, several of the monastery’s main buildings have been restored, the number of monks has reached over 2,000, and study systems, monthly rituals, and annual events (such as cham dances, debates, mountain circumambulations, large Buddha unfoldings, and butter sculpture exhibitions) have been reinstated. With its magnificent architecture, an abundance of ritual instruments, diverse Buddha statues, exquisite sculptures, and vast collection of scriptures, Changqingnianke’er Monastery has become a treasure trove of Tibetan religion, culture, and art.

Protected Area: Extending 35 meters eastward from the perimeter of the former residence of Xianggen to Rizhe Sacred Spring, 20 meters westward to the West Stream, 150 meters southward to Langse Mountain, and 1 meter northward to Hongqi No.1 Team Village (within the surrounding wall)

Construction Control Zone: Extending 30 meters eastward, westward, and northward, and 50 meters southward from the protected area

Further Reading:

· Seventh Batch of National Key Cultural Relic Protection Units