Shatuo Temple

Shatuo Temple

Shatuo Temple is a cultural tourism attraction.

Also known as "Shatu Temple" or "Gadan Temple," it is called "Zhaxiqungkelin" in Tibetan, meaning "Auspicious 0 Continent." Its current location is on the western shore of Qinghai Lake at Heitugen, 46 kilometers southwest of the county seat, in Danlonggou by the Buha River within Quanji Township. The temple’s original site was in Nian’naisuoma, 6 kilometers southwest of Quanji Township, about 1 kilometer south of Qinghai Lake. The temple was built on a raised ridge between the Quanji River and the Asihan River, extending along the terrain all the way to the shores of Qinghai Lake.

The temple was first built in 1665 and belongs to the Nyingma sect. It is said that there was once an “Obo” (sacred cairn) here for worshipping the mountain deity. In the 10th year of the Shunzhi reign during the Qing Dynasty (1653), the 5th Dalai Lama, Lobsang Gyatso, passed through Qinghai Lake on his way back to Tibet after visiting the Shunzhi Emperor in Beijing. He held religious activities here to pray for the protection of the sea deity. Since then, Shatuo has become a sacred religious site, attracting countless devotees to offer incense and worship. Later, a tent monastery was established here. Under the management of the eminent monk Gadrin from Tongde, the religious activities flourished even more. By 1941, a sutra hall was built on the site of the original Obo, covering an area of over 400 square meters with about 30 rooms, along with 300 monk quarters housing 130 monks. It became one of the more influential Nyingma sect monasteries in the lake region. The original grand sutra hall featured upturned eaves and painted beams, ochre walls adorned with fragrant decorations, and a roof ornamented with golden dragons and prayer wheels. The incense at the Buddhist altar burned day and night, complemented by the scenic beauty of Qinghai Lake, making for a truly spectacular sight.