Xining Hongjue Temple

Xining Hongjue Temple

Xining Hongjue Temple is a cultural heritage site protected by Qinghai Province.

Also known as "Hongjue Temple" or "Hongjue Si." It is located at the southeastern end of Hongjue Temple Street, on the east side of South Street in present-day Xining. According to the *New Annals of Xining Prefecture*, “It is within the southern gate of the city, formerly named ‘Miaohua An.’ It was built in the 23rd year of the Hongwu era (1390) and in the 10th year of the Yongle era, an imperial decree bestowed upon it the name ‘Hongjue.’” The temple received significant attention from the imperial court during the early Ming Dynasty. The monk Zhasiba Suonan was granted the title of National Preceptor and made multiple tribute visits to the capital. With the support of the Ming Dynasty, the temple once held a prominent position in the Xining area. By the late Ming Dynasty, after the successive completion of Ta'er Monastery and Youning Monastery, Hongjue Temple was gradually replaced and began to decline. During the Qing Dynasty, it became a subordinate temple of Labrang Monastery in Gansu. The temple has three courtyards in a row: upon entering the mountain gate is the Dharma Protector Hall, with bell and drum towers on either side of the front courtyard, and the main hall in the middle courtyard houses statues of the Three Great Bodhisattvas. There are also 18 monk’s quarters, and the entire temple complex covers an area of about 4 mu. On the eve of liberation, the temple became a residence for Mongolian and Tibetan nobles, local chieftains, and upper-level monks visiting Xining. A small number of monks still resided there, but religious activities had ceased. After liberation, the buildings were destroyed and the site was repurposed; only the name “Hongjue Temple Street” remains today.