Gongzhab Obo

Gongzhab Obo

Gongzhab Obo: Comprising thirteen obo (sacred stone mounds), Gongzhab Obo means "universal salvation" in Tibetan. Every year on the 20th day of the fifth lunar month, it is worshipped with dairy offerings, and three traditional Mongolian competitions are held. The worship ceremony is presided over personally by the Khanqin Hutuktu of Hanbei Temple. Records of the 1913 ceremony can be found in historical documents.

In 1966, affected by the Cultural Revolution, Gongzhab Obo was destroyed and the worship ceremonies were discontinued. In 2005, respecting the wishes of the local herders, the county party committee and government raised over one million yuan through government investment and public donations. The obo was relocated from its original site to the north of Bairinhot Town, on the Harinudengzhao grassland. A grand worship ceremony was held on June 15, 2006, marking the restoration of the tradition after a forty-year hiatus.

The newly built Gongzhab Obo covers an area of 6,000 square meters, with thirteen obo made of various colored stones at its center. The main obo has a diameter of 9 meters, upon which a statue of the Dragon King deity is placed according to tradition. The new Gongzhab Obo, situated within the Bairigutai Ecological Park, highlights the characteristics of grassland culture and showcases the harmonious coexistence between humans, nature, and society. It has become another new attraction in Abga Banner.