Gongba Temple

　　Introduction       The area is surrounded by dense forests where rare and colorful flowers compete in beauty, and various precious medicinal herbs grow, filling the air with fragrance. Crystal-clear mountain springs sparkle like pearls, while rare birds and animals roam the woods and sing from the treetops. For these reasons, the site has long been revered by Buddhist devotees as an auspicious and sacred land.

　　      Gongba Temple was founded in the 14th year of the Guangxu reign during the Qing Dynasty (1888), with 107 monks. On the 17th day of the fourth lunar month that year, to celebrate the birthdays of the emperor and the empress dowager, large-scale religious ceremonies were held. Building upon the existing Dinggu Zhaqang, the Chan Ni Zhaqang, Ju Ba Zhaqang, and Man Ba Zhaqang were expanded. The emperor bestowed on the temple a longevity plaque inscribed with “Long Live the Current Emperor, Long Live Long Live,” another for “Long Live the Empress Dowager, Long Live Long Live,” as well as a temple plaque, golden characters, honorific banners, and five thousand taels of gold and silver, along with the temple’s golden imperial decree.

　　      In September of that year, the upper and lower halls of the temple were completed. Together with twelve meditation centers, a grand ceremony was held to “celebrate the birthday of the Great Emperor Wenshu.” In March of the following year, an independent ritual system was formally established. Subsequently, twelve meditation centers, including the Jiangche Meditation Center, were merged. At that time, the temple had a grand prayer hall, a Bodhisattva Hall, a 0 Hall, four Zhaqangs, and 6 monks, making it the second-largest monastery in the Zhuoni area after the Chan Ding Monastery.

　　      In the late Qing Dynasty, Gongba Temple came under the jurisdiction of Labrang Monastery in Xiahe. From then on, the abbot was appointed by Labrang Monastery to manage religious affairs. However, the political and administrative matters of the affiliated parishioners and districts remained under the control of the Yang Tusi of Zhuoni, forming a structure of separation between religion and politics. The temple's — Gyarong gained legendary status for defending the Ili border in Xinjiang during the Qing Dynasty.

　　 Gannan Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, Gansu Province