Bathang Sky Burial Platform

　　Introduction      The Bathang Sky Burial Platform is located on the southeastern slope of the Princess Wencheng Temple, more than 20 kilometers from Jiegu Town, the seat of Yushu Prefecture. It covers an area of about 10 acres and mainly consists of several large and small stupas, a small prayer hall, a “prayer wheel” hall, the “Gengren” Buddha hall, a corpse offering platform, and dozens of rooms used by monks and laypeople for retreats and scripture chanting.

　　The Bathang Sky Burial Platform was chosen in 1100 AD by Jowo Juedeng Sanggye Gon, the founder of the Tibetan Buddhist Drigung Kagyu sect, as one of the largest and most sacred sky burial platforms in the Kham region. It is said to be a feng shui treasure land described in Buddhist scriptures as having “eight lotus petals on the earth and nine precious parasols in the sky.” Beneath the center of the platform lies the hidden treasure of the “Tenfold Powerful Symbol” as well as three mandalas representing the upper, middle, and lower realms, among other auspicious signs. As a result, it has been an ideal site for sky burials for local and distant devotees from Bathang, Jiegu, and beyond for thousands of years.

　　 Qinghai Yushu Prefecture