Labu Monastery

　　Labu Monastery is one of the major Gelugpa monasteries in the Yushu region. In its early days, it was a small Sakya sect monastery. During the Yongle era of the Ming Dynasty, Tsongkhapa’s disciple Dama Khenchen Yountengba was sent by his master to establish a monastery in what is now Chenduo County. Upon seeing the scenic and pleasant landscape at the mouth of the Xuequng Valley in Laxitong, he chose the site. With the assistance of the local Labu chieftain Nyima Ben, in the 16th year of the Yongle reign (1419), the original small Sakya monastery was rebuilt. A new prayer hall and six monk dormitories were constructed, and ten monks gathered, forming Labu Monastery. From its inception, the monastery received support from both Tsongkhapa and the Ming court. It is said that Tsongkhapa gifted his own hair and clothing as sacred relics to be enshrined within clay statues, as well as a statue of Tara. The Ming court bestowed a statue and ritual items such as a monk’s staff. After its establishment, Dama Khenchen actively spread the influence of the monastery nearby and quickly converted the original region of present-day Yushu County—originally part of a different sect—to the Gelugpa school. In his later years, Dama Khenchen also traveled to areas that are now part of Haixi Prefecture’s Doqu and Sichuan’s Shiqu County to further expand the monastery’s reach. Around the Daoguang period of the Qing Dynasty...

　　The monastery’s Jiridorje traveled to Beijing to meet the Qing emperor and received generous gifts. He was appointed as the chieftain of the Labu tribe, overseeing all local religious and political affairs. In the 3rd year of the Tongzhi reign (1864)...

　　The Qing court bestowed a small golden plaque. In the 12th year of the Tongzhi reign (1873)...

　　...the monastery was granted the plaque inscribed with “Pujisi” (Universal Salvation Monastery) through the efforts of Xining official Xiyin. By then, Labu Monastery had entered its golden age, overseeing 18 branch monasteries. Aside from Gala Monastery and Rangniang Monastery, these included Benbu Monastery, ... Monastery, Kanai Monastery, and Xiuma Monastery within the county; Gangla Monastery and Longxi Monastery in Yushu County; and in Sichuan’s Shiqu County, Shiqu Monastery, Gaiyi Monastery, Re Monastery, Bonni Monastery, Bensa Monastery, Mugai Monastery, Badar Monastery, and Qunke Monastery, among others. The monastery's architecture was the grandest among all temples in Yushu. This is detailed in the *Yushu Survey Records*. According to 1955 survey data, the monastery then had 21 main and minor halls, over 100 monk dormitory compounds, 550 monks, 15 senior monks, 7,910 cattle, numerous horses and mules, 1,600 hectares of land, commercial capital totaling 4,000 silver dollars and 260,000 yuan. Most of the assets were concentrated among the monastery’s three senior monks, who alone owned 3,000 cattle, 180 horses and mules, 590 hectares of land, over 11 compounds with more than 100 rooms, and 8 prayer halls.

　　The monastery was approved for reopening on June 8, 1981. It currently has several prayer halls, 70 monk dormitories, and 54 monks (including ... senior monks), with Tuden Gongbao serving as the head of the management committee. In March 1986, the monastery was recognized as an advanced religious institution for tree-planting and grass-seeding efforts by the provincial CPPCC, the provincial Party Committee’s United Front Work Department, the provincial afforestation committee, and the provincial religious affairs bureau.

　　Labu Monastery

　　Labu Monastery

　　Labu Monastery

　　Labu Monastery